Evening star., 1945-05-27
80 Jap Ships
Destroyedby
Yank Planes
Lone Liberotor Gets
20 Small Vessels
Off Southern Borneo
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
MANILA, May q Sunday
Southeast Pacific planes de-
stroyed 30 enemy ships-one
plane alone made a sensational
bag of 20 Wednesday and
Thursday in waters off the
Asiatic coast and the Dutch East
Indies.
The blow, reported in today's
communique of Gen. Macarthur,
was the heaviest delivered in the
theater in many weeks.
Most of the ships sunk were
small freighters. Several more were
damaged.
The spectacular individual per-
Torrance was turned in Wednes-
day by q 7th Fleet reconnaissance
Lioerator which discovered a con-
centration of Bandjermasin, South
ern Borneo.
Destroys Is Freighters.
The lone bomber sank seven
freighters and destroyed eight others
y setting them afire. Then it raised
IS total to 20 by blotting out five
more ships in nearby shipyards
he Japanese built the shipyards
or the construction of small wooden
argo vessels. The enemy has
laced reliance in such vessels due
. steady shipping losses.
The daylight attack drew only
light anti-aircraft fire and no air
challenge. The planes bag included
eight ships of 300 to 1000 tons and
seven OF $50 to 300 tons.
A Navy Privateer destroyed a
schooner and two small freighters
off the west coast of Borneo the
same day. Thursday, in the same
area, a Navy Liberator bagged two
more small freighters. A coastal
vessel was destroyed elsewhere in
the East Indies.
Sink Four Small Ships.
Continuing paralyzing pressure
against enemy shipping along the
Asiatic coast. two Navy Liberators
sank four small freighters off the
Malay Peninsula They also dam
aged an auxiliary and other freight
laden craft.
Some of the tiny craft hit also
we're sunk, including tug which,
a spokesman said, was carrying
troops.
American 25th Divisio<1 troops
cutflanked the Japanese-held Santa
-7e road junction on Northern Lu-
On in new move to break into
he Cagayan Valley, Gen. Mac
--rthur also reported today.
The commnique said the Yanks,
.rcling to the east at the southern
atrance to the valley, had secured
-trong positions north OF Santa Fe.
Aparri Airdrome at the north end
cf the valley, the last strongly held
Japanese area in the Philippines,
vas bombed. Extensive damage
vas caused by $50 tons of bombs.
Drive Japs to Hills.
On Mindanao, Americans and
cuerrillas continued to drive the
roken japanese forces into the
Hills.
Philippine based bombers dam
2ed ground installations in raids
on Formssa, French Indo-China
and the Canton area of the China
coast.
American planes also supported
Australian and Dutch troops mop
ping up japanese on Tarakan, oil
rich island off the Borneo coast.
Nearly 100 18th Air Force bomb
crs and fighters hit Borneo targets.
Approximately 100 Mitchells, Lib
orators and fighters of the 5th Air
'orce struck Aparri, the closest stag
ng point between the Philippines
md Formosa.
In the air strikes at the Asiatic
mainland, the Texaco petroleum
plant was bombed in the Shanghai
area.
In the Luzon fighting around
Canta Fe. the Japanese threw in
lilree or four tanks against the 25th.
The Yanks killed 159 Japanese,
Knocked out one tank and repulsed
the others.
Kill 81 japanese.
Thirty third Division patrols,
pushing above Baguio at the north
end of the Central Luzon plain,
killed 81 Japanese.
In the Ipo sector northeast of
Manila, 43d Division Yanks, mop
ping up an encircled force, counted
149 more Japanese dead.
On the Pacific coast of Luzon
Filipino guerrillas today held Infanta
end Misua towns. These troops,
absorbed into the Philippine army,
wept into the towns last Wednes-
anL ;a;,naL &ro1ne 0f f1on