BURMA ADVANCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 11, 13 January 1945, Page 5

BURMA ADVANCE

CAPTURE OF BUDALIN

Key Centre On Yeu-Mandalatf Railway N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 10 a.m. KANDY, Jan. 12. "Fourteenth Army troops have captured Budalin, 32 rail miles south-west of Yeu. after determined enemy resistance," states the Southeast Asia Command communique. "Our advance to the south from Shwebo has made further progress. East of Shwebo two villages on the Irrawaddy, held by the enemy, have been captured.

"On the Fifteenth Indian Corps front a Japanese force, under cover of darkness, landed from boats in the neighbourhood of Ponnagyun, approximately 14 miles north-east of Akyab. In a battle, which lasted more than an hour, our troops claim to have inflicted a substantial number of casualties. Enemy aircraft made a low-level attack on. Akyab Harbour, causing some casualties.

"In Northern Burma Chinese troops have now almost encircled. the Japanese positions eight miles south of Tonkwa and three miles north of the Shweli River. The enemy has made several attempts to get' out but all have been repulsed." Japanese Severely Thrashed The Associated Press correspondent says that Budalin is a key communications centre on the YeuMandalay railway, approximately 70 miles north-west of Mandalay, but 99 miles by rail. It is the front door to Monya, a big Japanese base, and the Chindwin River railhead for Mandalay. Budalin was captured after a savage battle, in which the Japanese were severely thrashed. It is reported that only 15 Japanese escaped alive. Further east, British troops, moving south from Shwebo, are meeting tough opposition. Other columns are held up at three different points. A Japanese force retreating from Kinu, about ten miles north-west of Shwebo, on the railway, was cut off with heavy casualties, while another column of Fourteenth Army troops, who are advancing down the west bank of the Irrawaddy, reports Japanese withdrawals on the east bank toward Mandalay.