Evening star., 1942-02-25
BY CLARK LEE,

Associated Press War Correspondent.
WITH GEN. MACARTHUR ON
THE BATAAN PENINSULA, Feb.
% Delayed The battle of
Bataan appears to have entered
a definite Stalemate, with the
japanese abandoning at least
temporarily their hitherto costly
efforts to crack Gen. Douglas
MacArthur's line across the pen
inSula.
There are at present no indica-
tions whether the japanese are
awaiting reinforcements, planning
attacks against Bataan and the
island fortress of Corregidor from
new directions, or whether they are
content to tighten their encircle-
ment in an attempt to starve the
American Filipino defense forces
into eventual capitulation when sup
plies and provisions are exhausted.
- Fighting was renewed on the
~ Bataan front today after a COM
+ parative lull of 48 hours, a War
Department communique report
ing sharp encounters" between
American and japanese patrols
all along the front lines.
(Gen. MacArthur's forces were
uniformly successful" in small
aggressive actions at various
points. A War Department
spokesman said the American
Filipino lines undoubtedly were
being maintained along the posi-
tions they have held for weeks in
the center of the Bataan PENN
Sula.
(There was still no evidence in
Bataan that Gen. Masaharu
Homma, the japanese COM
mander, had any immediate in
tention of starting long
awaited offensive)
Jap Aerial Activity Declines.
In the past week infantry activity
on the Bataan front has been desul-
tory, while artillery duels between
Japanese batteries on the south
shore of Manila Bay and the guns
of Corregidor and other fortified
islands have been intensified. The
Japanese have fired hundreds of
shells against Corregidor.
In the Manila Bay sector of the
Bataan front, which is dominated
by American Filipino artillery, the
japanese have abandoned medical
and other supplies which the de-
tenders either captured or destroyed.
Hitherto there has been no ex-
PLANTATION of these evidences of hasty
departure, but the theory has been
advanced that the Japanese may
have withdrawn some troops from
Bataan to prepare defense positions
along the Lingayen Gulf and East
ern Luzon, fearing American forces
will land behind them.
All fronts have been relatively
quiet, with artillery action limited
generally to counterbattery firing.
Japanese aerial activity also has
decreased, although the japanese
still control the air and periodically
receive additional planes, especially
81 dive bombers which probably were
brought by ship from Formosa and
landed somewhere in Northern
Luz0n.
In various areas of Luzon Amer
Filipino forces are carrying on
guerrilla warfare, raiding japanese
held towns and picking of Japanese
in small groups.
1t is generally believed the jap
anese high command is preparing
for further assaults against Gen.
MacArthur's Bataan positions, but
may delay a major drive pending
the arrival of reinforcements re-
leased from action in the Malaga
and Netherlands Indies areas, where
their main strength is at present
occupied.
Heavy casualties suffered by Gen.
Homma's 14th Army undoubtedly
have contributed to the halting of
the japanese drive. Exact Japanese
losses have not been estimated. but
it is certain that thousands-per-
haps as high as 30,000-have been
killed or wounded.
Some 1000 Japanese have been
buried by the American-Filipino de-
tenders alone. These were wiped
out in attempted landings on the
west coast, and In thrusts against
the west central section Of the front,
where japanese were annihilated by
artillery fire. An entire Japanese
infantry regiment is believed to
have been killed In the west coast
landing attempts.
The artillery took a terrific toll of
the Japanese, who in the early days
of the Bataan fighting used to
%