Evening star., 1944-12-16
300 Japs in Caves
On PeIeIiu Offer
Problem 10 Yankees
Third OF q Series J
BY WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY,
Star Staff Correspondent.

star Sta11 correspondent.
PELELIU, PALAU ISLANDS (By
MaiD .-Clnging like mountain goats
to pinnacles and mountain ledges o1
Bloody Nose Ridge, American Ma
rines and Army troops are still try
ing to clear this island of an esti-
mated 300 Japanese troops confined
to well-arranged caves hundreds Of
feet above the fat, coral lowlands
Scores of fighting men sit hourly
around the flame-blackened cave
entrances, like cats waiting at mouse
holes, while down at the bases and
in the passes stand tanks ready to
pour shells at the first showing OF
Japanese life. 7
The trapped unit is reputed to be
one Of Hirohito's crack regiments
and information Is that the island
commander and a colonel are still
with the outfit. This may explain
the efforts to relieve this contingent
by sending a force down from Babel
thuap, the largest of the island
group, where approximately 10000
troops still remain, by passed in the
American push forward in the Pa
cific. But all efforts SO far have
failed, and the Babelthuap forces
are being showered frequently with
naturalization raids from the air.
Lack Transportation.
The forces on Babelthuap are
without any surface transportation.
Surface patrols of American naval
craft keep watch for any movement
from the northern island. Only a
few days before we arrived, con-
tingent of 200 enemy troops was
intercepted. While the beaches of
the two islands are about 20 miles
apart, the Japs can walk over the
coral reefs except for distance of
approximately 400 yards of deep
water.
Since the last invasion" attempt,
gunboats have been stationed along
this channel, to harass the enemy.
But the crafty, little Japs made an
abortive attempt to get one Of these
vessels by swimming toward it
during the night, towing demo-
lition bomb in a box to make it
float. They were attempting to tie
1t to the propeller of the gunboat
when they were discovered and sent
to join their ancestors.
The cave-bound forces here are
quiet during the day, but
with nightfall they sneak out under
pinnacles and snipe at the Amer
lean troops They seem to be well
supplied with food and ammunition,
but water is their problem If the
rain is scarce they are forced into
the lowlands to obtain this necessity.
While this makes the problem
simpler for the Americans 1t is going
to take time.
Flame ThrOwers Busy.
There is no other way to get them
out. Flame throwers work on the
caves nightly, but the enemy is too
deep. AS matter Of fact those
caves which have been cleared have
gone down hundreds of feet and
many transverse passage
ways and large rooms, filled with
double-deck beds, together with
modern rifle racks. Some of the
booty found in the caves included
silk clothes, lipstick, rouge
and other feminine articles. Oficers
believe that there are geisha girls
down there. too.
Dynamite has been tried, but to
get them all would mean the leveling
Of the whole mountain range. To
send troops into the cave would in
volye severe casualties not believed
under the circumstances.
All day we toured the island,
examining the strong reinforced
concrete defenses which had been
blasted in establishing the beach,
head, and then up among the noun
tain passes, through no mans land
between the Jap and American lines,
and not shot was heard. But as
night closed in the mountainsides
burst into flame and japanese tracer
bullets streaked through the air,
several clipping the leaves and bark
off nearby tree.
1t was the heavy fire from the
Jap guns on Bloody Nose Ridge
which raked the beachheads as the
forces pressed inland. So
heavy was the fire that one blast
knocked the tracks off an American
tank, but did not silence its guns.
From the spot where 1t was stopped
it knocked out six japanese tanks.