NOW AN ACTIVE FRONT

Evening Star, Issue 25068, 8 January 1944, Page 5

NOW AN ACTIVE FRONT

PROGRESS IN BURMA OIL INSTALLATIONS HEAVILY HIT (Rec. noon.) RUGBY, Jan. 7. In widespread raids on Tuesday and Wednesday large formations of the Eastern Air Command dropped over 130 tons of bombs on the extensive oil installations at Yenangyaung (Burma). All the objectives were hit heavily, says a Delhi communique, fires and explosions resulting. United States heavy bombers on Tuesday attacked Akyab, and that night (R.A.F. heavy bombers raided the airfield at Heho and railway yards at Prome. On Wednesday night medium bombers attacked the rafliway yards at Nyingyan. Since New Year R.A.F. dive-bombers have made daily attacks on enemy forward positions in the Mayu Peninsula. On the western slopes of the Mayu Range, our troops held recently-won positions against Japanese attacks, and made a further slight advance. In Northern Burma American fighters and fighter-bombers attacked the airfield at Myitkyina. In the first four days of the year fighters and fighterbombers made extensive attacks through the Hukawng Valley, where American-trained Chinese troops in the Yupband Gap area' have driven the Japanese from the west bank of the Chmdwin River and have crossed to the east bank and taken ud new positions. Elsewhere in this region, United States fighter-bombers destroyed or damaged over 40 railway cars and riddled four locomotives.

Both American and R.A.F. fighters successfully shot up over 80 river craft, and damaged over 40. divehombers and fighter-bombers maintained their attacks on positions in the Kalemyo and Upper Chindwin areas. From the Sumpreahum areas a successful ambush by our levies of a Japanese supply column is reported. Many casualties were inflicted and the column was forced to turn back. No Allied aircraft are missing.