Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-03-12
Yank Invaders
7 Miles From
zambodngd
Second Mindunuo
AirfieId Largely
Overrun by Troops
MARINES MOVE UP TANKS and
fiamethrowers for attack on tip
OF Two Jlma, Page "A
picture on Page A-5.)
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
MANILA, Mar. 12.-Tank-led
American infantrymen yesterday
crossed the Baliwasan River and
drove to within 2 miles of the
town of Zamboanga and stimuli
taneously swept over two-t thirds
of the San Rogue Airstrip, prin-
cipal airfield in the area, battle
front dispatches from Mindanao
reported today.
The 162d and elements of the
163d Regiments made the river cross
ing.
Within a half hour of landing on
the southwestern tip of Mindanao
Saturday, the infantrymen led by
tanks took small Wolfe Airstrip-
the first main objective.
SpOtting Planes Use Field.
Artillery spotting planes began OPP
Grating from the overgrown Wolfe
Airstrip while it was still under
japanese artillery fire from japanese
positions in the nearby hills.
American casualties in the first "a
hours were light.
After a relatively quiet landing by
the Yanks of Maj. Gen. Jens A.
Does 4lst Division Of the 9th Army,
the japanese fought back with con-
centrated artillery and mortar fire
from their hillside positions and
stubbornly resisting machinegun and
mortar nests emplaced along the
principal roads.
The fight may stiffen near Fam
boanga. Associated Press Core
spondent Russell Brines said.
Blasted for Eight Days.
An eight-day air bombardment by
the 18th Air Force and two-day
naval Smelling by Vice Admiral
Thomas C. Kinkaid's 7th Fleet units
preceded the 21st Philippine Island
invasion landing.
Zamboanga Harbor, reported As
ISOLATED Press Correspondent Fred
Hampson from a bomber's eyeview,
was cluttered with wrecked japanese
ships and the towns larger buildings
were blasted or burned.
The coastal towns of San Mateo.
San Jose. Calarian and San ROGUE
were captured in short order by the
well-ordered swift advance.
Wolfe Airfield is 200 miles from
Japanese oil-rich Borneo. The
San Rogue field has a 1000 foot
bomber runway.
CONVOY JJnmOleSted
The convoy in making the 400-mile
Journey was unmolested by either
japanese planes or submarines.
The amphibious operation was
carried out under the command of
Rear Admiral Forrest B. Royal, Ar
hngton, Va, commander of the 9Th
Amphibious Group.
1t. Gen. Robert L. Eichelberger.
9Th Army commander, who cele-
brated his seth birthday on the in
vasion convoy, landed with his staff
four hours after the first wave
In announcing the invasion, Gen.
Macarthur said in his communique
today that the operation strengthens
the American blockade of the South
China Sea and further severed ia
pan from her ill-gotten holdings in
the East Indies.
The Americans actually were in
zamboanga City the moment they
stepped ashore, for the city proper
covers the entire end of the Fam
boanga Peninsula.
Mindanao, where guerrillas have
been extremely active for years, is
the second largest of the Philip
pines and the most southerly. jut-
ting into the Celebes Sea. It's prin-
cipal city and port, Davao, is on
the east coast, $50 miles from Zam-
boanga.
Gen. Macarthur said. 1--WE now
control the entire length of the
western shores of the Philippine
Islands from the northwestern tip
of Luzon to the southwestern tip of
Mindanao, a distance of approx
mately 800 miles.
THE blockade of the South China
Sea and the consequent cutting off
of the japanese conquest to the
south is intensifying."
Turkey-shaped Mindanao is 1900
miles north of the Netherlands In
1Coo bIJTI TppINEC T----.-1(-