Detroit evening times., 1945-01-14

WASHINGTON. Jan. 13 CNS)
Once more Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur, master Of strategic sur
prise, put one over on the littery
Japs when. from q mighty armada,
thousands of his American troops
landed on Luzon in the same sec
tor of Lingayen Gulf where the
enemy landed three years pre-
viously. This may be the begin
ming of the decisive battle Of the
Far Eastern war.
Two days after this landing
according 10 latest reports from
Admiral NimltZ the carrier
force Of Admiral Halsey's mighty
Third Fleet intercepted and made
surprise attacks on four Jap con-
voys of the Indo-Cnins coast, ap-
proximately 1000 miles west OF
the Philippines.
In this first deep sweep in the
south China Sea--presumably TO
prevent the Japanese from send
ing reinforcements 10 LuZon--- our
planes sunk 25 enemy ships, in
cluding u fully loaded troop
transports, the light cruiser Ka-
lori and seven escorting destroy
erS, while 13 other vessels were
heavily damaged.
DOWN 50 PLANES
In addition. 30 enemy planes and
20 flying boats and Seaplanes were
destroyed.
Apparently no capital ships ac-
companied the conveys. This prob
ably was due 10 severe losses
sustained In the second battle of
the Philippines sea during which
AS revealed by Adm. Nlmitz
on Friday-the 45,000-ton battle
ship Musasni was stIrfK~on Oct. "a
and her sister ship, the Yamato,
damaged. These ships are COM
parable 10 our Iowa class.
Macarthur on Friday reported
that destroyers sunk or set on
fire as small freighters attempt
ing 10 land supplies 10 enemy
forces at San Fabian, 10 miles
north of the invasion area.
Though the Nips knew the Luzon
invasion was coming-having been
tipped off by more than a week OF
aerial pounding OF their supply
and reinforcement lines through
Forrnosa and the Ryukyu islands
they were not prepared for the
unexpected landing behind their
lines.
FEINTS FOOL JAPS
However, the landing ended
four-day war Of nerves." during
which Tokyo 'rsdiocasters, trying
frantically to guess where the in
vasion would be made. significantly
concluded that the American plans
seem quite complicated" - an
other way Of saying they were
confused by MacArthur's series OF
feints to the southwark.
MacArthur's b ! d amphibious
leap northward marked the begin
ming of the third round Of the epic
battle for the Philippines battle
which will determine whether the
enemy is to be cut off from his
stolen empire in the southwest
Pacific
In all probability II will be one
of tire biggest and hardest battles
in that theater. for unquestionably
the Japanese will exert their most
violent effort and risk much 10
maintain hold on the Philippines,
in the realization that whoever
controls that group OF islands
controls the South China Sea
through which run the enemy's
vital lines of communication to
Burma, Thailand, Indo-China,
Singapore and the Dutch Indies.
PHILIPPINES ARE KEY
Thus, should japan lose the
Philippines, not only would the
hold on her fabulously rich en-
pire- in the southwest Pacific
become Increasingly tenuous, but
her whole %greater east Asia CO.
prosperity sphere" would become
endangered end her dream Of
world domination shattered
Gen. Macarthur has predicted
thai the battle for the Philippines
49, as well As for Manila. us capital
and key point IN the defenseS Of
Lu1on-woUld ne fought on Lu.
zon great central PLAN 10 the
northward.
Copyrght, iaSs, international N,si Ssryiee