LOSS OF PHILIPPINES

Grey River Argus, 19 August 1944, Page 5

LOSS OF PHILIPPINES

FACING JAPANESE MacArthur Blasting Outer Defences (Rec ( SJ al tO I^NEY, S Aug nJ lB. (R Ja C -an£e forces . are rapW los&o d yed ne stronghold in the Molucca Islands : 350 miles from the Philippines, ve fenceof Halmahera has . cost, the Taiwanese 68 planes destroyed, and over 70 more either des^ s seriously damaged in the .P a£ T weeks. In the same period nearly fifty thousand tons of eneaay I( A hI P7 ping have been sunk or crippled at Halmahera. These losses have mamIv been a severe blow to Japanese sea communications. The merchantmen lost mostly were not escorted bv enemy cruisers, destroyers or corvettes. Formerly convoying merchant shipping in the area these war vessels have been noticeably .absent. In the latest raid Liberators and Mitchells were not opposed to Japanese fighters. Eighty-seven tons or bombs were dropped in the second heaviest raid yet on the base. General MacArthur’s spokesman says continued Allied air blows have. al r most isolated Halmahera. Outlying Japanese garrisons at Halmahera and in the Ceram, Banda and Arafura Seas are dependent on dwindling supplies, because the enemy can no longer risk heavy shipping forward of ' the Philippines-Celebes-Ceram line. Forward enemy garrisons are now forced to depend for supplies on small ships, sailing vessels luggers and local small craft. The capacitv of this make-shift shipping is not sufficient for eyen essential items such as munitions and aviation gasoline, says General MacArthur’s communique to-day. For the distribution forward of Halmahera the enemy is now compelled to rely on inadequate barge traffic which is subject to heavy attrition in the attempt to evade the Allies’ extensive air and naval patrol net. The strategic effect of this rapid shrinkage of his sea communications is to threaten further the enemy’s vital Philippines-Halmahera defence line.

U.S. WEST PACIFIC RAIDS (Rec. 11.40) WASHINGTON, Aug. 17. American planes continued widespread raids on Japanese positions in the Pacific, according to a Pacific Fleet communique reporting that Liberators on Tuesday attacked Chichijina in the Bonin Islands. A seaplane base and adjacent installations were bombed. Liberators bombed Maug Island in the northern Mar’ianas, and Pagan Inland was also bombed and strafed. Venturas bombed runways on Nauru hnd Corsairs attacks Waldelap atoll. Before daylight om Sunday Liberators bombed enemy supply facilities on Paramushiro.

NON-STOP PACIFIC WAR

AMERICA’S TWO NAVAL TEAMS

(Rec. 90) NEW YORK, Aug. 18. A “New York Times” correspondent says: A new Pacific Command set up,*which, he was of opinion, would greatly shorten the war against Japan, was outlined by Admiral Nimitz during a recent visit to Gaum. Admiral Nitmitz promised a non-stop war with separate teams of amphibious commanders under Admirals Halsey and Spruance alternately planning and fighting future operations. He said. “For example, while Admiral Spruafcice commanding the Fifth Fleet and its amphibious corps are executing one operation, Admiral Halsay, commanding the Third Fleet and his amphibious corps will be planning another operation, which they will execute while Admiral Spruance ana his crowd sit on the beach planning still another. You cannot ex- . pect an Admiral to plan and execute an operation at the same time. . If we had not had two teams there would be long nauses between operations.” Admiral Nimitz admitted a non-siop programme was particular- -- wearing on ships which were used over and over in successive operations. “We are fortunate in not losing any ships. That is Ohly way we have been able to keep things >• rolling,” he said. “I foresee, in the favourable European situation, that ■ reinforcements from that area are not too far in the future, but we cannot sit. and wait.”