Evening star., 1945-05-19
Dam Supplying Manila
Captured Undamaged
By Yanks, GuerriIIas
BY the Associated Press.

h
MANILA, May 19.--Attacking
behind record front line fire
bombings, Filipino guerrillas and
Doughboys of the 43d Division
recaptured Ipo Dam, source of a
third Of Manila's water supply
intact at the climax of a brightly
lighted two-month mountain
campaign.
Today the Yanks began the ardu-
Gus task of cleaning out several
thousand encircled Japanese who
still hold part Of the aqueduct to
Manila, part Of the same force that
mysteriously failed to blow UP the
dam
Capture Of Ipo Dam was the big
gest stride yet in the Central Luzon
campaign, during which the pow
erful Shimbun line was shattered
Artificial Moonlight Used.
The campaign marked the first
important use In this theater of an
tiaircraft searchlights as artificial
moonlight" Because of persistent
nighttime Japanese infiltrations
sometimes in company strength anc
penetrating to the outskirts of Ma.
ntla, Americans began playing
lights on low clouds at night.
The reflected glow lighted the
mountains. enabling United State.
artillery and mortar crews to con.
tinue firing through the night with.
out endangering their own troops
and revealing infiltration attempts
as soon as they came into the open
Searchlights Play on Hills.
On clear, moonless nights, search.
light crews risked Japanese ar.
tillery fire and played their beams
directly on hillsides or into gulches
These tactics, coupled with recorc
fire bombings broke the japanese
spirit, whereupon the 43d division
and guerrillas closed a carefully
prepared trap by seizing the dam.
Maj. Gen. Charles P. Hall, Sar
Antonio, Tex, 18th Corps com.
mander who directed the operation
was decorated with the Distin.
guished Service Medal for his "ag.
gressive leadership and thorough
understanding of amphibious anc
jungle warfare"
Yanks Meet Resistance.
The guerrilla force, under Col
Marcus Augustin, usually called "Col
Markings" reached the dam first
The 43d approaching from the south
met harder going, killing more thar
100 japanese and capturing six q
nm. guns. More than 375 Thunder.
bolts and Lightnings of the 5th All
Force paved the way for the fina
assault. dropping ton of bombs
for every 10 Japanese along the
battlelines.
Inasmuch as the Japanese still
hold part of the aqueduct route
capture of the dam does not assure
Manila immediate use of the water
To the south, the United States
38th Division moved toward the
Wawa Dam, another source OF
Manila's water, by capturing high
ground $500 yards northwest of
Mount Batangan against heavy re-
sistance, killing at least 200.
Two Airstrips Taken.
On Mindanao, the United States
31st Division captured Valencia and
two all-weather grass airstrips in
the central part of the island.
The 40th Infantry Division, aided
by units Of the Americal Division
drove south along the highway to-
ward junction with the 31st. They
bypassed strong enemy position
anchored to the Mangima River
Canyon and circled back on the
highway at the village of Dalirig.
On Davao Gulf, the oath Division,
which has been trading heavy
punches with a big enemy force for
several days on the Cogan grass
plains and hillsides, scored a break
through and dashed 4 miles to the
edge of Sasa Airfield, a 4,700-foot
former Japanese Navy air strip.
The 24th has captured four of six
enemy airfields around Davam.