Tribune: Japanese accounts of fifth Bougainville air battle: They sink three carriers, three cruisers and an unidentified warship, while losing only five planes. (We might as well give up.) The account of the battle on page 4 is full of contradictions.

Our ex-chauffeur is staying with us again, as he can't go south on the Bicol Express. Several bridges and a kilometer of track were washed away. He confirmed guerrillas pulled spikes and rails to cause the recent derailing. They set fire to the coaches after robbing passengers. His cousin, on the following train, saw the burning hulks.

The Japanese must have known by Saturday that the typhoon was coming. People noticed unusual truck movements and a late grocery-buying frenzy by Japanese civilians. Before the war we could count on prominently placed signals and extensive radio warnings. The Japanese gave us no warning.