ORMOC FIGHTING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25046, 9 November 1944, Page 5

ORMOC FIGHTING

AMERICANS CLOSING IN ONE LOCAL REVERSE NEW YORK, Nov. 7 Americans driving against the last core of enemy resistance on Leyte Island, Philippines, reduced the Ormoc corridor to 25 miles as Japanese resistance crumpled under the two-pronged American attack from the north and south, says the United Press correspondent. The 24th Division, led by tanks, reached within 15 miles of Ormoc. Meanwhile the 7th and 06th Divisions, driving from the south, reached within ten miles of Ormoc.

Late reports said that there were no indications of the Japanese continuing to land reinforcements at Ormoc. Some trapped units of the American 24th Division suffered heavy casualties as the Japanese brought into action captured American machine-guns near Pinamopoan, says the Associated Press correspondent. Japanese reinforcements moving northward from Ormoc joined in the fight for the network of bridges commanding the valley. The Japanese encircled the Americans. cut their supply road and subjected supply trucks to a hail of fire. Some trucks were lost, but a few managed to retreat. None got through._ The Americans beat off the main body of the Japanese, inflicting heavy casualties, but the American casualties were also heavy. In the lOtli Corps sector, units of the 24th Division engaged in sharp fighting on the Ormoc road, to which the enemy rushed reinforcements, says General Mac Arthur's communique. Elements of the Ist, 30th and 102 nd Japanese Divisions, in addition to remnants of 16. have now been identified. Three strong counter-attacks were repulsed with heavy loss to the enemy. Our long-range artillery, firing on installations in the Ormoc and Valencia areas, heavily damaged warehouses and supply dumps, starting large fires.

JOURNALIST CASUALTIES NEW YORK, Nov. 7 Colonel Dillcr, public relations officer at General Mac Arthur's Headquarters, stated that casualties among war correspondents in the South-west Pacific were proportionately heavier than in any other theatre of action because they aggressively go in with the troops from one operation to the next with little rest.