Thursday, October 25, 2012

October 25, 1944; LEYTE, PRELUDE TO NAVAL BATTLE

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, OCTOBER 25, 1944:



Charleston, West Virginia, Wednesday Morning. October 25. 1944.

SUPREME HEADQUARTERS, AEF'. France. Oct. 25.—i Wednesday)—(INS)—
A triple-pronged British offensive, rolling through at least seven towns in advances up to more than five miles. closed on the heart of 'S Hertogenbosch in south central Holland early today and hammered a 20-mile German defense line into a state of' disintegration.
The fall of 'S Hertogenbosch. six-ply communications escape hatch for some 65,000 to 70.000 Nazi troops in the southwest Netherlands, was expected "momentarily." it was announced at supreme Allied headquarters by a spokesman this morning.
One of three British 2d army columns converging on the .big Dutch junction crashed through the suburbs of Bruggen and Rosmalen and into the northeast outskirts of 'S Hertogenbosch where it stormed Fort Orten on the edge of a water reservoir only 1.000 yards from the city's business center.

Action by American
Forces Is Screened
By Radio 'Blackout'
Major Sea, Air Battle Looms as U. S. Philippine
Attack Draws Enemy to Decisive Naval Action,
Japs Sighted in Sula, Sibuyan Seas

PEARL HARBOR. Oct. 24.—(INS)
—In a possible prelude to a major naval and air battle affecting the fate of the American-invaded Philippines. Japanese imperial fleet formations,
including battleships and cruisers, were revealed today to have been sighted and attacked by U. S. carrier planes in Philippine waters..
Units of the Japanese battlefleet, which the American navy has been trying for many months to lure into decisive combat, were sighted, yesterday and evidently subjected immediately to opening assaults by planes of Adm. William F. Halsey's 3d U. S. fleet under command of Vice Adm. Marc A. Mitscher.
Nlmitz Announces Action
 Announcement of this possibly momentous turn in the battle of the Philippines and of the Pacific the Philippines and
of the Pacific was made in a communique by Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, commander in chief of the U.' S. Pacific fleet.

Yanks Capture
8 More Towns
In Philippines
Invasion of Samar Island
By Americans Reported;
Third 'Drome Taken
GEN. M'ARTHl'R'S HEADQUARTERS,
Philippines, Oct. 24. — (INS)—
Having c h a s e d the enemy out of eight more towns on the island of Leyte, bringing the total to 11, United States-------


the southwest Pacific.
Gen. Douglas A. MacArthur's latest communique revealed that the slugging doughboys 'and cavalry men liberated the eight towns as they pushed north and advanced three miles beyond captured Tacloban in pursuit of the fleeing enemy.
 Report New Invasion
Meanwhile, a British radio report heard by CBS in New York said that MacArthtur's troops have staged a new invasion on the island of Samar. across a narrow strait north of Tacloban. Samar island larger than Leyte and a strategic link with the island of Luzon, on  which Manila is located, and is bllieved to possess a number of, good air strips.
Heaviest fighting thus far was centered around the Tacloban-Palo sector where the advancing Americans were meeting with dogged resistance by units of Japs dug in steep hills flanking the main road.
Northwards of Palo, the Japs attempted a counter-attack which was hurled back after a bitter battle.
Rear Guard Battles
On the outskirts of San Pablo, seven miles west of the corral town of Dulag. captured last Saturday, advanced elements of the 24th army corps have been engaging the Japs in rearguard fights and night raiding, while northwest; of Dulag' in the Cagman hill area, the Japs were attempting to harass the Americans from their dug-in positions high above them. However the doughboys, were by-passiing the natural fortresses and enveloping them.


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