LUZON LIBERATED

Grey River Argus, 29 June 1945, Page 5

LUZON LIBERATED

CAGAYAN CAMPAIGN Brought to Conclusion (Rec. 9.5). WASHINGTON, June 27. The entire island of Luzon has now been liberated, General MacArthur’s communique reports: Our northern and southern columns have joined forces, securing the entire length of the Cagayan Valley in the heart of Luzon. This juncture climaxes a. campaign which has overrun the two hundred mile valley in 28 days. Battered enemy remnants have been driven into rugged mountain regions east and west, and cut off from all sources of supply, except for isolated operations. This closes the. majorphases of the Northern Luzon campaign, one of the most savage and bitterly fought in American history. No terrain has ever presented greater logistical difficulties, and none has ever provided an adversary with more naturally impregnable strongholds. Heavy losses were inflicted on the enemy. There have been 113,593 dead, with the graves of many other thousands located, but not counted, and several thousand prisoners. Oui- own losses were 3793 dead, 34 missing, and 11,351 wounded —a total of 15,178. The entire island of Luzon, embracing 40,420 square miles, with a population of eight million, is now liberated. The communique adds: On Mindanao Island, our Eighth Army units have continued the reduction and elimination of enemy groups scattered throughout hills, rapidly clearing the Agusan Valley. _ Reconnaissance planes patrolled Formosan waters. Heavy bombers attacked fuel storage areas at Nanking, docks at Canton, river craft at Hong Kong, and transportation facilities in Indo China.

Loss of Japanese Ships CONSIDERABLE THIS WEEK.

(Rec. 8.5). NEW YORK, June 28. Admiral Nimitz, in his latest communique, states: On Thursday Corsairs and Avengers attacked Ishigaki, in the Sakishima Islands, and they destroyed five small craft, and destroyed or damaged two others. Search Liberators sank a trawler and damaged a small cargo ship off Honshu, Japan, on Thursday. Since Saturday last our planes based in the Mariana Islands have sunk 36,000 tons of enemy shipping, and destroyed 17 enemy aircraft. Mitchells made locket hits on two mediun/cargo ships south of Tokio, and also attacked in the Marshalls, Palaus, and Yap. JAP CONVOY ATTACKED. '(Rec. 9.5). WASHINGTON, June 28. Admiral Nimitz reports: Our light naval units of our North Pacific force, operating in the Sea of Okhotsk, west of Harumukotan Island, in the Kurile Group, attacked an enemy convoy! on Monday. They sank a medium cargo ship, a small cargo ship, and a large tug. JAPANESE ANTICIPATIONS. (Rec.' 11.15). NEW YORK, June 28. Tokio radio stated that Japanese military 1 commentators said that the American plan, following the conquest of Okinawa, would probably be as follows:—To cut up the Japanese mainland by air attacks on various cities and industrial areas; to keep these bits separate; to sever the communications between Japan and the China Continent; and tb hamper the transport of fighting forces’ supplies into the Homeland. Japanese Fleet Strength AMERICAN ESTIMATE. (Rec. 5.5). WASHINGTON, June 28. Rear-Admiral Forrest Sherman, who is Admiral Nimitz’s deputy Chief of Staff, at a press conference, said it was estimaed that the remaining Japanese surface ships consisted of two partially converted battleships; the battleship “Ngato”, commissioned in 1923; two other- old battleships, not •in commission; a small number of carriers, which were moored alongside wharves, under camouflage; thirty destroyers; and a few othercruisers. The Japanese aircraft carrier strength included two or three fairly large ones, not yet ready for service. He added that the American Pacific naval forces would like nothing better than for the remnants of the enemy fleet to attempt a suicide attack.