Evening star., 1944-11-19
|bonbers Blast
Jap BattIeship,
Heavy Cruiser
9 Direct Hits Mode;
Yonks Closing on
Limon in Philippines
By the Associated Press.


GEN. MacARTHUR'S HEAD
QUARTERS, Philippines, Sun
day, Nov. l9.-American heavy
bombers scored five direct hits
on a japanese battleship and
four on a heavy cruiser. leaving
both in flames after explosions,
Gen. MacArthur's headquarters
reported today.
The escorted heavy bombers new
more than 800 miles to attack the
Japanese naval base at Brunei Bay
on the northwest coast of Borneo,
dropping 1l2 tons of explosives on
shipping in the harbor.
Enemy planes attempting inter-
ception were fought OIL by escorting
fighters which probabl:' destroyed
one of them. Antiaircraft fire shot
down three Of our bombers.
Meanwhile. in the Philippines,
fighting American infantrymen
were closing tighter on the fortress
town Of Limon, at the northern end
of Leyte Islands Ormoc corridor,
against stubbornly resisting Japa-
nese who were cut OF from fresh
supplies.
Earlier it was reported that Yank
fighters and aitiaircraft guns shot
down their 500th Japanese plane OF
the Leyte campaign, bagging Z OF
Is attackers on the east coast.
"a total of TIT japanese planes
have been destroyed by Army
and carrier-based planes and
ack-ack in the Philippines thus
far in November, an unofncial
count showsD
Elements OF the 24th and SAD
Divisions further compressed" the
japanese forces at Limon, miles
BY road from Carisara Bay, todayss
communique said.
Supply Attempts Diseked.
A road block. established az
miles south OF the town by units
Of the gath Division. was tightened
and ~all enemy attempts to run
supply trucks through to the trapped
LIST Division troops have failed"
Remnants of at least one Japa-
nese regiment. 1t was estimated
are within the squeeze being con-
tracted by American forces probing
Limon from the north and the road
block. Some Japanese tanks reached
the trapped forces before the block
was frightened.
Several hundred Japanese forces
were found entrenched In Limon by
members Of advance American units
who first believed it had been aban-
doned. The enemy held strong posi-
tions in the mountain community,
which they had transferred into q
fortress aided by defensible terrain,
despite persistent American artil-
lery bombardment.
Eliminate Jap Position.
Elements Of the United States
96th Division, pushing west OF
Dagami-in Central Leyte Valley
continue TO eliminate japanese posi-
ticns in the foothills of Mount Lobi
Activity elsewhere was limited to
patrolling, the communique said.
American heavy and medium
bombers attacked enemy rear in
stallations at Ormoc and the nearby
northward town Of Linao, causing
explosions and fires.
Fighters, roaring in Iow-level at
tacks, strafed enemy shipping in
Ormos Bay, destroying two small
transports.
Japs Fight Desperately.
Fred Hampson, Associated Press
correspondent on the Gath Division
front, said there was little doubt the
japanese are fighting desperately to
hold the Limon area at any cost
while Gen Tokoyuki Yamashita
enemy Philippine commander, pre-
pares rearward positions to meet the
full American might.
The enemy's major stand, Mr.
Hampson said, probably will be In
the rugged region where a road to
(see PHILIPPINES, Page A-i6.5