THE PHILIPPINES

Grey River Argus, 25 September 1944, Page 5

THE PHILIPPINES

ALLIED APPROACH Enemy Reinforcing <Rec.6.3o> Tokio radio stated, ine ~„infnrceare rushing munitions and ments to the Philippines Japan no n has superior numerical | eat the Philippines and is 8 efforts to increase her garrison futile the heroic death met by ma y Tananese warriors on small Bacinc Sands before overwhelming material odds of the enemy. The broadcast stated that t e Americans had moved three ox four powerful naval task forces into the Philippines area. The components included four new aircraft earners, Bunker Hill, Enterprise, Lexington, Hornet, .and many converted carriers, battleships, cruisers and destroyexs. Manila radio stated several waves of carrier-based fighters and bomb ers again attacked Manila. Week-end communiques from General MacArthur's headquarters reveal that Catalina flying-boats of the South-west Pacific Command made extensive day and night raids on the southern Philippines during the past week. They sank or seriously damaged a 3000-ton freightertransport, a 2000-ton merchantman, a 1000-ton merchantman-tanker, and 17 smallei’ vessels. Catalinas made the most northerly strike yet reported from this area, operating ovex’ Bohol Island, 50 miles northwest of Mindanao, the southernmost of the Philippine islands. C.arriei' and land-based planes are maintaining neutralisation of the Halmahera area, where American forces on Morotai Island are within 300 miles of the Philippines. They completed destruction of eight unseiwiceable aircraft, probably destroyed four, and damaged many others at Galela and Miti aerodromes. The fact that Allied carriers have been /tble to operate near Halmahera wthout provoking any enemy air reaction indicates how effectively Japanese aerodromes-have been neutralised. Allied lighf naval patrols opreating .in Halmahera waters sank five supnly laden barges.

Mopping-up operations are continuing in both British and Dutch New Guinea, where remnants of two Japanese armies are being hunted down. To-day’s South-west Pacific communique reports 835 Japanese as killed and 200 taken prisoner in recent patrol clashes, while 100 friendly nationals have been released from the enemy.

The Director of British Combined Operations, Admiral of the Fleet Lord Keyes, is now visiting Australia and New Zealand. He will make a study of amphibious operations in the Pacific. With Lady Keyes, he expects to spend three months on an unofficial goodwill tour of Australia before visiting New Zealand. Interviewed, Lord Keyes said he hoped to tell Australians and New Zealanders something of the amazing developments which had taken place since the dark days of Dunkirk. Although he could give no idea: of the time it would take to defeat the Japanese, amphibious operations alone would achieve speedy victory. United States methods for such operations were almost identical with those of British Commandos..,. , A New York cablegram says: The United States Navy Department has announced that . the Australian-born Paramount News war photographer, Damien Parer, has been killed in action while filming front-line operations on Peleliu Island, in the Palau Group. Damien Parer formerly was one of Australia’s most noted airmen, and early in the war was a photographer on the New Guinea front, while he also engaged in other exploits in which he used the camera with notable success. FURTHER BIG RAIDS NEW YORK, Sept. 22 The Manila radio states that several waves of carrier-based fighters and bombers again attacked Manila. Japanese shipping in southern Philippines waters has been heavily hit by bombers of General MacArthur’s command. They sank or seriously damaged a 300-ton and 1000-ton merchantmen, as well as a number of smaller freighters. Several other small ships which were attacked were driven aground. , In further neutralising raids on the Halmahera airfields Allied aeroplanes destroyed eight grouped enemy aircraft and damaged others. (Rec. 11.30) NEW YORK, Sept. 24 Another heavy raid by American aircraft on the Phillippines is reported by Tokio official radio. It stated early: —To-day two hundred enemy planes bombed. Legaspi, Cebu and other cities in the central Philippinespines. The extent of losses which our interceptors inflicted on the enemy is at present unknown, as details are still under investigation.

JAP TROOPSHIP SUNK. CHUNGKING, September 23. General Stilwell announced that Liberator bombers sank an 8000-ton Japanese troopship' in Formosa Strait yesterday, while other aircraft bombed Hankow, starting fires visible for 40 miles.