Pacific News-Review

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From Oct. 19 To Nov. 14

Oct. 19: The series of great air-blows at Japan’s inner defences, which began with the carrier attack on the Ryukyu Islands and was then directed against Formosa and Luzon (Philippines) is now in its tenth day.

Oct. 20: Huge American forces under the personal command of General Doug las MacArthur, have landed on Leyte Island, in the centre of the Philippine Group.

Oct. 22: Tacloban, capital of Leyte, in the Philippines, has been taken by Allied troops. The Americans now control the narrow strait between Leyte and Samar Islands; this leads to the inland sea of the archipelago.

Oct. 22: In Germany, the remnants of the Aachen garrison surrendered to the American First Army to-day.

Oct. 23: The Japanese forces on Leyte Island (central Philippines) are with drawing westward into the hills. The Allied forces are building a large supply base.

Oct. 24: East Prussian defences have been broken on a 90-mile front by the Red Army. Berlin has admitted that the Russians are 35 miles inside the German border. Further south, Red forces are converging on Budapest.

Oct. 26: A great naval battle has been raging in Philippine-Formosa waters dur ing the past week. Big Japanese naval losses have been announced: a battleship, one and one heavy carrier, two light cruisers and several destroyers were sunk and other warships damaged before the enemy fleet withdrew northwards.

It has been announced also that HMAS “Australia” was hit during the Philippine invasion; 19 of her personnel were killed and 54 wounded.

Oct. 26: The Allied offensive in south west Holland is making steady progress; the British forces round Nijmegen have also made substantial gains.

Oct. 27: Russian forces have captured Kirkenes, in Norway. The German High Command, in alarm, has ordered the evacuation of all northern Norway.

Oct. 30: The grand total of Jap losses in the naval engagement off the Philip pines, last week, amounts to 58 warships sunk or damaged.

Oct. 31: The battle for SW Holland is in its final stages; British and Canadian troops are within sight of the River Maas, and Allied armoured columns and planes are .giving the retreating Germans no respite.

Nov. 2; British forces are across the river Maas, in Holland, at two points: the Germans are retreating towards Rotter dam.

Nov. 5: The Russians have opened a massive assault on Budapest; this is hailed by commentators as “kicking open the back-door to Germany.” If the Rus sians can break through hefe it means the virtual end of the Reich.

Nov. 5: After a series of counter-attacks in the American sector near Aachen, the Germans have re-won the small town of Schmidt.

Nov. 6: On Leyte (Philippines) the American troops are preparing for the final offensive in the Ormoc Valley, south east of the island.

Nov. 7: The battle in Holland nears its end. British troops have captured the ferry town of Willemstad, while American forces have entered Moerdijk, the last remaining pocket of resistance on the River Maas. British and Canadian troops entering Middelburg on the almost inun dated island of Walcheren found the Ger man troops in wild confusion.

Nov. 8: President Roosevelt has been

elected for a fourth term as President of the United States. This means not only that the war will be waged until the Axis forces surrender unconditionally to the United Nations’ forces, but that America will take her rightful place in shaping the post-war world.

Nov. 9: At dawn yesterday, the US Third Army, under General Patton, launched a large-scale offensive against the German lines covering the Saar. The attack is reported to be going well.

Nov. 10: Mr. Churchill announced in the House of Commons to-day that the enemy had been using long-range rockets (V 2) against Britain for some *weeks. He sajd the German accounts of this newest “secret weapon” had been highly coloured, that damage had not been serious, and that the Britishers had taken the “flying

gaspipe” calmly.

Nov. 12: Under cover of gales and bad weather, the Japanese on Leyte Island have been reinforced by 35,000 troops from nearby islands and are putting up a

determined resistance against the Ameri cans it is evident that they intend to fight as hard for Ley te as they did for Guadalcanal, in the Solomons, in 1942-43.

Nov. 13: The German’s last battleship,

RAF llT'she

2 Eght’hunSed oThercrew

Fiord, Norway. Lignt nuncrea oi ner crew were lost * . „ Nov. 14: American troops in their Saar drive have advanced within 3 h miles of the town of Metz. So far they have not drawn fire from the enemy garrison in the town. Several smaller forts which ring the city are silent; but it is believed that the forthcoming seige may be the toughest of the war.

Nov. 14: Allied offensive drives on Leyte have dislocated the enemy’s preparations for a counter-attack, but the US columns converging on Ormoc are fighting against

increasing opposition.