BURMA ADVANCE CONTINUES

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24366, 19 September 1944, Page 3

BURMA ADVANCE CONTINUES

LINK WITH CHINESE ARMY mec 11.15 p.m.) KANDY. Sept. 18. Allied troops from north .,, have made direct contact with Chinese forces on the Burma frontier. It is stated that this is the first time for two years and a half that the Chin ese Army has been able to effect a link with the forces in Burma. The last natural defence line for the Japanese before Tiddim has been overcome by the forcing of the Manipur river, and the 14th Army now has only 20 miles to go down the road to reach Tiddim itself. The Japanese rearguard did not give battle for the crossing, although a strong defence system had been built. This, however, was manned only on the outer shell, and after these positions fell the sth Indian Division met only spasmodic long-range shelling. ' ' • “On the Tiddim road troops of the sth Indian Division have reached the south bank of the Manipur river,” says a South-east Asia Command communique. “In Arakan attacks on our positions south of Maungdaw were beaten off after hand to hand fighting.”