Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-04-22
American Forces Gain
In Northern Luzon
And Mindanao Drives
By the Associated Press.

MANILA, Sunday, April o.
American troops made new advances
in Northern Luzon and on Minda-
mao, against the last two japanese
strongholds in the Philippines, Gen
Macarthur announced today.
In q swift amphibious advance up
the Mindanao River on the south
ernmost major island of the Arch
ipelago, oath Division troops pushed
to a point 80 miles inland from their
Illana Bay beachhead. They cap
tured the Paidu-Palangs terminus
of road connecting with vital
Highway No /.
Another column continued to press
eastward along the highway farther
north, in the drive across Cotabato
Peninsula toward Davao Gulf
Other units famed out north of
Illana Bay throughout Lanao Prov
ince.
Jap Troops Blasted.
Japanese troops at DaVaO and
other centers were blasted by heavy,
medium and dive bombers.
On Luzon, 25th Division dough-
boys, in a bitterly contested adj
vance, secured Kapintala and the
adjacent high ground commanding
the Cagayan valley road.
The new advance placed the 25th S
Doughboys miles from the crest
of Balete Pass, toward which they
have been fighting for weeks. Other
forces were closing in on the pass
from the west, along the Villa Verde
trail. They reported definite weak
ening in the Japanese resistance.
Supporting bombers and fighters
dropped 500 tons of bombs on Japa-
nese positions in the area and
strafed troop concentrations.
Philippine based bombers, con-
tinuing their South China Sea
blockade and daily strikes against
FormoSa and the Dutch East Indies,
sank five Japanese cargo ships and
score of smaller craft.
MOrOs Battle Japs.
Guerrillas, including Mohamme-
dan Mros, pursued fleeing japanese
in hills and jungles.
Gen. Macarthur in his Saturday
communique, announced the con-
quest of Cebu.
Five thousand japanese dead were
left on the field" on Cebu, he
said. Guerrillas were tracking down
scattered Japanese in the hills.
Russell Brines. Associated Press
correspondent, reported in a field
dispatch from Mindanao that 1000
Moros were in force of four guer-
rilla divisions commanded by Col
Robert V. Bowler, Bellingham,
Wash.
Col Bowler, who has been as
signed to assist in organizing a
regular Philippine Army, said the
japanese particularly feared the
Moros. The fierce tribesmen, he
added, do not have any great love"
for Americans, but they are great
ly impressed by our power
GuerriIIas Continue Activity.
Filipinos on Mindanao continued
their guerrilla activities during the
entire three years of Japanese &C.
cupation.
The japanese never dared VEN
ture into Moro country. Col. Bowler
said. except in force. .f.,&.
He also disclosed that the l2lst
and 123d Filipino infantry ,regi-
ments, of which he Was then a
major, fought the Japanese on Min
danao to a standstill for three
months in l941-1942. The Filipinos
finally surrendered, Col. Bowler
said, only to prevent slaughter of
Americans and Filipinos in Japa-
nese hands.
The oath Division, Brines report
ed. advanced another six miles in
land along the Mindanao River
from its Illana Bay beachhead
japanese forces continued to avoid
contact.
In Northern Luzon, 33d Division
troops continued their fight for the
RUNS of Baguio, Philippine sum-
mer capital, and captured three
more members of the Japanese
FiliDipo pl1pDet cahinet