CLEARING KOHIMA

Evening Star, Issue 25171, 10 May 1944, Page 3

CLEARING KOHIMA

OPERATIONS RESUMED EBB AND FLCVV IN BURMA (Rec. noon) RUGBY, May 9. Following recent unsuccessful enemy counter-attacks, our operations to clear the enemy tiom tiie viciutiy of Kohunu coiitinuto. during -Vlay 8, states a boutneast Asia communique. In the period .May 4 to (i, 7oU Japanese dead were counted, and further heavy casualties have been mulcted since tnat date. In all the sectors around the Implial Plain we have obtained local successes. East of Kanglatangbi several important hill positions have been occupied. It has now been established that in the engagement when a patrol of the 14th Punjab Regiment surprised a Japanese artillery detachment near Bishenpore four enemy guns were captured and 35 Japanese killed. Two miles south of Bishenpore, following' heavy and accurate bombing by Allied aircraft, our infantry, supported bytanks, drove the enemy from the village. Both north-east and south of Palel advances were made in the hills and villages were captured. On the Palel road, despite a failure of the previous day, the Japanese made further unsuccessful attacks, and again suffered heavy losses, including the destruction of two medium tanks by tank busters of the R.A.F. In Arakan, south of Maungdaw, our artillery dispersed a Japanese party forming up for attack. In Fort Hertz Valley the Japanese are attacking north-west of Nsopzup, on the' Mali (River. East of the Mogaung Valley patrols are active south-west of Inkangahtawng. The Chinese troops in this area made a small advance. In davlight on May 8 long-range U.S.A.A.F. fighters struck the Atkanguang airfield, destroying three out of six enemy fighters in the air and destroying one twin-engined bomber and damaging two fighters on the ground. In support of our ground troops, a large force of R.A.F. medium and U.S.A.A.F. medium and heavy bombers, escorted by fighters, in daylight on May 8 made concentrated attacks on an enemy village in the Moirang area, 25 miles south-south-west of Imphal, causing fire and explosions. Other air operations were carried out against the Japanese. Two Allied aircraft are missing.