BURMA ACTIVITY

Evening Star, Issue 25396, 30 January 1945, Page 5

BURMA ACTIVITY

JAPANESE DEFENCE FEATURES ATTACKED SUCCESSFUL R.A.F. BLOWS (Rec. 11 a.m.) RUG-BY, January 29.. For the third day in succession aircraft of Eastern Air Command yesterday heavily attacked Japanese strongpoints in the Kangaw area, 35 miles east of Akyab, where commandos landed a week ago to cut the enemy escape route south from the Kaladan sector. Two features, heavily fortified w,ith gun batteries and strongly defended bunker positions which dominated the coastal road at Kangaw, have heen the chief objectives. As. a result of four days' concentrated air effort, one feature is now in our hands. Exceptionally strong opposition is being experienced by our troops. Yesterday air action was timed to coincide with an attack launched by our troops. Formations of the R.A.F. and Liberators of the Strategic Air Force were the first to go in. They dropped 245 tons of bombs on the two features. Pilots reported it as the best pattern bombinc they had seen. Fifty-five tons of bombs were dropped by R.A.F. Thunderbolts and R.A.F. Hurri-bomb-ors. Two hours after the Liberator attack a special message from a forward R.A.F. group came over the telephone »ay,iug: " The bombing has been first class, and the whole show went like clockwork. We are delighted." Liberators have been called on. at Khort notice to blast Japanese positions less than half a mile from the most advanced Allied troops. The enemy was on rising ground guarding a road to the south, and in 10 minutes bombs

were dropped on the hillside where the Japanese were crouching in a shelter from attack. As the ground forces launched their attack_ the Hurricanes swept in to cover their advance with a smoke screen, while R.A.F. Thunderholts made dummy attacks on bunker positions to make the Japanese keep their heads down. A squadron leader who led his squadron in this attack said: "Our bombs went right along the road in one of Hie hest attacks we have made. The place was covered with dust and smoke. While we were diving down and strafing other squadrons appeared, and the place appeared to be one mass of air : craft. If anybody tried to move on that road he was unlucky." Other squadrons of Thunderbolts and Hurri-bombers. continued bombing and strafing attacks in the morning, and then a standing counter battery patrol was maintained during the rest of the day These counter battery patrols are designed to prevent enemy guns from opening up on our ground troops, and if they do aircraft are directed by ground radio to strafe and silence them. Yesterday's anti-battery patrols were continued throughout the night by Beaufighters.