RANGING FREELY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21548, 30 October 1944, Page 3

RANGING FREELY

U.S. PATROLS ON LEYTE JAP. DELAYING ACTIONS 38 PLANES~DESTROYED (10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Oct. 29. “Our ground patrols are ranging freely on all sectors of Leyte. Enemy resistance is limited to localised delaying actions in Leyte Valley,” said General MacArthur, in a communique. “In the Fifth Corps sector, the First Cavalry Division advanced three miles along the north coast and entered Caricaratown. Units of the 24th Division, advancing four miles further in Leyte Valley, are attacking enemy delaying positions at Alangalang. An enemy counter-attack at Santa Fee was repulsed. In the 24th Corps sector, elements of the Seventh Division have driven within a mile of Dagami on the corps’ left ilank. Patrols entered Santa Ana, San Andre and Pangdan on the Marabang River. Minor contacts have been made inland from Abuag, where we captured six high-calibre enemy coastal defence guns and a motor pool of 40 vehicles. “Schools in the liberated areas are being reopened. An enemy air raid was light and inffectual. We shot down 20 enemy planes, 18 in air combat and two by ‘ack-ack’ fire. Enemy Destroyer Sunk “On Thursday, carrier-based planes sank an enemy destroyer and severely damaged a light cruiser in the Camotcs Sea. Carrier fighters and ships’ ‘ack-ack’ fire destroyed seven attacking enemy planes. One of our carriers sustained some damage and casualties. "Our fighters strafed and damaged a destroyer and a small freighter oil' Cebu. Patrol planes damaged a tanker near Palawan. We lost two planes. Medium units attacked Ilegan, oft' the north coast of Mindanao. Air patrols sank a coastal vessel eastward of Sandalcan, Borneo. Heavy units sank a small freighter in the Gulf of Bone and set fire to shore installations. Fighters and light naval craft attacked Halmahera. Attack planes bombed occupied areas of Amboina. Medium units struck at supply areas and small shipping round Flores Island.

“Patrol planes over Timor harassed aerodromes at Dilli and Cape Chater. Attack and fighter planes bombed Utaron aerodrome and coastal installations on Vogelkop Peninsula. Bombers hit enemy concentrations at Wewak, supply dumps and defence positions at Rabaul and south-east of Kavieng.”