Show 10 o MII O 7 j g CLARK rk 1 1 L 4 93 4 p I Si dc 4 24 V I III II M j Moni A Bay MANILA Lr J or 1 American columns race toward Manila with the First cavalry dismounted gaining 57 miles in 24 hours down the east flank of the central Luzon plain and the division crossing crossing cross cross- ing lug the Angat river ri to Malolos The First cavalry overran Santa Rosa and Ei Eighth army troops drove from bay toward a juncture with Sixth arm army forces MArthur Expects Manila Fall Soon MAC ARTHURS ARTHUR'S HEADQUARTERS Luzon Feb 3 UP UP- UP Gen Douglas MacArthur in a visit to his line front-line troops battling battling battling bat bat- toward Manila said Saturday he believed that American forc forces s would reach the Philippines capita Sunday a front dis dis- patch atch reported rt believe we will wilt make it to tomorrow to- to morrow MacArthur said So ISO Soar far ar out ott qt the 1 battle t lc has been bridges bread bullets The general made his observation tion ion as he again went all the way to o the front lines of American troops advancing toward Manila Other front dispatches said that forward Convard American elements clements were closing in on Manila The smoke of Japanese demolition fires al already already al- al read ready raged and dispatches said that our entry into the city cannot cannot cannot can can- not be long delayed Japanese mortars fell Cell near MacArthur MacArthur Mac- Mac MacArthur Arthur wh while le he looked over the lines Ines of the victorious Yankee troops bent on the liberation of the capital the dispatch said Two Yank Forces Race For Philippines Capital MACARTHURS MACARTHUR'S HEADQUARTERS Luzon F Fell Feb b 3 UP Two UPI Two powerful American armored columns columns columns col col- col- col 1 raced toward Manila from I the he north Saturday amid strong indications the Philippine capital would soon be liberated without a major fight One United States force was less than 18 air miles away hardened Battle First cavalry ca dismounted division troops drove a new arrow toward Manila Thurs Thurs- See Page Two To Column Five rive M Arthur Expects Manila Fall Soon oon Continued from P Fags ar Ct On One day by sweeping 57 miles In 24 hours down the cast flank of the central Luzon plain to within 21 U miles of Manila and beyond Gen Douglas MacArthur said I Saturday this sensational thrust completely severed Japanese forces In the north and south of ot Luzon Even to MacArthurs MacArthur's a prime objective were elements of the division which led the advance down central Luzon These Yanks Tanks crossed the Angat river to the environs of Malolos important communications center just 17 air miles to the north Third Yank Spear A third American spear was southwest southwest southwest south south- pointed at Manila from the west in province where I the borne air division landed virtually unopposed Wednesday and quickly captured an airfield within 40 miles of oC the capital Neither of the two columns speeding on Manila from rom the north met anything but scattered Ineffective Ineffective Ineffective resistance as they rolled along fine highways which converge converge converge con con- verge a few miles north of ot the city There was no indication the Japanese would put up a stand It is Ig definitely a race between forward elements of the First cavalry cavalry ca'- ca' alry and the division to see sec who enters Manila first wrote Associated Press Correspondent Richard Bergholz Arthur Feldman Blue network reporter broadcast from Luzon that strange as it seems everything everything every every- thing points to the fact that we should get to Manila in just the space of time It takes us to move the men and equipment on the road Blast Jap Ships For the first time since the Luzon invasion Jan 9 Japanese warships were spotted near the Island Three enemy destroyers were observed off the northwest coast on Wednesday and immediately immediately immediately immedi immedi- were engaged by United States medium bombers In a two-day two running battle one de destroyer destroyer de- de strayer was sunk and the other two severely damaged The First cavalry's lightning 57 mile sweep toward Manila greatest great great- est single advance of oC the Luzon campaign took in the towns o of Cabanatuan Santa Rosa and south to on the Angat Anga river only 12 miles mUes east of the division spearhead This gives us dominance of al all all major roads and railroads In the central plain MacArthur an an- With the loss of almain al all allmain all allmain main lines of communication the thc enemy's forces in the north and south of Luzon now ate aie are totally severed Further the division Inthe Inthe in inthe the northern sector established road blocks south of captured giving us lIS complete control of the last remaining highway highway highway high high- way in the northern central plain Light Lights Resistance Eighth army troops put ashore just north of bay last Manday Monday Monday Mon Man day advanced ad six miles toward a juncture with Sixth army units unit f forking westward from San Fernando Fernando Fernando Fer Fer- nando to seal off the Bataan Batann pe pe- pe- pe Only light resistance wa was encountered as the Eighth moved east of or the captured naval base already being convert convert- converted ed to American use The 11 th borne air-borne Yanks southwest southwest southwest south south- west of Manila ManUa gained nine miles mile from irom their beachhead to seize an airfield near Wawa in their drive toward foot 2000 ridge which commands highways leading leading leading lead lead- ing to the CavIte naval base and Manila In advance of these forces Liberator Liberator Liberator Lib Lib- bombers poured a devastatIng ing load of ot tons of explosives explosive on the Canto Cavite base destroying warehouses and causing extensive explosions and fires Heavy bombers flying with a fighter escort pounded southern Formosa air bases with 72 tonof tons ton of bombs the bombs the heaviest yet yet and am wiped out 30 enemy planes on th the ground Only a single Japanese interceptor was in the air |