MANILA BAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 April 1942, Page 3

MANILA BAY

STILL DENIED TO JAPANESE SHIPS Corregidor Holding Out Grimly EFFECTIVE SHELLING OF MAINLAND HARD FIGHTING CONTINUES IN BURMA LONDON, April 16. . Tons of shells fired across the few miles of sea separating Corregidor Island from the mainland continue to make Manila Bay untenable for Japanese warships. The American she! s also hit and blew up a munition dump on Batan Peninsula and hit enemy troop concentrations and truck columns. The Japanese casualties are believed to be numerous. Since the beginning of the war 206 air attacks have been made on Corregidor, 65 in the last seven days. In spite of the almost continuous enemy air bombardment, the damage to military installations is slight and the morale of the men is unimpaired. Fierce fighting continues on the island of Sebu, where a small American force is holding out against 12,000 enemy troops landed last week. . . The devastating raids on enemy bases in the Philippines on Monday and Tuesday were carried out by three American Flying Fortresses and 10 Liberator bombers. The raids were made under the command of BrigadierGeneral Ralph Royce, commander of the American Army Air Force in Australia. The name of the American commander was given incorrectly yesterday as Wright. The raid on the Philippines was worked out by General MacArthur and 110 tons of bombs were dropped. The only news from the New Guinea, area is of a raid on the enemy-ioccupied aerodrome at Koepang, in Dutch Timor. Rabaul, in New Britain, was attacked yesterday when ships, wharves and buildings were hit. The latest news from Burma indicates that the Japanese are still about 25 miles away from the main oilfields. Fierce fighting is continuing in the Irrawaddy Valley. Our forces have crossed the Irrawaddy and taken up new positions at Yemchang. A communique from General Alexander’s headquarters praises the King’s Own Light Infantry for gallant service throughout the Burma campaign. The battalion, outnumbered three to one and under artillery and air bombardment, covered the retirement of other British forces across a wide river until sappers had destroyed a bridge. Members of the battalion then swam the river. The Chinese are resisting strong enemy pressure on their front north of Toungoo. They are slowly moving back, fighting a delaying action. (