FORCES ON LEYTE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25047, 10 November 1944, Page 6

FORCES ON LEYTE

TROPICAL HURRICANE OPERATIONS RESTRICTED (Real. 11.11) p.m.) WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 A tropical hurricane is restricting all operations in the Philippines, says General Mac Arthur's communique. The communique says that in the 10th Corps sector on Leyte Island , the 21th Division is engaged in heavy fighting with enemy defensive forces on the Ormoc road. Artillery continues to* harass enemy communication lines in the Ormoc corridor. In the 24th Corps sector, the 9Gth Division is reducing isolnted onemv pillboxes and strongpoints west ol Dagswni. The .Japanese appear to be ready to fake the initiative from their pivot on Ormoc plateau, where their last stand on this island may be made, says the Xew York 'limes correspondent on Leyte. Frank Kluclchohn. A tropical storm with torrential rains is delaying the ultimate showdown, with mechanised equipment on both sides hogged down. The Air Force is grounded. Our artillery is still playing the main role in smashing the enemy forces in the narrow corridor. General MacArtlmr is apparently determined to waste as few troops as possible by having the Japanese hemmed in and out-ranged in a narrow area and he is pounding them to pieces from a distance.

The Americans are reported to be within lf> air miles of Onnoc and within five miles of the road junction of Libungao, where the ISft road widens out into a first-class strip at the head of Ormoc Plains. If the Japanese are able to hold Libungao and keep open the secondary route to Palompon, they could escape across the Camotes Sea to Cebu. General Mac-Arthur's communique reports air activity in adverse weather. Thirty-five enemy aircraft were destroyed over Cebu and Negros Islands. One American bomber and three fighters were lost. The Tokyo official radio says the capture of Levte would enable the Allies to cut off tiie flow of strategic materials from South Asia and would also provide bases for raids on Formosa and Indo-China General Yamashita is pledged to a last-ditch defence, because the battle for Leyte is a decisive battle for the Japanese homeland. BOMBING OF JAPAN GRIM OFFENSIVE PREDICTED (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 "The time is coming when thousands of American bombers will visit Japan daily with the same death and destruction that has made life hardly worth living in Germany," said General H. H. Arnold, Chief of the United States Army Air Forces, in a speech at Detroit. General Arnold said that the vast distances put a premium on air power in the Pacific, where today only longrange Super-Fortresses can hit Japan proper. "But tomorrow," he said, "things will be different, because we are moving step by step nearer to Tokyo, securing bases from which full air strength can be exerted against Japan, and that is something for which we now have thousands of bombers available." EVACUATING TOKYO ALLIED AIR RAIDS FEARED NEW YORK, Nov. 8 "Anticipating enemy air raids, the Japanese Government has ordered young, old and pregnant women to leave the 11 major cities and live with country relatives," says the Tokyo radio. The Associated Press comments that already 1,000,000 people are reported to have evacuated Tokyo. Important industrial and Government offices and schools have also been transferred, and whole blocks of houses levelled as an air raid precaution. PROSPECTS FOR CHINA NEW COMMANDER'S HOPES (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) CHUNGKING, Nov. 8 General Stilwell's successor in the China theatre, General Wedcmeyer, described China's military situation as I unfavourable, but not irretrievable. He added that General Mac Arthur's success in the Philippines had made a most important contribution to the China theatre. Within three or four weeks, General Mao Arthur should be able to operate on a large scale from Leyte and Samar Islands. ENEMY RAIDS MARIANAS (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 Eleven enemy aircraft raided Saipan and Tinian Islands, Marianas, shortly after midnight without causing damage or casualties, says a Pacific Fleet communique. Three raiders were shot down. The communique reports American raids on enemy installations on Iwo Jima (Bonins), Pagan Islands, Northern Pelew Islands, Marcus, Wake and Marshall Islands. JAPANESE COMMANDS NEW YORK, Nov. 8 The Tokyo radio announced the following appointments in the Philippines:—Admiral Denshichi Okuchi, commander of naval forces; Vice-Ad-mirals Shigeu Fukutome and Takijiro Onishi, joint commanders of the naval iiir units;, Lieutenant-General Yasuji Tominago, air commander. MORE SYDNEY ARRESTS ATTEMPT ON DOCTOR'S LIFE SYDNEY, Nov. 0 Armed detectives raided a weekend cottage at a holiday resort near Sydney to arrest two men who were later charged with having shot J)r Reginald Stuart Jones with intent to murder him. The arrested men are IToraco Give Robinson, ,'3l, mechanic, and Alexander McDonald Jowet-t, 29, labourer. Since the shooting of I)r Jones on November I, the police have conducted a house-to-house search at all tourist resorts within 1 ">0 miles of Sydney. Four men have now been arrested in connection with the case. A second special Court was held at the bedside of Dr Jones, who is now on the way to recovery. NEW LIFE FOR U-BOATS (Reed. 0.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 0 TJ-boats are now being equipped with an extendable air intake enabling them to recharge their batteries and ventilate without coming to the surface, according to a senior staff officer of tlie Royal Air Force Coastal Command, Air \ ice-Marshal A. B. Elwood, speaking in London. Air Vice-Marshal Elwood added that this and other improvements had given the U-boat a new lease of life.