DELUGE ON LEYTE

Grey River Argus, 30 November 1944, Page 5

DELUGE ON LEYTE

JAP. AIR ATTACKS

Wide Activity

(Rec. 7.30.) WASHINGTON, Nov. 28. General MacArthur in Tuesday’s Communique stated: Drenching rains continue on Leyte Island. There have been no significant developments in the battle zone. Our naval units, operating in Camotes Sea, bombarded enemy positions at Ormoc. ; Enemy ’planes have made at night, ’ harassing attacks on aerodrome and ground installations, and also a daylight raid on our shipping. We shot i down fifteen of the enemy ’planes. We have suffered some casualties ! and damage. ' I Our heavy units, with 169 tons of i bombs, hit Le Carlotta and Taliway aerodrome on Visayas Island. They cratered runways and destroyed a parked ’plane. 'Cur escorting fight- : ers shot down one enemy aircraft. Patrol ’planes damaged a coastal vessel southwards of Bondoc. Reconnaissance units sank a one-thou- ; sand-ton freighter at Mindanao, destroyed a coaster and damaged another. We shot down an enemy interceptor at Davao. Patrol ’planes bombed shipping off the north coast of Borneo and damaged a vessel near Miri. Medium units bombed enemy installations at Langoan, in the Manado area in Celebes. Our air patrols bombed Polobata, and Djailolo, in the Mol-uccas-Halmahera area. They des-troyed-three warehouses and started fuel fires. Enemy ’planes raided Morotai positions at night, and caused light damage. Patrol ’planes bombed minor targets on the north coast of Timor and in Tanimbar Islands JAP LANDING ON MOROTAI (Rec. 12.17) NEW~YORK, Nov 29 The Tokio Official Radio announced: A powerful Japanese unit made a bloodless surprise counter-landing on Morotai Island, last Sunday. Not a single soldier was lost. Bitter fighting was now progressing against American troops. U.S. Warships Hit BY.JAP BOMBERS. WASHINGTON, November 28. General MacArthur announced the Japanese ajr force heavily raided American warships, including a battleship, in the Leyte Gulf, causing some damage. Fifteen enemy planes were shot down. Rains slowed down ground operations. CAPTIVES OF JAPAN. OVER 18,000 AUSTRALIANS. CANBERRA, November 29. As? far as is known 18,718 Australian war prisoners are in Japanese hands, reports the acting-Army Minister (Senator Fraser). These men are distributed in camps in Japan, Manchukuo, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Malaya, Burma, Thailand, Timor and Ambon. Representatives of the Swiss Government, which is the protecting Power, have not been permitted by the Japanese Government to inspect the prisoner-of-war camps in the occupied territories, and there is no reliable authority as to the distribution of Red Cross- parcels in those territories. Japs. Raid Saipan NEW YORK, November 28. Japanese airmen, retaliating for the Tokio raids, attacked Saipan Island twice on Monday. A few planes participated in the first attack, but in the second a much stronger wave zoomed in broad daylight. It was completely defeated. Our Army, pilots chased the Japs as far as Iwojima, in the Bonins, while the island batteries brought down at least seven J'apanese planes. Japanese Advance INTO KWEICHOW CHUNGKING, Nov. 29 A Chinese communique’ does not refer to the Japanese claims that they have crossed the border into Kweichow Province. The Chinese forces checked the Japanese at Tashantang, seven miles i north of Hochin, says the Associated Press. Th e enemy is now retreating southwards. U.S. CRITIC OF JAPS. NEW YORK, Nov. 26. Vice-Admiral Mitscher, in a speech. said: “The Japanese is the poorest specimen of a man on the earth to-. dav.” He had had an opportunity to compare the Japanese with so-called, head-hunters in the Solomons. The■' Japanese were vicious, savage, ignorant, and -were completely without! morals or instincts that would permit them to fight fairly under generally considered rules of war. There might be some fairminded Japanese, but it had not been his privilege to meet them. The Pacific war picture had changed materially, but it would not change overwhelmingly until the defeat of Germany, which would permit of an increased tempo. Doubtless certain individuals in Japan would attempt a compromise peace, but he was convinced that Japan was preoared to sacrifice millions of lives. in .an endeavour to win.