LANDING ON SAMAL

Southland Times, Issue 25669, 11 May 1945, Page 5

LANDING ON SAMAL

RAPID CLEARING OF ISLAND AMERICAN CROSSING OF DAVAO GULF (Rec. 9 p.m.) WASHINGTON, May 9. Sweeping across Davao Gulf, units of the 24th Division landed on Sama! Island, off the Mindanao mainland, says General Douglas MacArthur’s communique. They are rapidly clearing the island. On Mindanao strong pressure is being exerted against the enemy’s positions in the Talomo River area. A bridgehead has been established across the river north of Mintal. The 31st Division thrust seven miles east from. Kibawe, and the northern spearhead is engaging an enemy force near the southern Maramag airstrip. Ground forces, with heavy air support carried on mopping up operations along the northern Luzon front, and continued to advance towards 110 on the central sector. On Tarakan, Australian forces have secured Api Hill north of the airfield, and are advancing on Djoeata oilfields. Bombers and fighters struck at Kudat aerodrome and port installations at Brunei Bay, Miri and Bandjermasin. Widespread destruction was done to shipyards and runways. The entire waterfront at Labuan Island was left in flames with smoke rising 5000 feet. Search planes sweeping the shore lines sank three coastal vessels. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz’s communique states that aircraft, ships and guns continued to support 10th Army troops on southern Okinawa yesterday. Adverse weather continued. American troops continued to move south today. United States Okinawa casualties to May 7 comprise 2684 killed, 13,202 wounded and 539 missing. Aircraft from carriers of the British Pacific Fleet bombed the Sakishimas, destroying two planes on the ground and shooting down another. Two units of the British force suffered minor damage during an air raid, but remained operational. Their aircraft attacked Kisarazu airfield and the Tateyama naval aid station, south-east of Tokyo. JAPANESE CRUELTY ON TARAKAN Corpses Of Dead Javanese Found (Rec. 9 p.m.) MELBOURNE, May 9. The corpses of Indonesian slave labourers, who had been shot through the ankles to prevent their escape, have been found in a Japanese horror camp on Tarakan. The camp was visited by officers of the Netherlands East Indies Civil Administration who landed on Tarakan with the Australian invasion troops. “The corpses of the dead Javanese were mere skeletons and were lying on the ground and in the thatched huts which served as living quarters for the prisoners,” writes Nathan Broch, the correspondent of the Netherlands Press Agency. “Visiting one of the huts I found six dead Indonesians lying along the walls. None of the survivors remembered when the victims had died as they had lost track of time. “One survivor who was still strong enough to talk said that the average number of slave labourers regularly employed on Tarakan amounted to -200, most of whom were Javanese. They worked -mainly in the vegetable gardens which supplied the Japanese garrison.