The Wilmington morning star., 1945-03-20
Losses Light
In 18th Isle.
Taken By U.s.
Many Sections Of Island
Already Cleared By
Guerrillas

MANILA, Tuesday, March 90
lPl-Fortieth Division infantrymen
nder Maj. Gen. Rapp Brush, with
Naval and air support, invaded
panay island in the central Philip
pines Sunday and rapidly closed
in on the capital city of Oloilo.
The landing, on the southeastern
shore. was made with practically
no loss. Gen. Douglas Macarthur
said in his communique today,
again achieving complete tacti-
cal as we'll as strategic surprise"
This was the 25th Philippine in
ysgon and the seventh of major
Importance.
The Yanks went ashore at Tig-
bauan IA miles west of Iloilo, and
Immediately drove inland four
miles to Cordova and eastward
along the coast seven miles to Oton
hallway 10 the capital city.
They are rapidly closing in on
the city" Macarthur reported.
Many sections of Panay had
been well cleared by guerrillas,
including parts of the southeast
shore where the Yanks poured
ashore. One Panay guerrilagleader
was Tomas Confesor, new Secre-
tary of the Interior in the Philip
pine Cabinet He was the former
governor of Panay.
Associated Press Correspondent
Fred Hampson reported Fliplnos
crowed the beach to welcome the
americans.
The invasion was the first direct
action to break the japanese hold
in the bypassed central Philip
pines 1t was designed in part to
clear shipping routes which pass
ed close to Panay airfieIds.
Iloilo is the outstanding port
Of the central Philippines and has
an important airfield nearby. The
capital has a population of 80, 600.
A headquarters spokesman said
the troops encountered a small
enemy force on the road before
Selling Cordova.
Correspondent Hampson said fiji
erS flew at low level over the
country behind the beachhead
searching for enemy positions they
might strafe. but found none.
The invasion was not preceded
by the usual naval bombardment,
although cruisers and destroyers
stood by if needed. Rocket ships,
too were ready.
The amphibious operation was
executed by the 10th Infantry
Division, originally the California
National Guard, with a New York
regiment added. The 10th was
in the Luzon campaign in January.
Rear Adm. Arthur D. Struble
commanded the amphibious move,
designed to clear the huge archi-
pelago Of japanese hindering free
movement of shipping.
The landing beach was 100 miles
west Of the original Philippines
INVASION beach on Leyto, and is
Z9O miles south of Manila.
Panay, bombed frequently by
neavy bonbers, was an ominous
threat to the convoy route to
Amerlcan-held Mindoro and Luzon
~hlle Japan still had strength in
ule Philippines, Ships passed Win
IN SIGHT Of the triangular island.
In small-scale operation. otn-
e. American troops landed the
same day Sunday, on Malanau
Island. south of Zamboanga at the
southwestern tip of Mindanao.
,MacArthur announced gains on
al Luzon fronts and another heavy
ar raid on Baguio, summer capt.
'al OF the Philippines and sup
posed Philippine headquarters OF
japanese 1t. Gen. Tomoyukl
Yamashita.
macarthur reported that recent
lhlo1ppln8 up operations iii the Za1n-
o'leS mountains along Luzon's
nG[lhWest coast resulted in an
T Taolnonal 1854 Japanese. dead.
ne 18th Division has been en-
saseo IN the grim cleanup job in
III n.e mountain area generally west
u captured Clark Field.
NJ; 10 Inc east, the 25th and 32nd
pp.1 1s were converging on
L paiele Pass, which leads into the
ols Cagayan Valley. against in
LEASING ois opposition. Aircraft lent
close support.
W. IN Mindanao, the 41st Division
ev anhs, with tank support, steadily
S Sapa'ded their positions north OF
29 S,' ROGUE and Pasonanca, and
50 uedd were found abandoned