Evening star., 1944-05-21
All Jap Resistance
On Wakde Ends;;WorL
On AirfieId Rushed
Capture Of Mitkyino
In Burmu Theuter
Confirmed by StiIweII
BY the Associated Press.

6s bne ASsOclateQ freSS.
All japanese resistance on the
Wakde Islands has ceased and
engineers are getting the stra-
tegic airstrip into operation
Gen. Douglas Macarthur an
nounced today from his ad-
vanced headquarters in New
Guinea.
Five hundred and fifty japanese
were killed, while American casual.
ties were Is dead, SO wounded anc
two missing. Thus American sol.
diers killed "a japanese for ever,
American life lost.
The two stragetic islands of thu
Wakde group, 110 miles toward the
Philippines from Hollandia, which
the Americans invaded April "a
were, brought under complete con.
troll by Friday afternoon. TIL.
Philippines are another 1000 mile.
north.
Conquest Completed.
The Wakde conquest was com.
pleteo three days after the Yank.
OF the 9Th Army began the am.
phibious operation.
Liberators, with fighter escort TO,
the first time, struck Manokwar
on Western New Guinea. ATS mile,
northwest of Hollandia, leaving air.
drome runways unserviceable ane
sinking three freighters.
When the Wakde invasion wa.
launched, a Macarthur spokesman
said possession of the airfield there
would provide a base from which
fighter planes could range over al
Dutch New Guinea.
Merrill Crosses Irrawaddy.
Meanwhile in Northern Burma
Brig. Gen. Frank MerrilPs infantry
back by a continuous influx of air.
borne reinforcements, crossed the
Irrawaddy River four miles south
OF the stronghold of Myitkyina
from which the Japanese garrison
was being driven, the Allied com.
mand at Southeast Asia headouar.
ters announced yesterday.
1T seems we have Myitkvina ,
1t. Gen. Joseph w. Stilwen sale
simply when pressed by correspon.
dents Tor a statement.
Chinese and American forces
closed in steadily from three sides
one column from Gharpate, fou,
miles to the north, another occu.
pying the right bank of the IRA
Waddy and seizing the island vii.
lage OF zigyun where the stream
bends sharp to the west, and still
another driving down the Mogauns
valley against trapped remnants O.
the Warong garrison.
Net Closed by Attacks.
The three-pronged attack was re.
ported to have closed a net arounr
enemy troops in the area and the
Japanese were reported to be suffer.
ing heavy casualties in escape at.
tempts.
From Cungking came word tha
Chlnese troops had clamped a firme]
mold on their rewon section of tn,
north-south Peiping- -Hankow rail.
way, capturing the rail city of Kio
shan, ITO miles south of Chenghsien
More than 500 japanese were re-
ported killed or wounded in tn,
fierce engagement.
In the north, however. field dis.
patches reported that the encirclee
defenders of Loyang were doomed t.
massacre if they failed to break tn,
Japanese siege.
American Bombers Active.
American and Chinese bomber
were reported to have killed 1000 O
the enemy and wounded 5000 in al
air attack near Suichen on the bulg,
OF the Yellow River.
On the Yunnan front, across tn,
SaIWeen River, the Chinese offens
I've aimed at Northern Burma rolled
forward. The high command re
ported the capture of Pienma, north
OF strategic Mamien Pass.
On the foggy northern margin o
the Pacific, Allied bombers, appar
emily taking advantage of a breal
IN the weather, blasted Paramu
shiro Thursday night leaving larg,
flres burning in airfield installa
tions there.
One of our aircraft received
minor damage, but all returned Il
safety" Pacific Fleet communi.
que said. The communique tolc
(see PACIFIC. Page A-7J