CAPTURES ON LEYTE

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 November 1944, Page 5

CAPTURES ON LEYTE

CLOSING ON ORMOC

aerial raids continued WASHINGTON, November 5. Two United States . columns on Leyte Island, in the Philippines, are closing in on the Japanese escape port of Ormoc, on the west coast of the island. American forces have captured Pinamopoan, a key communication centre on Leyte, northwest coast. General MacArthur’s latest communique says: “Elements of the 24th Division have captured Pinamopoan, at the northern end of the Ormoc Road. Our long-range artillery has moved forward and enemy positions throughout the Ormoc sector are now under its fire. Out forces on the west coast, south of the 24th Corps’ sector, have advanced 14 miles northwards from Baybay towards Ormoc. Enemy air activity is light and ineffective.” “Observers expect heavy fighting soon in the Philippines unless the Japanese retrace their footsteps to Ormoc,” says a correspondent of the United Press. “The size of the enemy forces in this area is doubtful, but it is known that they have medium tanks and fairly heavy artillery. Japanese reinforcements are presumably still reaching Ormoc at night. There is no doubt we have sufficient men and armament to finish the Leyte campaign, and it is possible the Japanese reinforcement of it is mostly a face-saving move. Reliable estimates indicate that the 15th Japanese. Division has been reduced by more than three-quarters.” A United States Pacific Fleet communique says: “Liberators attacked enemy shipping in Chichi Jima Harbour, in the Bonins, on Thursday. The targets included two destroyers, a large transport, four medium transports, and four small transports. Other Liberators bombed a large enemy transport off Haha Jima on Thursday, and land objectives on Haha Jima on Thursday and Friday. Liberators attacked the air strip on Iwo Jima on Friday, destroying two enemy aeroplanes and probably destroying a third. Liberators heavily attacked Koro Island, in the northern Palaus, on. Thursday, starting fires and explosions. Thunderbolts and Liberators damaged the airfield on Pagan Island, and Corsairs strafed enemy installations on Rota Island.” - JAP. ATTACKS FAIL. (Rec. 10 a.m.) NEW YORK, November 6. While American artillery swept enemy concentrations around Ormoc before dawn to-day, infantry occupied Limon, two miles inland from Carigara Bay, without opposition, says the Associated Press correspondent at Army Headquarters on Leyte. The 96th Division, advancing west of Damagi, met strong opposition. The Japanese made a series of desperate benzai charges, losing 500 killed, of which some were identified as from the recently landed armoured force. Meanwhile, the Americans occupied the escape roads and General Kreuger’s artillery steadily raked the highway to Carigara. ADVANCE CONTINUED.

(Rec. 1.45 p.m.) WASHINGTON, November 6. Our advance towards Ormoc continues unchanged, says General MacArthur’s communique. In the 10th Corps sector of Leyte forward elements of the 24th Division pushed four miles south of Carigara Bay past Limon, on the road winding through a mountain pass. The enemy, situated in favourable offensive terrain, attempted three piecemeal night counter-attacks which were sharply repulsed. Artillery from forward areas is effectively shelling enemy bivouacs, gun positions and communication lines in the Ormoc corridor.

In the 24th Corps sector elements of the 66th Division report local clashes with enemy parties north of Dagami. . x Our heavy bombing attacks against enemy aerodromes at Visayas sharply reduced the scale of enemy air activity in the Leyte area. DECISIVE BATTLE. (Rec. 1 p.m.) NEW~YORK, Nov. 6. The final and possibly the toughest battle in the Philippines campaign is impending in the Ormoc area says the United Press Leyte correspondent. There is an air of confidence at American headquarters. One highranking officer expressed, the opinion that all organised opoosition on Leyte might be quelled within a lortnif)espite the enemy’s attempts to turn Leyte into another Guadalcanal, General Kreuger expressed confidence at the way the campaign is going, and he showed no concern at Japanese reinforcements through Ormoc. He said: “Let them come. The more Japs they put there, the fewer we will have to kill later.”

FURTHER JAP. LOSSES

SEVERAL SHIPS —191 PLANES

WASHINGTON, November 6. Admiral Nimitz announced that 3rd Fleet carrier planes sank one Japanese ship, damaged five warships and several ‘cargo ships, and destroyed 191 planes, in a series of raids bn Luzon. “AUSTRALIA” CASUALTIES. MELBOURNE, Nov. 6. Thirty naval men lost their lives in H.MA.S. “Australia” when a Japanese plane crashed on the cruiser during the initial assault on the Philippines on October 20. Of these 19 had been previously announced. The Minister of the Navy (Mr. Makin I said that in addition the casualties comprised two killed who could not immediately be identified, and nine who had since died of wounds. The remainder of the “Australia's” wounded are making satisfactory progress.