THE PHILIPPINES

Grey River Argus, 1 May 1942, Page 5

THE PHILIPPINES

[British Official Wireless], RUGBY, April 29. General MacArthur’s headquarters reports: Japanese air attacks on Corregidor and other forts at the entrance to Manila Bay are lessening in intensity. Most of the attacks in the past two days were made -with dive-bombers. Our. forts were heavily shelled bv the Japanese batter.es at Cavite and Batan. Our guns returned the fire, silencing some batteries and breaking up troop concentrations, A medium-sized armed vessel operated by the enemy in Manila Bay was sunk by our guns. Enemy detachments are advancing;, against patrols from our small units near the southern end of the Cazayan Valley, in the mountains of northern Luzon. In Panay, our troops are continuing their resistance. Enemy patrols have been largelv concentrated at the pprts and coastal areas of the island. There has been an increase in the enemy naval strength near the Visayan Islands, in the central part of the Philippines. AMERICAN AIR CHIEF KILLED. (Rec. midnight.) CANBERRA, April 30. General MacArthur to-day announced the death in an aeroplane accident of Brigadier-General Harold H. George, Commander of the American Air Corps in the Philippines campaign, and of Melville Jacoby, military correspondent of “Time and Life.” General MacArthur expressed deep regret. He said he regarded Brigadier-General George as one of the outstanding air officers of the world. He had figured prominently in the desperate and tenacious struggle for Luzon.