MILITARY FEAT

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 114, 16 May 1942, Page 5

MILITARY FEAT

COMMANDER PRAISED

LONDON, May 15,

In Burma, bombers of the R.A.F. continued their attacks yesterday on enemy transport on the Chindwin River. Barges were bombed and machine-gunned. Twelve were hit and left burning and several others were damaged. These Japanese forces on the Chindwin have been following in the rlear of General Alexander's troops, of whom news was given in New Delhi today by the military spokesman at General Wavell's headquarters. He said that the units had made no contact with the Japanese during the last 24 hours, but that General Alexander had forestalled a Japanese move to interpose forces between his troops in Burma and the Indian frontier by withdrawing his men from a precarious forward salient to a more secure area. PREVIOUSLY IN DANGER. A dangerous situation had developed after the Japanese thrust against Lashio, and in spite of this diversion of forces, heavy .pressure was maintained against us by reinforced Japanese units advancing from Southern Burma. In addition, the Japanese began a dangerous thrust up the Chindwin River. * The spokesman described General Alexander's withdrawal as a considerable military feat. It was additionally meritorious, he said, because it had to be carried out in country almost entirely without communications and across unbridged rivers: Heavy thunderstorms had added to the difficulties in the past • few days, but General Alexanders . men had time not only to move successfully, but to deal with the heavy equipment which they had been forced to abandon because of transport difficulties. JAPANESE SUCCESS. In north-east Burma the Japanese have captured Tengchung, 50 miles west of Paoshan, in the province of Yunnan. The Chungking communique tonight says that the town fell on Monday. It also discloses that Japanese troops from Bhamo are moving westwards and have crossed the Irrawaddy. United States bombers operating from India yesterday made another daylight attack on the aerodrome at Myitkyina, the northern terminus of the railway from Mandalay, which is in Japanese hands. Planes on the ground, the runway, and buildings were hit. The Chinese vanguard is now stated to be within 25 miles of Myitkyina and is reported to be meeting with no great resistance. The small British force left behind in Akyab, the Burmese port nearest the Indian frontier, to carry out the scorched earth policy has now arrived safely in India, having made the trip in merchant ships with a naval escort. Akyab is now occupied by the Japanese.