CAPITAL OF LEYTE CAPTURED

Southland Times, Issue 25501, 23 October 1944, Page 5

CAPITAL OF LEYTE CAPTURED

OVER 100,000 TROOPS LANDED ON ISLAND MACARTHUR PLEASED WITH PROGRESS (United Press Association —Telegraph Copyright) (Rec. 11p.m.) WASHINGTON, October 22. American forces in the central Philippines have captured Tacloban, capital of Leyte Island and Tacloban airfield. There are now more than 100,000 troops ashore on the island. This was announced in General MacArthur’s latest communique, which says: Our ground forces on Leyte advanced on all sectors to an average depth of four miles. Strong enemy defences prepared with concrete pill-boxes and artillery positions were skilfully enveloped by infiltration and the enemy was forced to withdraw. Direct assaults were thereby avoided. Our casualties consequently remained light. “The enemy is already showing signs of lack of' manoeuvrable cohesion in face of the skilful attacks of our local commanders to the northwards. We have taken Tgcloban and secured Tacloban airfield. The 24th Corps in the southern sector has seized Dulag and its aerodrome and is pushing towards Sanpablo in the Leyte valley. Two strong enemy counter-attacks were repulsed. Enemy air activity against our beach-head and shipping was limited to dawn to dusk raids by small groups of aircraft. Ship flak destroyed three enemy bombers.” General MacArthur after an inspection of American positions on Leyte Island said that progress in the central Philippines could not be better. Dismounted cavalrymen captured Tacloban airfield five hours after swarming ashore, reports the United Press correspondent, William Dickinson. After inspecting the airfield Lieutenant-Gen-eral Kenney said it was a fairly typical Japanese type, too small for large planes, but fighters might operate from there in a very few days.

The correspondent adds that vast booty, including machine guns, rifles, bicycles and abandoned supply dumps have already been captured near Dulag. Heavy artillery and tanks blasted a path, while flame-throwers burned out pill-bokes. Dive-bombers attacked enemy gun emplacements. American troops moving toward Palo encountered tough opposition at Red beach, which is part of the northern beach-head.

They look their primary objective by late afternoon and continued the advance. Filipinos in the suburbs of Tacloban cheered General MacArthur. They were in a pitiable condition, clothed largely in bits of fabric and obviously hungry. They said the Japanese gave them no clothing and kept them half starved. The victories in the Tacloban area give the Americans control of the strait leading ! to the inland seas of the Archipelago.