BID TO STEM AMERICANS

Southland Times, Issue 25513, 6 November 1944, Page 5

BID TO STEM AMERICANS

DECISIVE FIGHT EXPECTED ENEMY FORCE LANDED ON LEYTE (Rec. 7. p.m.) WASHINGTON, November 4. A landing of Japanese troops and tanks on the west coast of Leyte from four big merchantmen, apparently for desperate attempts to break the Ormoc pocket, is announced by General MacArthur. The United Press correspondent at Leyte says: “A showdown battle is believed to be imminent.” General MacArthur’s communique says: The 24th Division has advanced the 10th Corp sector to Nulasian, a point five miles west of Carigara. Elsewhere our units are establishing intermediate bases and lines of communications. The enemy landed troops and motorized equipment from an escorted ’convoy of four cargo ships at Ormoc Bay. Our Leyte-based fighters, despite interception, dive bombed the ,convoy, sinking two of the transports. These fresh enemy troops, attempting to break northward, were surprised by our air fighters, who destroyed 30 trucks and two tanks. The enemy continued night harrassing attacks causing minor damage. Five planes were shot down by flak and five by our planes. We lost one plane. AMERICAN ATTACK LAUNCHED

In the 10th Corps sector at Leyte the 24th Division commenced a land and over the water assault on Pinamoboan, seven miles west of Carigara at the northern end of the narrow Ormoc corridor, says a later, communique from General MacArthur. The enemy has prepared hasty defensive _ positions in the bills fronting the plains north of Ormoc and is endeavouring to protect the last remaining foothold on Leyte. An enemy counter-attack near Capoocah was bloodily repulsed. ’ American fighters continued low-level strafing attacks against enemy motorized convoys north of Ormoc, forcing a continual dispersal of troops and vehicles and effectively preventing an organized movement along the highway. The enemy lost heavily in the armoured vehicles, trucks and artillery landed as part of his latest reinforcements. •

Night infiltration attempts by enemy parties west of Dagami were readily repulsed. Enemy air attacks were limited to persistent night harassing raids against shore installations, causing moderate damage. One enemy fighter was shot down. A United States fighter group of the Far East Air Forces shot down over 500 Japanese planes in seven days in the Philippines, according to a statement by General MacArthur. U.S. WARSHIPS ATTACKED Japanese bombers attacking American carrier task forces and bases in the Marianas damaged several American warships and slightly damaged airfields at Saipan and Tinzan. This is announced in a Pacific Fleet communique which says: On Wednesday night nine enemy twin-engined bombers, presumably from bases in the Bonins, bombed and strafed Saipan and Tinian. Three of the -enemy raiders were shot down. Our personnel casualties were four killed and one injured. Minor damage was suffered at both airfields. An enemy reconnaissance seaplane, which attacked Peleliu Island last Tuesday, was shot down by a Hellcat. One of the Third Fleet carrier groups was attacked by enemy fighters and dive bombers on Wednesday. Some damage was inflicted on several ships and light personnel casualties were suffered. ’ Six enemy planes were destroyed by flak and four others were shot down by our aircraft. • Mitchells dropped bombs on Paramushiro on Tuesday. Bombing attacks were also made on the Volcanos, Bonins, Chichijima and Iwojima. Liberators bombed four cargo vessels at Chichijima on Wednesday, scoring several direct hits. One ship was sunk, one was left burning and two were damaged. Liberators also bombed shipping in the harbour of Hahajima. Corsairs set fire to barges at Babelthaup island, bombed an airfield at Yap island and strafed enemy targets on Rota island. Thunderbolts launched rockets against supply dumps on Pagan Island.