The Daily Alaska empire., 1944-10-18
TANKS SEIZE
 NEW AT0LL,;
 SECRET MOVE
Terrific BIasiings Resumed on. PhiIippines-Japs
 Run from Assault

U. s. PACIFIC FLEET HEAD QUARTERS, AT PEARL HARBOR, Oct. IT, tDelayed) Giant American carrier task forces, operating in such strength that the Japanese naval force took one look and fled, are pouring steady rain of bombs on the Philippines, while to the east new naval base has been seized in the western Carolines, Admiral Chester w. Nimitz an- nounced. Whereas last nights com- munique said that the carrier plane attacks were sustained against Lu- zon, the Philippine Island on which Manila is situated tonight's merely specified 'objectives in the Philip pines"
 New Naval Base
 The new naval base is at Ulithi Atoll, where Eighty First Division Army troops landed September 20 and 2l without opposition. Nimitz kept the secret so long because there was reason to believe that the Japanese didn't know about it.
 An earlier communique, taking into account the veritable deluge of claims by the Tokyo radio, said that since the carrier task force opened the current offensive on October 8, the Japanese Navy has been sighted only once. It then fled upon ascertaining that the American fleet strength was unim- paired.
 The communique also spiked Tokyo claims, saying, "In all that ! time, no American carriers or battleships received any damage of consequence"
 More Bombings
 Carrier plane attacks on the Philippines were meshed with land- based strikes by Gen. Macarthur, who reported a fighter sweep over Mindanao and the new landings, which were made last September, on Ulithi Atoll in the western Caroline group.
 Ulithi is 100 miles east of Yap and northeast of Palau, one of the best harbors in the Western Pa cific.
 Four IsIets Occupied
 Advance patrols landed on Fas- saran and Mangejang Islands in the Ulithi group. on both sides ot the main entrance to the Ulithi lagoon, on September 20. The next day, troops occupied the four islets of Mogmog, Potangeras, Asor and Sorlan.
 Ulithi Islands are also known as the Mackenzie Islands. They are half way between American occu- pied southern Palau and Guam.
 Radio Silenced
 The communique reference to action against the Philippines was limited to a single sentence. Paul city reports are believed due to necessity for long period of radio silence while the fleet is in action. (The Tokyo radio specified that airfields around Manila are among the latest targets)
 Tonight's communique reported raids on Okdoura, town at Haha Jimi, in the Bonin Islands, $50 mics south of Tokyo, and attacks on several small ships in the har- Dor, Monday. Truk, in the Central Carolines; Pagan n the North Marianas. Wake island, and others were raided
 Airbase Attacked
 Tokyo said that latest hits in the Philippines centered on Clark Field, pre-war American airbase 40 miles from Manila, and Port Le- gaspi, in southern Luzon. The Japa- nese said the raiders were re- pulsed.
 The Japanese continued to claim great sea victory over the Am erican task force that had been sending heavy waves of planes against Formosa, but Nimitz de- clared that "on discovering our fighting strength was unimpaired, they Japanese warships) avoided action and have withdrawn toward their bases"