Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-10-22
Adm. Woodward Says:
Pacific War
In Vital Phase
MecArthur's Strategy
Catches Jsps Mapping
Nv REAR ADM. CLARK II.
WOODWARD, USN

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A dramatic new phase in the
Pacific war has been Unbiased in
the central Philippine phase
of tremendous importance TO our
eventual victory over Japan.
Yet the evaSive japanese fleet
still remains in hiding and re-
fuses TO fight.
Climaxing a 2.500-mile trek from
Milne Bay, New Guinea, Gen.
Macarthur in a 600-mile leapfrog
Jump has scored another brilliant
strategic triumph by his Spectacu-
lar landing of powerful invasion
forces on the island of Leyte in
the central Philippines At dawn
Friday.
This largest overseas invasion
armada in hiStory-even SurpaS-
sing that which landed in Nor
mandy on D-Day-was launched
from the recently captured island
OF Morotai. 600 miles 10 the SOUTH
ward. Under a terrific naval and
air bombardment. NJ &C Ar h u r
caught the enemy flatfooted
again by appearing where least
expected.
Although the JapS had known,
for at least six months. that an
invasion of the Philippines was in
the making, the landing on Leyte
WIS unopposed by the Japanese
navy and very few enemy aircraft
were sighted.
What is more important, how
ever. is the fact that the point
selected by Gen. Macarthur put
his forces in position quickly to
cut off the island of Luzon TO
the north and that OF Mindanao
10 the south, where the enemy's
strength is concentrated.
This means that the 225,O00
japanese troops Under Field
Marshal Terauchi--which garrison
the 800-mile stretch of the Philip
pines--are effectively divided.
NAVAL ASSAULT PRELUDE
The i'm date preliminary
blows TO this invasion began on
Oct. 9, when Vice Adj. Mitscher's
mighty task force-part of Adm.
Halseys roaming Third Fleet -
assaulted the Ryukyu chain OF
islands 200 miles south of the
southern tip of Japan and ram
part of the enemy's inner empire.
The planes and ships being held
by the japanese as reserve de-
lenses In these areas had TO be
destroyed before a major invasion
anywhere in the Philippines was
feasible. Hence the wide scope of
operations 10 the north and south
and also off the Palau Islands.
500 miles TO the east.
In order to confuse the enemy
further, as 10 where an invasion
might be made, Superfortresses
from bases in China made CO.
ordinated attacks on Fornosa.
One japanese admiral was so
convinced that this was the target
selected that he warned the people
accordingly
ENEMY LOSSES SOAR
Y. s. Pacific fleet headquarters
has revealed that the relentless
carrier plane attacks on the Man
liza area, up 10 Wednesday, had
increased the score of enemy losses
in the Ryuky u-Formosa-Luzon
area since Oct. 9 to 1888 planes
destroyed. Sc ships sunk and 126
ships damaged.
One of the most significant fea-
lures of recent operations in this
theater therefore is that carrier
based planes continue 10 prove
their ability TO overpower and de-
stroy japanese land based air
forces, a fact previously held 10
be impossible by air experts.
Copyright, 1874, International News Service