Evening star., 1944-12-11
Grip frightened
On Japs After
FaI|of0rmoc
Yonks Destroying
Thousands Caught
| In Narrow Pocket
BY the Associated Press.

GEN. MacARTHUR'S HEAD
QUARTERS, Philippines, Dec. II
-Leyte Islands strategic sea-
port of Ormoc was in American
hands today-captured four days
after surprise landings to the
southland three columns of
veteran Yanks put a nutcracker
squeeze on thousands of Japa-
nese trapped in a narrow pocket
by the action.
Ormoc was seized in midafter-
noon yesterday by the American
77th Division, which launched the
knockout attack in early morning
from the towns outskirts after a
quick drive from beachheads estab-
lished Thursday under naval and air
cover.
The American 7th Division was
less than a mile from Ormoc after
making contact at Albuera on the
west coast with a column which
came west over the hills from Bu-
rauen in Leyte Valley. In the cor
ridor between these forces were
thousands of Japanese facing de-
struction.
Gen. Macarthur reported in his
communique today:
Trapped and compressed into a
narrow pocket by these three Allied
columns, the enemy's forces in the
southern segment of the Yamashita
line, although many thousands
strong, are unable to extricate them
selves.
"They are being destroyed with
little opportunity for effective re-
taliation''
Dean Schedler, Associated Press
correspondent with the 77th Divi-
sion, wrote that Maj. Gen. Andrew
Bruces veteran outfit found oppo-
sition surprisingly light on securing
beachhead and, revising plans, i'm
mediately pushed toward Ormoc
along the coastal road, meeting only
light pockets of resistance at first
Later strong dugouts and pillboxes
had to be destroyed.
Capture of Ormoc represents q
heavy blow to the Japanese. It
was vital to the enemy as a re-
enforcement port for his troops in
the Ormoc corridor running through
mountain country from Ormoc to
Carigara Bay on the north. This
corridor, on the northwest shoulder
of the island, is Japan's last effec-
tive grasp on Leyte, which Tokyo
considers the key to the Philippines
campaign.
Small Port Still Held.
The japanese still have small.
port facing the Visayan Sea. This
is Palompon, 18 miles northwest OF
Ormoc.
Ormoc's seizure, wrote Associated
Press Correspondent Murlin Spen-
Ger, does not mean the Leyte cam
paign is concluded.
There is still much heavy fight
ing to be done before Japanese
forces both south and north of
Ormoc are wiped out"
Al Dopking of the Associated
Press said the Japanese appeared
to be retreating from the 7th Divi-
sion, but were expected to make a
desperate, final stand.
There was every indication the
japanese would make a fight for
every inch of Leyte.
American fighter planes were
active in combat over the fighting
zone, and bombers scored effective
hits on Central Philippines shipping
and airdromes.
A total of 268 tons of explosives
blasted runways and other airdrome
installations on Cebu, Negros, Panay
and Masbate islands in the Gen.
trail Philippines. Two freighters
were sunk and three damaged.
Heavy bombers raked the Brunei
Bay waterfront at Borneo and hit
the Miri petroleum refinery. Bombs
and strafing set aflre eight petro-
leum storage tanks, leaving tower
of black smoke IS 900 feet high.