Evening star., 1944-12-03
Jap Airdromes
In Philippines
Heavily Bombed
Two Jimu and Other
Islands Hit; Ruin
Stalls Leyte Action
BY the Associated Press.

aeaVy pOmDlng attacks by
American flyers against Japa-
.nese airdromes and shipping
throughout the Philippines were
reported by Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur today.
AS the Yank airmen in the Far
West Pacific continued to neutralize
the japanese aerial threat to Amer
lean liberation forces on Leyte
Island, Admiral Chester w. Nimitz
announced that other flyers blasted
Two Jima, in the Volcano Islands
along the B-29 pathway to Tokyo
Two was hit for the fifth time in
four days by AAF Liberators. The
island Is only 750 miles south OF
Tokyo. The japanese have been
using Two as an aerial base from
which to attack the Super Fortress
fields on Saipan Island.
Admiral Nimitz's communique
also listed air strikes ranging from
Paramushiro in Japan's Kurile
Islands to Wake and Palau.
Jap Defense Desperate.
Ground action on Leyte was
stalled by continued tropical rains.
The bad weather. however, did not
ground planes. The japanese struck
in force against American Bay posi-
tions on Northern Leyte. American
airmen lashed enemy airfields on
Luzon and Mindanao Islands, on
Leyte's northern and southern
fianks, and hit shipping to the west.
The desperation of the japanese
defense Of the Ormoc corridor and
the heavy rains have squelched
American hopes for an early end to
the Leyte campaign.
Night and day the japanese have
thrown couriterattacks, some of
them suicidal in nature, against the
United States 7th Division south Of
Ormoc. To the north of the enemy
port the 32d Division has wormed
forward slightly after three days
of stalemate due to rain and mud.
Meanwhile the Japanese, without
American confirmation, claimed that
Nippon paratroops were landed on
Eastern Leyte week ago and that
air scouts report they have made
death-defying penetrations at i'm
portant points on two airfields and
caused great war results"
More of Burma Road Seized.
Chinese reconquest of the Burma
Road in Southwest China was a
step closer but far to the northeast
the japanese were driving ahead to-
ward a strategic terminal point on
the famous supply line.
In the southwest the Chinese cap
tured Chefang, next to the last
Burma Road remains to be taken
anese on the Yunnan front. Amer
ican liaison units and Yank airmer
aided the Chinese in seizing the
town. Only about "a miles of the
Burma road remains to be taken
before the Chinese will be in posi
ton to hit the China Burma Dor.
der city ow Wanting.
The japanese offered little fight
at Chefang.
In the northeast, however. the
japanese were acknowledged by the
Chinese high command to have
penetrated Kweichow Province. Its
capital, Kweiyang, is a Burma Road
terminal some 235 miles south OF
Chungking. The Chinese reported
japanese units were repulsed just
inside the Kweichow border, ITO
miles southeast of Kweiyang.
Control of Roads Claimed.
The japanese agency Domei said
Nippon forces control the only two
roads leading into Kweichow from
Kwangsi province as we'll as the
railway. 1t claimed Japanese cap
ture of Limingkwan where the
Chinese said enemy units had been
thrown back.
All non-essential employees were
ordered to evacuate Kweiyang by
the Kweichow provincial govern
ment. Many of the city's 100000
residents were leaving.
Inside Burma American trained
Chinese soldiers frightened their grip
on Bhamo. The 1000 Japanese
troops encircled there face annihila-
ton. They are being blasted by
artillery. To the west the Nip
ponese continued their retreat
southwark in the direction of Man
dalay and Rangoon. Allied airmen
struck heavily against troops and
vehicles along badly congested
roads.