FIGHTING IN LUZON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24896, 21 April 1942, Page 5

FIGHTING IN LUZON

ENEMY OUTPOST RAIDED SMALL MOBILE FORCE (Rec.7p.ni.) RUGBY,' Apl! 19. A Washington communique states: "A small mobile force of Americans and Filipinos operating in the mountains of . Northern Luzon successfully raided enemy outposts at San Nicolas and Tayug, in the Pangasinan produring the past few days. Large amounts of military stores were destroyed, and heavy casualties were inflicted: Our forces at Gobu and Panay continue their stubborn resistance to the Japanese advance." Air raids and artillery bombardment of Corregidor continue. Alert counterfire by our guns has silenced at - least four, possiblv five. Japanese batteries in the past few days. Effective antiaircraft fire has kept Japanese bombers at very high altitudes. In Corregidor a 100-foot flagpole was a " casualty" for a few minutes yesterday, when a Japanese shell fragment struck the pole and cut the halyard, but Captain Brewster Gallup and Sergeant Ezra Smith and a Filipino, Private Honbrio Punbrigbayen, rushed to the pole and gathered the descending flag in their arms. Then, amidst bursting shells, thsy repaired the halyard and again hoisted the proud flag. The commander of , a the American forces, , Lieutenant-general J. Wainwright, officially commended the gallant action:-' THE COLLAPSE 6T BATAN DISEASE PLAYED BIG PART SYDNEY, Apl. 20. Malaria mosquitoes were more responsible for the fall of Batan than Japanese bullets, says the United Press correspondent. Mr Frank Hewlett, who was one of the party brought to Australia by ths American planes which raided the Philippines. During the last terrible days before the collapse of Batan two field hospitals' had 10,000 patients, of whom the. great majority were malaria cases. Approximately another 10.000 troops were confined to their camps as lighter malaria cases. As long as.the quinine lasted the Americans were able to ward off the fever, but when suppliss dwindled to a stage where they were available only for the treatment of the victims malaria became widespread. Many soldiers had a combination of malaria and miid dysentery, which sapped their strength and left them physically unable io carry on. Batari's soldiars never lacked ammunition. Early in January the army went on half-rations, two'small meals a-day, then during the test few weeks the rations were slashed again bv at laasjt another 50 per cent. Every carabao on Batan was slaughtered, as were 26 cavalry horses and most of the pack mules. Manv soldiers ate monkey meat..,,..,." .•;;.