November 13, 1944;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1944:

U. S. Air Force Evacuates Big Base at Liuchow

RENO, NEVADA, MONDAY, NOVEMBER S3, 1944         14 PAGES      5 CENTS

New Bridgehead

Across Moselle

Expanded Today

Important German

Railway Caught

In Allied Pincers

WITH U. S. THIRD ARMY,

Nov. 13. UP) —

Americans took their first Metz fort today In a broadened northward push.

The Germans counterattacked strongly beyond Chateau-Salins as snow, slippery mud and fog bound Allied air support to the ground.

The captured stronghold is Fort Verny, 5 ½  miles south of Metz. It was taken by the 5lh infantry division which broadened its front to five miles.

LONDON, Nov. 13. (U.P.)—

Lt. Gen. George S. Patton expanded a new bridegehead across the Moselle river north of Metz today, threatening the Germans' only usable railway connecting the fortress city with the Saar and developing a pincers grip on the enemy-held part of Thionville.

The Gorman high command said American troops had proceeded in "penetrating into Thionvile."

TROOPS DRIVE AHEAD

Armored spearheads swinging around Metz from punched forward on the south a 20-mile front 17 miles south of the Saar

border.

Americans Tighten

Squeeze on Island

45,000 Japs Contest Advance

Of Yankee Troopers on Leyte Isle

GENERAL MacARTHUR'S HEADQUARTERS. Philippines, Nov.

13, up _

A 2300-foot peak overlooking the bloody Ormoc corridor battleground was in American hands today as the determined Yanks tightened their squeeze on probably 45,000 bitterly-resisting Japanese in the climactic fight for Leyte island.

While Ormoc itself was dealt an effective, 62-ton bombing, infantry units of the 25th division driving south toward that last enemy enforcement port gained three miles at one point to capture strategic Mt. Catabaran yesterday.

Along the main Carigara bay-Ormoc road, the main column of the 24th, aided by strong tank and air support, made "Good progress against heavy opposition," Gen. Douglas MacArthur reported today.

Gen Tomoyuki Yamashita's reinforced troops continued their attempts to break the American pressure, but a headquarters spokesman said the Yanks still held both the initiative and the preponderance of numbers.

DESTROYERS SUNK

No more enemy reinforcements were reported landed at Ormoc where the Japanese lost six destroyers, four transports, 13 planes and most of 8000 troops Saturday as American carrier planes wiped out a convoy. It was expected that Yamashita had upward of 45,000 troops in the Ormoc area, however.

American positions through the tortuous Carigara bay-Ormoc sector were so scattered the headquarters map looked like a Christmas

tree when pinpointed with colored pins.

U. S. Air Force

Evacuates Big

Base at Liuchow

Chinese Report

On Enemy Drive

Declared Grave

CHUNGKING, Nov. 13. (AP)—

The United States air base at Liuchow has been destroyed and evacuated, Maj. Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer's headquarters announced late today.

JAPS ADVANCE

The U. S. 14th air force struck on all fronts over the weekend, destroying a Japanese navy tender, 13 river steamers, 14 locomotives and three rail bridges in

French Indo-China, an American communique said. Three radar stations were disabled at Yochow.

The Japanese in Kwangsi province, however, appeared on a verge of meeting from north and east to provide a continuous land route from Canton to Manchuria.

The Japanese already were in Liuchow, last known American air base in southeast China, because Wedomeyer's communique said “P-41s drew fire from Liuchow when they attacked Japanese positions in support of Chinese ground forces." The communique added:

"The air base at Liuchow was destroyed and evacuated Nov. 7. Most of the evacuation was done by air. The air transport command made a total of 44 trips to the field, operating in extremely poor flying weather, to bring out personnel and essential equipment. Gen. (Claire L.) Chennault personally commended the air transport command for its superior performance.