THREE CONVOYS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21606, 8 January 1945, Page 3

THREE CONVOYS

U.S. MOVEMENTS REPORTS FROM TOKIO GREAT BATTLE LOOMS (9 a.m.) NEW YORK, Jan. 7. The Tokio radio states that Japanese planes sighted an Allied convoy ■. i u . nsp rts and 120 landing barges westwards of Luzon, another strong convoy westwards of Panay, and a wird convoy southwards of Negros. The radio adds: “The Americans may have landed on Luzon.” The Tokio radio also said that about 12 China-based Super-Fortresses raided Nanking from 8.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on January 6, concentrating on the Shiakuan section of the Yangtse River. The Japanese lost seven planes. Another Tokio radio broadcast stated: “An enemy convoy with a task force escort appeared westward of i..uzcn on the evening of January 5. A Japanese suicide air unit sank two aircraft carriers and one battleship. A suicide unit also sank a troop transport and heavily damaged another when the enemy convoy was preparing for the landing operations on Mindoro on January 4.” JLhe Tokio radio, broadcasting to China, declared that the battle of the Philippines would decide the outcome of the Greater East Asia war, but the Leyte and Mindoro campaigns were merely local operations. The decisive struggle would occur on Luzon, where ihe .Japanese lorccs were eagerly awaiting the opportunity to annihilate the invader.