Evening star., 1941-12-30

used IN attacking Hong Kong were
being transferred to the Philippines.
So far, all reports from the fronts
have agreed that the japanese troops
here were young and ill-trained.
Officers in the field in central
Luzon said that up to yesterday
there had been no major test of
Japanese American strength Ac-
tivity thus far had been mostly con-
fined to artillery and some tank en-
gagements. they said, with few
infantry battles.
Small Losses Numerically.
Losses so far have been small
numerically, but relatively heavy in
proportion to numbers engaged, 1t
was said.
Manila, whose military significance
has been lost by the declaration that
1t is an open city, was kept on edge
by continued Japanese air activity
| in the vicinity.
United States Army headquarters,
which declared yesterday that the
japanese were continuing to land
reinforcements in Southern Luzon
and were exerting steady pressure,
made no reference to the situation
there or in the north in its ll:45
am. (9:45 pm. Eastern Standard
time Monday communique.
Everything is quiet" said the
bulletin, briefest of the war.
Approximately two hours before
this communique was issued Manila
had 17-minute air raid alarm but
no planes appeared over the city.
No Attack in 48 Hours.
There had been no air attack,
however, in 48 hours up to l pm.
Q1 pm, Eastern Standard time,
Monday and Manilans waited anx-
iously to find out whether the enemy
had decided to recognize Manila as
an open city or we're just preoccu-
pied with air assaults elsewhere.
A haze over Manila Bay at the
time Of the alert made it impossible
for observers to determine whether
the Japanese had again attacked
Corregidor, island fortress at the
mouth of the harbor, which was as
saulted from the air for two hours
yesterday.
That raid. the first officially re-
ported sustained attack on Core
gidor, apparently cost the japanese
heavily.
Gen. MacArthur's headquarters
announced tersely "a number of
Japanese planes were shot down, -
and observers reported that one
wave of q attacking bombers made
of with four gaps in the original
formation.
No Statement Of Damage.
There was no immediate an
nouncement concerning the dam
age-if any-caused by the raid,
which was generally regarded as the
opening salvo in a Japanese attempt
to reduce the fortress.
1t was persistently reported that
japanese warships attempted to ap-
proach the rocky fortress under
cover of Mondays aerial lombard
ment However, United States Army
headquarters said it had no con-
firmation of the reports and did not
believe them because japanese ships
would only give the big Corregidor
guns fine targets.
washington watched with
keen interest for definite evidence
of such an operation, for it
would mark the first time in
modern warfare that naval forces
have moved directly against the
heavy guns of a major base.
Before the advent of airpower,
strategists gave the land batteries
distinct edge in such an engage
ment, but the teaming Of bomb
ers with surface vessels may up
set this long-standing theory
(The evidence of Wake Island,
however, would indicate that
such a naval operation is still a
very costly operation. Although
Wake had no protective fortiflca-
tions and only light guns-six s.
inchers and two 3-inchers-the
marine gun crews were officially
credited with sinking a light