Evening star., 1942-04-11
Heavy Casualties
Inflicted on
Invaders
RN tie Associated Press.

Victory flushed japanese ham
mered at beleaguered Corregidor
fortress today while striving for
a quick occupation of Cebu, the
Philippines second largest city.
An invasion force estimated at
10000 started landing yesterday on
the Island of Cebu, on which the
city is situated, the War Depart
ment reported, but met with stub
born resistance from a small Amer
Filipino defending force and
suffered heavy casualties.
Although supported by fire from
warships and dive bombers and by
tanks. the invaders at no point were
able to advance more than a few
miles.
Toxic broadcast an ACCOUNT of vio-
lent street fighting and said Cebu
City was reported 'shrouded in
smoke as the enemy set fire to ves-
sells In the bay, oil tanks and other
establishments"
Communications Severed.
Reporting that communications
between Corregidor and Bataan
Peninsula remained severed, 1t. Gen.
Jonathan M. Wainwright failed to
shed further light on the fate of
his army of nearly $1,000 which was
crushed on the peninsula.
The War Departments first COM
munique in "a hours thus left un-
answered whether the troops who
remained had surrendered, but a
Domei dispatch from Toxic said the
offer of surrender had been made.
However, considering their plight
and also in view of President Roose-
velts authorization to Gen. VAIN
wright to act as he saw fit in the
circumstances, some credence was
placed in reports of formal sur
render on Bataan.
A japanese dispatch which Toxic
said came from Bataan related that
two days ago group of Americans
including Maj. Gen. Edward P.
King, jr., commander of the forces
on Bataan, and 1t. Col. E. P, Will
liam, his chief of staff, had ap-
peared at Limay under a flag of
truce. Toxic reported this offer was
made to japanese commander
who "refrained from giving a def
mite answer"
The armys communique said Cor
regidor, Gen. Wainwright's head
quarters, and nearby Fort Hughes
were subjected both to intensive air
attack in the last "a hours and to
intermittent artillery croSs-flre from
enemy guns on the peninsula and
from siege batteries on the south
shore of Manila Bay. Casualties
were declared to be few, however,
and the damage inflicted slight.
The japanese invasion of Cebu
was first reported yesterday in news
that American torpedo boats had
sank a warship engaged in the
Cebu area.
With the stars and Stripes still
flying, Corregidor was manned by
the $500 United States Marines and
bluejackets who escaped from Bataan
in the final hours of the bloody
peninsula fighting by the regular gar
rison of American and Filipino
soldiers.
In addition, there was sprinkling
Of nurses and troops, still dazed by
the shock of battle, who swan
through shark-infested waters of
the channel between Bataan and
Corregidor or rowed in small boats
under a hail of bombs and aerial
machine-gun fire.
Ordered Withdrawn.
The Navy revealed in COM
munique late yesterday that Gen.
Wainwright had ordered the blue
Jackets and the marines in the Ba-
taan battle withdrawn to Corregldor
before the peninsula's defenses were
overcome.
The Navy announced at the same
time that the Bataan forces had
destroyed the submarine tender
Canopus, the minesweeper Bittern,
the naval tug Napa and the Dewey
floating drydock to keep them out
of enemy hands.
The Navy made public some de-
tails of the part the bluejackets and
the Marines took in the battle OF
Bataan.
Formed Into Fighting Unit.
These men we're originally sta
toned at the Cavite and Olongapo