DOOMED TO FAIL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 76, 30 March 1944, Page 5

DOOMED TO FAIL

JAP. MOVE INTO INDIA Defence Action To Stave Off Allied Burma Push N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 12.30 p.m. LONDON, Mar. 29. High officials have stated that the Japanese drive over Manipur frontier was a defence action which was doomed to failure, states Reuters correspondent at Shillong, Assam. The Allied forces' successful advance down the Hukawng Valley made some desperate Japanese "countermove essential. The Japanese were like a wounded tiger which at last had been forced into the open. The tiger might do some damage, but now is in a position to be dispatched. Allied troops in Manipur area were superior in numbers and quality to the Japanese. The Arakan front is relatively quiet except for bitter fighting to dislodge the Japanese from Mayu range tunnels which constitute two strong points facing the British line between Maungdaw and Buthidaung, says the Associated Press New Delhi correspondent. These tunnels, which were originally built when the railway hereabouts ran through the mountains, serve the Japanese as storehouses on which they have based two miniature fortresses in densely-wooded mountains. The tunnel on the western side, against which the British launched soma successful attacks, is about 200 ft long. The eastern tunnel is 70ft long. The British must dig the Japanese out of the tunnels before they can push on in this coastal area. Heavy Japanese The Japanese suffered heavy losses in a determined effort this week to disrupt Allied air supremacy over Burma, reports Reuters New Delhi correspondent. The enemy yesterday and on Monday lost 30 planes destroyed, six pro'oably destroyed and a number of others damaged. The losses included eleven bombers out of 18 which attempted to attack Chabua area, Upper Assam. This Japanese force retired without dropping their bombs. Only three of our planes are missing from these operations, in which the Allied Command flew 750 sorties. The South-east Asia communique states: "Our troops repulsed further Japanese attacks against our positions south of Buthidaung. Moppingup continues in this area. We employed tanks against one centre of resistance. Our forces indicted casualties on the enemy and captured equipment in further successful operations on the Tiddim-Imphal road. "The Japanese pressure continues in the Ukhrul area. Our troops have taken up new positions. The enemy suffered heavy casualties in his attacks."

JAPS LOSE 130 PLANES

ALLIES' MARCH TOLL Rec. noon. LONDON, Mar. 29. During March 130 Japanese planes were destroyed in combat or on the ground, says Reuters New Delhi correspondent. This is the largest total for any month since the evacuation of Burma. ®