BATTLE ON BILIN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 43, 20 February 1942, Page 6

BATTLE ON BILIN

DESPERATE ENCOUNTER

CHINESE BEAT THAIS

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.)

(Rec. 2 p.m.) RANGOON, Feb. 19

The Imperial defenders are battling desperately to hold the Japanese on the Bilin River as a second major front developed north-east on the Thailand border. The Japanese on the Bilin front are hammering towards Kyaikto, which is 25 miles from Pegu on the Rangoon-Mandalay railway. It is officially admitted that small enemy units crossed the Bilin River on the Imperial left flank, but counter-attacks were launched in an attempt to restore the situation. The battle of Bilin is being fought over dry paddy lands, forcing the Japanese for the first time to leave the jungle. ■ The front of the united nations now approximately extends from the Gulf of Martaban, 230 miles due north and possibly 250 miles beyond that northeastward. Heavy reinforcements are believed to be moving into position behind the Allied lines, indicating that a desperate stand will be made on the Sittang River. ' ' In Chungking it was announced officially that Chinese forces had defeated the Thais, who were retreating towards Chiengmai, an important base 80 miles within Thailand, which was heavily bombed by British arid Australian flyers on February 18. The Thais abandoned large quantities of material. JAPANESE CLAIMS. Tokio radio said that the Domei news agency reports that the Japanese, driving- nprth wards from Martaban, smashed the British' forces in the Thaton -sector and occupied Bilin, the strategic rail centre on the RangoonMartaban line. An official broadcast claims that Japanese .naval planes sank one destroyer of, the United nations and forced another aground with direct i bomb hits in the Java Sea north of Batavia. ' This is said to have occurred on Monday and Tuesday during extensive aerial operations south of Gaspar Strait. Two merchantmen were also bombed. Moreover, between February 9 and February 17 Japanese airmen downed 32 planes over Sumatra. The Japanese headquarters in North China claimed that 247,000 Chungking troops and .Communist irregulars were defeated in many separate engagements during January. The Japanese said the. Chinese dead left on battlefields totalled 11,596, while 4257 men were captured-in battles which extended over a wide area of North China and along the frontiers of Inner Mongolia.