TRAPPED FORCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25055, 20 November 1944, Page 5

TRAPPED FORCE

JAPANESE ON LEYTE AMERICANS PRESS FORWARD (Reed. 7.80 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Nov. J 8 The 24th and 32nd Divisions, battling against stubborn opposition, have further compressed the i enemy's strongpoints near Limon. on Leyte Island, says General MacArthur's communique. Our roadblock southward has been strengthened. All enemy attempts to run supply trucks through to the trapped troops have failed. The 96th Division continues to eliminate enemy parties in the foothills of Mount Lobi. Bombers attacked enemy rear installations at Orinoc and Linao, causing many explosions and fires. Fighters strafed enemy small shipping in Ormoc Bay, destroying two small transports. In dusk and dawn raids on Tacloban and ] Bayug airfields seven of fifteen enemy planes were shot down. We lost one fighter. Our flak and fighters have shot down 500 enemy planes since the landing. The Americans have completed the encirclement of 3000 trapped Japanese troops in the Limon area, according to an earlier communique, which says the 24th Division, culminating a aouble envelopment, established a strong roadblock on the enemy's communication line south of Limon, destroying the enemy's columns attempting to penetrate to Limon. The 32nd Division, now deployed north of Limon, had driven a deep wedge into isolated enemy strongpoints. In the Mount Minoro-Badian area and south-east of it action was limited to mopping up enemy pockets of resistance. The 7th Division repulsed an enemy attack at Tabgas, 11 miles below Ormoc. The Tokyo radio reported that puppet officials at Manila had ordered compulsory mass conscription of Filipino labour for work on airfields, ports, roads,bridges and other military installations. PHILIPPINES BATTLE AMERICAN NAVAL LOSSES HEAVY TOLL OF ENEMY (R*cd. 5.35 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 In a 3000-word report recapitulating the Philippines battle, a Pacific Fleet communique says the victory was of such magnitude that it will greatly reduce future American casualties. "A series of naval engagements which, in terms of victory, may turn out to be among the decisive battles of modern times, was won by our forces against a three-pronged Japanese attack attempting to prevent our landings in tho Philippines," says the communique. "The battle left the United States Fleet in command of the eastern approaches to the Philippines, providing support for General Mac Arthur's invading forces and maintaining without interruption the seaborne supply lines to the combat area. "The Japanese are still wondering what hit them and it is therefore impossible to identify the composition of our naval forces or describe our damage other than losses. However, all the damage is remediable. Some American ships are already back on duty. "We lost the light carrier Princeton. the escort carriers St. Lo and Gambier Bay, the destroyers Johnston and Hoel, the destroyer escort Samuel Roberts, and a few lesser craft. "The Japanese definitely lost two battleships, four carriers, six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and an undetermined number of destroyers. In addition one battleship, three heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and seven destroyers were so severely damaged that they may have sunk before reaching port. Damaging hits were also scored on siS battleships, four heavy cruisers, one light cruiser and ten destroyers." HITS ON TWO WARSHIPS BOTH LEFT IN FLAMES (Reed. 11.10 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 19 Escorted American heavy bombers attacked the Japanese naval base of Brunei, on the north-west coast of Borneo, and scored five direct hits on a battleship and four on a cruiser, says a communique from General Mac Arthur's headquarters. Both ships were left in flames following explosions on board. The Japanese put up fighters and intense anti-aircraft fire, but the Americans fought off the fighters and probably shot one down. Three American'bombers fell to the anti-aircraft firo CAMPAIGN IN BURMA BHAMO WEDGE WIDENED DRIVE FROM MYITKYINA (Reed. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 18 Troops of the 38th Chinese Division in Northern Burma yesterday lengthened and widened the wedge they have driven into the Japanese positions along the Bhamo-Namkham road, says the South-east Asia Command, quoted by the British official wireless. Local gains have been made south of Bhamo. Patrols from the Shwegu area have continued to move in three directions. On the Chindwin front Allied troops pushed south from Kalemyo more than ten miles. Mopping up operations around the town continued. Allied aircraft supported the ground operations with widespread attacks. The 36th British Division has advanced 11 miles farther down the Myitkyina-Mandalay railway toward Katha, an important river town on the Irrawaddy. They have reached the outskirts of Pinwe. This division has now advanced 129 miles from Myitkyina in the past three months. Japanese opposition in front.of Pinwe was stronger than of late. Another message sa.ys the Japanese forces besieged in Bhamo yesterday used tanks to try to break through the Chinese lines south-east of the town. They gained about 400 yds, but were held by the Chinese troops, who knocked out two of the tanks.

CAPTURED U-BOAT USE AGAINST ENEMY SUCCESSES ON PATROLS (Reed. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 18 Tho German submarine U570 has an important part in the war at sea, but not on behalf of Germany. Captured in August, 1941, following a depthcharge attack by a Hudson aircraft of the Coastal Command, this vessel has since carried out submarine patrols under the White Ensign, manned by a specially selected and trained crew. The U-boat was captured intact and found to bo new. No essential alterations were made to her construction. The vessel was renamed Graph. Her use on operations involved many unique difficulties for the ship's company, particularly the commanding officer, for the general arrangement of the interior of a German U-boat is very different from a British submarine. Nevertheless, on her first patrol the Graph claimed the destruction of ah enemy U-boat and has subsequently attacked enemy destroyers, obtaining two probable hits. FIFTH OF NORWAY FREE (Reed. 8.15 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. IS The Germans have evacuated about one-fifth of Norway, stated the Germancontrolled Oslo radio on Saturday night. The evacuated area is stated to be Northern Norway.