LAST JAP POCKET

Grey River Argus, 17 February 1945, Page 5

LAST JAP POCKET

DWINDLES IN MANILA

American Progress in Bataan

(Rec. 10.5). WASHINGTON, Feb. 15

General MacArthur’s, latest . communique'stated: In south Manila the enemy’s final pocket is being steadily reduced. We have destroyed or captured, in Manila, an additional 320 cannon of various calibres, and 244 emplaced machine-guns. We have captured documents which indicate that the enemy contemplated a major successful defence in Manila with a garrison .comprising ovbr twenty thousand, with hundreds of guns of various calibres, and many thousands of mines, based "on an elaborate system of concrete strongpoints, pillboxes, street and house fortifications. These were especially fitted in anticipation of an attach from the south and from Manila Bay. The enemv apparently hoped to hold Manila and Manila Bay, making this a turning point in the Luzon campaign. These plans were defeated by the rapidity of our envelopment and by‘dislocation and unbalance caused by, our unanticipated advance in oui attack from the north and east. Our 11th Corps struck swiftly southward in Bataan, seizing the BalangaPilar area, four miles below Abucay. This was the eastern bastion of our final defence line in 1942. Our heavy bombers bombed coastal defences at Corregidor. Aircraft supporting ground operations swep southern Bataan. To date, besides destroying a thousand enemy planes, 420 have been captured on Luzon in various stages of disrepair. Aerial operations have been continued against Mindanao, Formosa, Sakishima Islands, Celebes, and Halmahera. Attacks were made against shipping at the Bali and Solar Islands, and Timor. Medium bombers attacked personnel areas on Salawati Island, westward of S'orong, and bombed and strafed supplies and troops’ concentrations in the Wewa'k sector. Bombers heavily attacked Tobera and Lakunai aerodromes and supply; areas at Rabaul, starting large fires, and damaging vehicles and buildings. Others covered personnel areas in New Ireland and Bougainville <and exploded an ammunition dump.

“Manila has been turned into a giant funeral pyre,” says the National Broadcasting Corporation, in a broadcast from Manila. “Every day new evidence appears of Japanese infamy. They killed countless men, women and children in the past 11 days, and shot them down in the streets as they fled before the flames. They speared, baynoted and hacked them to death with Samurai swords. They herded them into buildings and then burned them. American troops are seeing horrors they did not think a human being could commit.” In a telegram to General MacArthur revolutionary leaders on Formosa stated that they are ready to take part in fighting in Formosa in “the forthcoming invasion,” says a Chungking message.