BATTLE FOR BURMA

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 138, 8 March 1945, Page 8

BATTLE FOR BURMA

50,000 Japanese Facing

Encircling Troops

(Received March 7. 7.20 p.m.) COLOMBO, March 6.

Troops of the 19th Division driving rapidly toward Mandalay tonight reached the outskirts of Madaya. a township only 13 miles north of the city, says the Australian Associated Press correspondent. Madaya is conected with Maudalay by road aud rail. The bulk of the Japanese troops in Burma have been contracted into the area enclosed by the Irrawaddy bend, Mandalay. and Meiktila, a senior officer of the South-east Asia Command told the correspondent. Fifty thousand Japanese are now facing our encircling troops. The officer indicated that this was the Battle for Burma. “There is lots of chat heard about the Japanese getting out. of Burma,” said the officer. “He never looked less like it.” He added that the fight’ for Mandalay was going to be a tough one. The Japanese garrison at Mandalay is tightening up and strengthening as other forces from the north and west fall back on it before the.l4th Army’s onslaught. They are continuing to fight stubbornly against the British Second and the 20th Indian Divisions to the west of the town and seem determined to keep on fighting, notwithstanding the fact, that the 14th Army’s deep incision of their lines of communications 80 miles tr> the south threatens to cut them off completely from the Japanese in southern Burma and their southern supply routes.