The Wrangell sentinel., 1942-04-17
Bomber
 Raid On Philippines
 Highlight Of War Week
.lBy Associated Press


 In the war with Japan. events this week appeared to be moving toward a showdown in Burma and outer India where the Allied posi- tions still were apparently worsen= ing. but elsewhere there was better news.
 From Allied headquarters in Aus tralia it was disclosed that the great 4o00-mile round trip American bombing raid on euemy-held posi- tions in the Philippines had accom- pIished even more than was first suggested Aside from the heavy military damage inflicted on the enemy. it was made known that the American fiiers used q hidden base in the Philippines and had provis toned and prepared it for future Use This not only gave material support to the American pledge that the islands will be redeemed but SUE. gested as Australian Prime Minis ter Curtin put it. that other and much greater American thrusts were sure to come. Curtin saw the raid as an indication that the tide was slowly turning against the Japanese although this was intended as long term observation.
 Still Shooting Japs
 And in the Philippines themselevs all was going as well as could be expected under the circumstances The War Department reported in a morning comumnique today that the guns of the American fortresses in Manila Bay still were strongly speaking in the continuation of great delaying action and had des troyed number of enemy munition dumps and hit enemy truck columns on the Bataan Peninsula The De partment's afternoon bulletin, how. ever. told of an extension of the in. vaders' operations to the island of Panay where enemy troops were landed under the covering fire of warships and planes The American first line defenders were reported in contact with the enemy"
 On the far southern island of Min. danao. new American patrol action had caused substantial casualties among the Japanese. The loss of the minesweeper Finch to enemy bomb CTS around Corregidor was disclosed There was no loss of life aboard the Finch.
 In Burma
 Tn Burma. British air reconnais- sance had spotted 4o Japanese troop ships off Rangoon and there were some estimates that the enemy was bringing up as many as five and one half divisions of perhaps S0,O00 men. On both the British held right flank and the Chinese held left. Allied activity had become what amounted to rear guard fight ing, simply a desperate effort to hold on until the rains come to bring relief. On the more critical of the two anchors, the right, new British positions had been establish ed under cover of her fighting York shire light infantry at a point neal the town of Yenshaung and less than 30 miles from the center O. the main Burmese oil fields which is the major objective As was the case everywhere else in Burma, howey- CT, it was a question of whether ths weary British could hold on much longer. The Japanese were throw ing between two and three thoN sand shells day into the main Cfi nese positions, now established IT. der |. s. General Joseph ". Sti- we'll north of Thagaya. a Japanesa occupied town some 30 miles north of ToungOo.
 Losses In Bataan
 Commenting on the fall of Ba taan the Secretary said approxi- mately 10000 troops were captured when Bataan fell They included
 Continued on page six