JAPANESE STAND

Grey River Argus, 24 November 1944, Page 5

JAPANESE STAND

ON LEYTE ISLAND Battle of Limon [Aust. & NZ. Press Association] „ .•. WASHINGTON, Nov 22 General MacArthur reported: Americans were continuing pressure on Japanese forces trapped at Limon. (Rec. 8.10). WASHINGTON, Nov. 22. General MacArthur, in a communique, says: In the sector of our 10th Corps, units of our 32nd Division are continuing pressure against the Limon basion, which is the northern anchor of the Yamashita ’ Line. There the enemy, apparently has elected to make his principal stand in defence of the Ormoc corridor. The enemy, has drawn heavily on his immediate reserves to bolster this line. Our artillery is maintaining a steady counsel -fire against his rear. Our troops in the Pinamopoan and Capoocan sectors have been mopping up scattered enemy parties. Elsewhere the activity is limited to patrolling. ENEMY SHIPS DESTROYED WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 American carrier planes sank, burned and damaged 17 Japanese freighters and oil luggers and crippled a cruiser in sweeps over Luzon Island'on November 18, announces a Pacific Fleet communique. General MacArthur announced that four troop-laden Japanese freighters were destroyed or damaged, near Ormo. A spokesman for General MacArthur said there was a large concentration of shipping at" Brunel naval base in Borneo which U.S. Liberators raided nine times in four days and blew up a Japanese light cruiser and badly damaged another larg e warship, probably a light cruiser. He said Brunei was a stopover between Japan and the East Indies. It was possible some warships damaged in the second battle of the Philippines last month sought refuge at Brunei Bay.The spokesman added: All the Philippines are now within range of th e Allies’ land-based bombers. Leyte airfields have been extended sufficiently to permit bombers based in the south to refuel at Leyte.

More Jap Ships Hit (Rec. 7.15) WASHINGTON, Nov. 22. A communique from the F'acific Fleet says: Further reports of the carrier plane strikes made in and around Manila last Saturday, reveal the following to have been the total damage: One medium cargo shin, and one small coastal cargo ship set on fire in Suboc Bay; two medium cargo ships left burning; one small coastal cargo ship sunk near San Fernando; one cargo ship and another left burning in Manila Bay; one oiler left burning and one medium cargo ship and two other oilers sunk at L.aoag; a locomotive destroyed at Luciena. Our planes strafed a heavy cruiser, which, apparently was beached, or else was in shallow water, near Santa Cruz. Ten fires were started in fuel., dumps at San Fernando, Delcarmen airfield and Clarke airfield. Buildings and other installations were destroyed at Westlipan, Chois, Malvar and Delcarmen fields. Liberators and Lightnings on Tuesday strafed and bombed airfields fit Truk. Four enemy fighters were destroyed. Marine fighter planes hit Bebelthaup in the Palaus on Sunday, setting fire to fuel dumps. General MacArthur in his latest communique says: Our fighters attacked shipping on the west coast of , Leyte and destroyed or severely damI aged four sma/i freighters, two I coastal vessels and ten barges, many ' loaded with personnel or supplies. More than forty other barges were beached southward of Ormoc. They were destroyed by strafing. Air patrols attacked ground installations, and communication routes in the Ormoc corridor. Our light naval craft at night sank two Riggers and four troop barges off Ormoc. Other enemy small craft were damaged. Fnemy air activity has been negligible. SUPER-FORTRESSES LOST WASHINGTON, Nov 22 Two Super-fortresses were definitely lost to enemy fighters in probably their greatest air battle over ; the Japanese homeland, yesterday, I says a 20th Air Force communique. ' Another Super-fortress has not reported and under the circumstances must be presumed lost. These losses are the first through fighter interception since the inauguration of the 20th Command on June 15. Early reports indicate .it was the largest air battle in which the Superfortresses had been engaged. ; Our returning pilots now report that they destroyed 20 Japanese fighter planes, probably destroying 19, and damaged 22 others. No planes were Rssf at the secondary targets at Nanking and Shanghai. (Rec. 7.20). NEW YORK, Nov 22 A United Press correspondent at a U.S. Superfortress base in West China says: Japanese Navy planes joined i Army interceptor planes in a desperate attempt to break up the ~Oth Air Force when it attacked the Ornura aircraft works at Kyushu on Tuesday. Japanese Army fighters were the firs <, to challenge. They faded to halt the Superfortresses. Thereupon the Navy called on its planes from their shattered fleet of carriers. These planes engaged the Fortresses at. such close quarters that the American crews plainly saw the faces of the enemy (pilots. However, the Superfortresses successfully reached and bombed the targets. ______