The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-10-19

lean invasion troops "seem to have landed" on tiny Sultan Island which lies at the entrance to the gulf,
 The Imperial Japanese eem- muniaue did not mention the possible landing but said the Amer- iean fleet accompanied by tfans- ports entered Leyte dulf Oct, l7 and opened up a bombafdment to which Japanese army and naval units were replying
 An American landing in Leyte Gulf 1t was noted might open the way for c drive across the Central Islands isolating Japanese forces around Manila on Luzon to the north from forces in the southern island Of Mindanae which lies closest to MaeArthur's Springbeard ct Morotai,
 A Japanese broadcast from Ma nlla said 270 American carrier planes attacked the Philippines ea- pltal and nearby Clark field strlE- Ing in four waves, The Japanese GldhitA bttty btAbb AoVh w
 Jap Claim
 The Japanese claimed that the reason why task force 80 was not engaged in the Philippines opera ton was that it had been almost totally crushed" In the attacks on FormoSn,
 "A German broadcast recorded by CBS quoted Q report from Ma nila asserting that American troops "are not able to achieve any fur ther gains on the ground and are still being kept on Q plight, under the complete control of the Jap- anese defenders"
 The FcC Monitoring Service re- ported e broadcast by It, Gen. Masaharu Homma, commander ol the Japanese forces which seized the Philippines. Homma expressed heartfelt sympathy" for the F4l- ipinoS because the Americans are again trying to invade your coun- try."D
 One version of the communicate recorded by FCC monitors in the United States said the fleet had 'in- yaded' the gulf Tuesday, the first day of the attack, but another ver- sion heard by the United Press in London reported the fleet was sighted entering the gulf at 6:30 p, m. today CTokyo Time0
 CTokyo time is l3 hours ahead oi Eastern War Time and D l-2 hours ahead of Pearl Harbor tlmeO
 Cooperation
 "Our navy mad army units in close cooperation are at present inter- cepting this enemy force," the com munique said. Reference to army units indicated some troops already may be ashore and this was partly borne out soon afterward by an other Tokyo broadcast which said;
 Tt seems that part of the enemy force has landed in the Island oi Sultan east of the island of Leyte in the central Philippines"
 Berlin reported from Manila that 1t had been "announced officially enemy forces carried out landing operations on Sultan at the mouth of the Gulf Tuesday morning.
 Capture of one or more bases in the Leyte Gulf area would bring the entire Philippines within range of American land-based bombers American carrier based planes and submarines already were blockadine the islands.
 American bombers and fighters presumably mostly from carriers raided every locality" of the Phil ippines Tuesday, opening day Of the attack. Tokyo said.
 American authorities were silent on Japanese reports that American troops had returned to the Philip pines to ayenge Bataan and Cor regidor after nearly two and a hall years.
 "NO Information"
 (The War and Navy Departments in Washington said they had nc information" on the Tokyo reports
 However, American invasion forces long have been pledged to re- turn to the Philippines and Admiral William F. Halseys Third Fleet had zone e long way toward softenine the Archipelago for a landing by knocking out Formosa, it's aerial link with the Japanese homeland, with the aid of B-2D 6uperfortresses and by wrecking 339 ships and small craft and eSl enemy aircraft in the Arse nine days Of an almost noIl- stop offensive ln the western Paci- fic.