THE PHILIPPINES

Grey River Argus, 23 April 1945, Page 5

THE PHILIPPINES

AMERICAN SUCCESSES

Central Area all Taken (Rec 7.30.) WASHINGTON, April 21. General MacArthur’s communique to-day says: In a swift amphibious advance up the .Mindanao River, our southern columns seized Taidupulanga, a road,. terminus, 32 miles inland,’ and at present are driving enemy forces south-east of Lomopog back into a marsh. As our centre column continues to eastwards, our, patrols northwards are fanning out’ throughout . the Lanao Province. Heavy and medium aircraft continued to disrupt enemy lines of communication; attacked troop centres at Davao and Kabacan; and Cagayan; closely supported ground forces. Our 25th. Division, in a bitterly contested advance through mountainous terrain on Luzon, secured Kapintal, and high ground commanding the Cagayan Valley road, two miles south of the crest of the Balele Pass. Other forces, closing from the west along the Villaverde trail, report a definite weakening in the enemy’s defences. Our bombers ranging the China coast sank four freighters, four river boats, three luggers, and one tug, and damaged railway bridges and buildings, and destroyed a village in the Sakashimo Islands. Reconnaissance ’planes destroyed a freighter, seven coasters and several smaller ships in Celebes, the Moluccas and the Lesser Dundas.

Our troops on Cebu Island, in a wide enveloping movement, which caught the enemy forces unawares, attacked his positions from the west flank and rear, and completely defeated him. His losses were ' very heavy, five thousand dead being left on the field, with remnants scattered into the hills to be hunted down by guerrillas. This virtually concludes the Visayan campaign. We now control the entire Visayan group of islands, comprising an area of over 33,000 square miles, and liberaitng over 64,000.

General MacArthur’s communique stated: “In addition to the main islands, Leyte, Samar, Mindoro, Panway 'Palawan, Cebu, Negros, Bond, and Masbate, Japanese garrisons on a score of lesser islands have teen eliminated. This sweeps clear the centre of the Philippines and leaves the only remaining enemy resistance on Mindanao and Upper Luzon. From the Visayas Islands will come many food stuffs and raw materials for rehabilitation and reconstruction of tne Philippines, and for the prosecution of the war against Japan itself. Tney already provide important air, land, and naval bases for attacks against vital areas of the Netherlands Indies, and south-eastern Asia, and for our increasinglv tight blockade of enemy shipping lines down the coast of China, ” Indo-China, Thailand, and Malaya. Our losses have been extraordinary light, due largely to the enemy’s cbntinual inability to diagnose our point of attack, ana to understand our local tactics of combat? His ground forces throughout the Philippines campaign have numerically equalled, anl in some cases exceeded ours. Yet he seemed bewildered and confused and although one of the most tenacious fighters, he permitted himself 1o be constantly surprised, divided, and destroyed in detail without being able to inflict more than a minor fraction of compensating losses. Our northern column on 'Mindanao has pushed fifteen miles north-east of Malabang, and reached the shores of Lake Lano. Our centre column advanced eastward sixteen miles to Manuangan. Our southern column repulsed a counter-attack north of Cotabaio. Three additional members of Cabinet and other prominent members 01. tne Filipino collaborationist ■ Government were captured near Baguio. Laurel, with Aciuino and Osias are reported to have escaped to Formosa by plane. Strong formations of heavy and medium bombers struck at enemy air bases in adjacent waters of Formosa, destroying many planes, sinking and damaging nine freighters ami other craft. Patrol planes sank two freighters and attacked railways on the China coast. Heavies attacked a township in the Talaud Islands, Netherlands Indies, and aerodromes in the Ceram area, and destroyed two freighters and three coasters.