POWERFUL ADVANCE ON MINDORO

Southland Times, Issue 25549, 18 December 1944, Page 5

POWERFUL ADVANCE ON MINDORO

NEGLIGIBLE RESISTANCE OFFERED BY JAPANESE

(United Press Association—Telegraph Copyright) (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 17. American troops who made a surprise landing on Mindoro, an island due south of the main Philippine island of Luzon, on Friday, are well established and have made a powerful push inland against negligible Japanese resistance. San Jose, a railroad junction, has been captured. The landing on the island was preceded by a heavy air attack, and 250 enemy planes were destroyed, most of. them on the ground. General Douglas MacArthur in a communique said: “This island, in the rear of Cebu, Negros, Panay and other intervening islands of the Visayan groups, threatens the supply and reinforcement of enemy troops there, and makes them vulnerable. This operation has driven a corridor from east to west through the Philippine Archipelago, which is now definitely cut in two, and will enable us to dominate the sea and air routes which reaqh to the China coast. The conquests of Japan to the south are rapidly being isolated, destroying the legendary myth of a ‘Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere,’ and imperilling the socalled Imperial life-line.”

The New York Times correspondent, Frank Kluckhorn, states that 36 hours after the landing, the Japanese High Command is apparently still stunned and hesitating over counter-action. Obviously the enemy expected the landing elsewhere; the lack of beach defences showed that they were caught completely off their guard. Tokyo radio announced that 280 carrier-based planes yesterday raided Manila Clark Field, Batangas and Lingayan. “Seventy planes attacked the Cebu and Bacolod areas. Manila’s residential areas were bombed indiscriminately,” the radio stated. SHIPPING DESTROYED A heavy strike by carrier-based aircraft against enemy shipping and installations in and around Luzon last Wednesday is reported in a Pacific Fleet communique which gives the following details: A medium oiler sunk at Lingayan, a medium cargo ship exploded and left burning off Cape Bolinai, a small cargo ship destroyed west of Iba, three small cargo ships burned at Obomgapo, two small cargo ships left burning at Calatagan, three small cargo vessels left burning in San Miguel Bay, a large transport beached and left burning in Subic Bay, a medium oiler set on fire and beached near Iba, a destroyer or a destroyer escort damaged off Vigan, a destroyer and a destroyer escort damaged near Subic Bay, a destroyer damaged in Manila Harbour and a large cargo ship, a small cargo ship, a destroyer and another escort vessel attacked in convoy.

Damage to installations on Luzon included four locomotives and six cars destroyed at San Fernando, buildings, fuel and ammunition dumps destroyed on Angeles and Clark Field, 15 railroad cars, a truck convoy, and a sugar mill damaged near San Fernando.

Carrier aircraft on Friday destroyed 11 Japanese aircraft and damaged 48 on Luzon. The total enemy aircraft destroyed on December 13, 14 and 15 in

the Luzon area is 235 and damaged 138. Meagre air resistance was offered by the enemy. An attack was attempted against surface units on Friday, but all eight enemy planes were intercepted and shot down. The United Press correspondent at Pearl Harbour says that the Luzon offensive is designed to seal off the Manila Bay bastion and safeguard General MacArthur’s landings on Mindoro and is developing into one of the great naval air victories of the western Pacific war. Enemy air resistance is dwindling, indicating an inability to bring in reinforcements from Formosa. RECALL OF GENERAL STILWELL (Rec. 7 p.m.) CHUNGKING, Dec. 16. “There is no animosity and ill-feeling between the Chinese and the Americans regarding General Joseph W. Stilwell’s recall,” said Major-General Patrick J. Hurley. He denied reports that the United States applied pressure on China before General Stilwell’s recall and added that his own relations with Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek were direct and cordial, establishing a degree of comradeship. Major-General Hurley said he was convinced that the recent Chungking changes were intended to promote cooperation and efficiency. He participated in conversations affecting the Communists. He also went to Yennan, but he declined to make a statement, beyond saying that he hoped that every element of the United States forces and all China’s strength would be united in order to defeat the invader. China is tired and bleeding after eight years of war, but is eager to re-engage the invader,” he said. ,