Evening star., 1945-06-04
u. 5. Infantry Chases
laps 0usted From
Davao Into Hills
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
MANILA, June 4.-Heavy fighting
was under way yesterday northwest
Of Davao on Mindanao Island. Mai.
Gen. Roscoe B. Woodruff's oath In
fantry Division pursued the ousted
Davao garrison into the mountains
around 10,0O0-foot volcanic Mount
Apo.
From that sector, Associated Press
Correspondent Richard Bergholz re-
ported the discovery of about $50
skeletons in an old Davao penal
camp north of the city. Prisoners
who were sick and i'll were left to
die by the fleeing japanese.
Guerrilla forces under Col. Wen-
dell Fertig captured Bayabas village
Saturday after a brief but bloody
hand-t -to-hand battle. The guerrilla
attack was supervised by officers of
the oath Division.
Pushing Through Jungle.
simultaneously, units under Col
| William Herbeck of Brooklyn took
the villages of Alhambra, Mulig and
Ula. Other elements of the Oath,
under Col. Thomas Clifford, pushed
through the jungle west of Panacan.
Meanwhile, on Central Mindanao,
Col. Edward STAIRS regiment of the
3lst Infantry Division hit strong
| 20 of
Malaybalay. The 3lst Division, un-
der Maj. Gen. Clarence Martin, is
driving from the west to trap the
remaining Mindanao Japanese be-
tween. his outfit and the oath. The
4Oth Division in Central Mindanao
is another side of the trap.
American troops expedited the
rout of the isolated japanese in the
southeast section of Mindanao by
landing at Luayon, on the western
shore of Davao Gulf rs miles south
of Davao City, in an amphibious
shore to shore operation Friday
against only slight opposition.
Tank-led Doughboys who broke
into villages near Davao found fires
in stoves and food on tables, indi-
eating the japanese troops and civil
ians had fed hastily.
No Organized Defenses.
On Luzon Island, Maj. Gen. Rob-
ert S. Beightler'S veteran 37th
Division moved a half mile into the
Cagayan Valley along Highway No.
5. The infantrymen, encountering
antitank fire, but no organized de-
fenses, killed IS enemy troops in
their advance. Considerable equip
ment, including cavalry gear, was
captured.
The 37th was 4 miles beyond Santa
Fe on the winding mountain road
into the long valley where the Jap
aneSe are expected to put up their
last big fight in the Philippines.
East of Manila Maj. Gen. Will
liam c. Chase's 38th Division met
stiff opposition on both sides of the
Marikina and Bosabosa Rivers in
clearing the watershed area serv-
ing the capital.
Gen. Macarthur reported in his
communique today that $3.50 Jap
anese dead had been counted and
SOB prisoners taken in the Philip
pines in the past week, against
American casualties of 225 killed
and 657 wounded for the same Pc
riod.
| 385, 5,48O Jap Casualties.
Overall japanese casualties were
given at 1856 ,480 for the entire cam
paign, which began last October.
American casualties are around
so 1000.
Planes based in the Philippines
and East Indies ravaged japanese
positions and shippings from For
mosa through the China Sea to
New Guinea.
LiberatorS unloaded 275 tons on
Takao, Formosa airdrome sector.
Many warehouses and other build
lngS were destroyed. Smoke rose
5000 feet. Reconnaissance planes
patrolling from Singapore to Shang-
hal sank or set afire two freighters
and two patrol craft and shot up
1ndo-China rail facilities.
Thirteenth Air Force and 7th
Fleet planes hit Brunei Bay and
other Borneo targets with 100 tons
of explosives. plus jellied gasoline
incendiarieS