Evening star., 1945-05-06
Complete Liberation
|N Davao Announced; !;
| |Tarakan Drive Gains
Ey the Associated Press.


| : MANILA, Sunday, May g.
Complete liberation of Davao
last major Philippine city taken
from the japanese, was pro-
claimed by Gen. Macarthur
today as Australian and Dutch
troops fought ahead on little
Tarakan Island off Borneo.
Davao, big hemp port on jap
anese-infested Mindanao, was cap
tured by the American oath Infantry
Division, which in II days had
swept 140' miles across the second
largest island in the archipelago.
The city fell without the bitter
fight that had been expected.
On Tarakan, Australian fighters
cleared the Japanese from two Sec
tions of Tarakan City and were
fighting on the nearby airdrome.
Two Districts Seized.
The Boorterrein and Pamoesian
districts of Tarakan were seized by
the Australian and Dutch East In
dies troops. The western end of
the airdrome was captured, but the
Japanese were defending the
eastern end with machineguns.
Gen. Macarthur said only light
casualties were reported in the
Tarakan campaign which opened
May /.
Spencer Davis, Associated Press
correspondent on Tarakan, wrote
yesterday that squat Matilda tanks
operating in close harmony with
dismounted Australian cavalry COM
mandos, pushed their way into the
heart of Pamoesian oil fields ano
stormed razorback Tarakan Hill
where the enemy still is maintaining
bitter resistance"
Point blank fire of the tanks IS.
nm. guns was required to knock
out a honeycomb of tunnels from
which the enemy was laying dowr
deadly fire
Gen. Macarthur disclosed that
Netherlands Indies troops are par
ticipating alongside the Aussies ir
this first Allied ground drive to re.
cover the East Indies oil and rubber
riches from the Japanese.
Jap Positions Silenced.
Naval and air bombardment 81
fenced enemy positions on Tarakar
as the AuSSies and Dutch moved
ahead Friday after being held stub
bornly for day. Heavy bombers
struck the Borneo mainland at Bal
ikpapan and Laoet Island farther
south.
Planes and patrol boats ranging
Borneo coastal areas with gooo
effect sank 10 small freighters 1float
or on slipways as we'll as two river
steamers and numerous smaller
craft.
Maj. Gen. Roscoe B. Woodruff s
oath Division, which swept lac
miles across Mindanao in II days
eliminated scattered japanese forces
inside Davao City.
Reservoir Captured.
Inc reservoir was captured. The
Yanks secured the area to a depth
of 2 miles inland and to the north
Mintal, miles northwest of the
captured Libby Airfield, was seized
after a hard fight.
Inland, the 3lst Dixie) Division
drove miles north of Kibawe. Gen.
Macarthur said this move cut of
the enemys ''only remaining route
between his, Davao forces and his
garrison in the Bikidnon uplands.' y
The 3lst was threatening the big
japanese airbase at Valencia.
On Luzon, bombers and fighters
.dropped $50 tons Of explosives IN
support of~ground operations Jap
anese rear areas were strafed.
Bombers again hit Formosa and
targets along the China Sea coast.
The Japanese employment of de-
laying warfare instead Of all-out
efforts to hold Tarakain fields in
dicated the Allied China Sea block
ade has caused the Japanese to
write off the petroleum resources
of Southwest Asia, said. Gen. Sir
Thomas P. Blamey, Australian mill
tary commander.