LATEST WAR NEWS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXX, Issue 13628, 29 April 1942, Page 3

LATEST WAR NEWS

The following is a summary of the latest war news: R.A.P. OFFENSIVE The great R.A.F. offensive has given the Germans no respite lor 120 solid horn s and there is no sign qf it slackening. Great destruction was caused in Cologne. The German reprisal attack on the old cathedral town of Norwich caused many casualties and a good deal of damage. ’ MEDITERRANEAN One of the Axis ships reported sunk is believed to have carried ammunition. BURMA With the rain qnly two weeks away, the Japanese are making a desperate attempt to get astride the vital supply route ot the Burma Road. Their- main objective appears to be to cut the railway from Mandalay to Lashio. . After the attack on .Lashio, planes of the U.S. Volunteer Group went into’, action and shot down 11 Japanese lighters without loss to themselves. There is no change on the Irrawaddy front. Some important oil fields lie just behind the British line on this front. AUSTRALIA

Mr Curtin, in a broadcast to the workers of Britain, told them that the Australian people would work and fight till Axis brutality was destroyed. Australia, said Mr Curtin, was pi epared to meet invasion. lhe> had no illusions and recognised the fight as one lor the world itself. Dangerous days lay ahead but Australia was more deter - mined than ever. FRENCH GENERAL’S ESCAPE General Giraud, who recently escaped from a German prison, has passed safely through Switzerland. If this is confirmed it is one of the most spectacular escapes of the war. Thousands of Gestapo were searching lor Giraud and a reward of 100,000 marks was offered for his capture. . General Giraud, who is 01, escaped from prison in Germany during the last war and went to England. It is reported that he left Switzerland a week ago lor an unknown destination. MALTA \ big raid was still in progress when the last communique was despatched from Malta. One enemy bomber was destroy ed, also five fighters. Two other enemy planes were damaged. CANADA Mr MacKenzie King, Canadian Premier, has announced at Ottawa that he would not make any decision regarding Canadian relations with Vichy until he has conferred with the Canadian Ambassador to Vichy, who is now in London.