BURMA Mill WAS TACTICAL SURPRISE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 29, 3 February 1945, Page 6

BURMA Mill WAS TACTICAL SURPRISE

HEAVY TOIL OF JAPS

Suicidal Fight; Escape

Routes Closed

N.Z. Press Association—Copyright

Rec. 2.30 p.m

COLOMBO, Feb. 2

The Japanese are continuing to fight desperately in the Kangaw area of Burma, says the Associated Press correspondent. With their escape route closed, the Japanese appear determined to make a suicidal fight to the end. On Wednesday morning approximately 90 Japanese carrying explosives attached to poles made a suicidal attack against Allied tanks. It is reported that none escaped unwounded at least.

Fighting in the Central . Burma area is also very determined. Here again the Japanese haye been up to their suicide, operations. When Fourteenth Army troops captured Letkapin, .24 Japanese, with their arms and equipment, flung themselves into the Irrawaddy before the eyes of Indian troops who saw them drown. The village of Letkapin was destroyed by incendiary bombs before the Allied troops entered it. No road out exists for the Japanese guns and transport trapped by the Allied drive, nor is there any means beyond a mule or portercarried litters over the difficult mountain trails by which the Japanese can evacuate their wounded. British casualties have not been light, but for them there is a quick route back to hospital by air. Commandos' Daring The battle began on January 22 when, commando troops launched from Byebon took landing-craft up to Thedainghon Chaung and landed among mud and mangrove swamps near Kangaw. The landing was a complete tactical surprise. It is the most difficult yet executed in the series of seaborne laps which General Christison's forces are making down the Arakan coast. There were no firm beaches on which guns and tanks could be rushed ashore and the assault force had to wait for support. The Japanese were surprised, but recognised the threat to their escape line and evacuated swiftly. The commandos, holding on to a low hill 600 yards inland, were shelled and attacked throughout the night. More than a hundred were killed and wounded, but next day the Hyderabadis came through the beachhead to their aid. . For three days the Air Force pounded the enemy, softening up the network of defences which covered the road. After this deluge of bombs the infantry attack that finally cut .the road went in on January 28. The Hyderabadis took part of a hill near Kangaw and the Baluchis secured a precarious footing on another. They held on in the face of intense shelling. Three hundred Japanese shells of all calibres came down on our positions that day in the heaviest enemy artillery concentration of the Burma campaigns. At night the forward troops were again heavily counter-attacked, but held off the enemy and inflicted heavy losses. The balance-sheet of the battle for the road shows a debit to the Japanese of 2000 killed and wounded, 16 guns, 6000 gallons of petrol, 60 mule carts and vast quantities of equipment captured. On the rivers down which the enemy tried to slip to the open sea high-powered and heavily armoured motor craft were destroyed.