CAMPAIGN IN CHINA

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 April 1943, Page 6

CAMPAIGN IN CHINA

JAPANESE TRAPPED. CHUNGKING, April 4. The Chinese High Command communique says that several thousand Japanese, who were allowed to advance into a deliberate trap, are now surrounded and are under ferocious attack west of Kingmen, 170 miles north-west of Hankow. The Japanese raided Chungking yesterday. They dropped bombs on the city and the airfield. U.S.A. BOMBING BASE.

CHUNGKING, April 4. ; The Japanese have intensified their bornbiang of Kishuit. The business area is reported to have been razed and 10,000 rendered homeless. The Associated Press says that this is an indication of the Japanese fear that Kishui might become a base for the bombing of Japan. The Americans have established a forward air base in the Kiangsi Province, which is only 900 miles from Osaka, the big Japanese naval base. Flying Fortresses and Liberators could easily make the round flight from Kiangsi to Osaka.

To-day’s Chinese communique reports that fighting has again flared up in the Ichang sector. The Chinese have re-taken Chuchiachuan village, killing 100 of the enemy. BOMBINGS IN BURMA.

LONDON, April 4. Blenheim bombers, escorted by fighters, attacked an oil town on the Irrawaddy River yesterday. Many hits were observed, and large fires were started. A joint India war communique states: “On Friday a formation of Royal Air Force Blenheims attacked the railway junction at Kanbalu, which is on the Myitkina line, north of Shwebo. Bombs were concentrated well on the target and some good fires, accompanied by black smoke, were started among storage buildings. Other Blenheims bombed a Japanese occupied village on the Mayu Peninsula. None of our aircraft is missing. On Friday morning enemy aircraft attacked Maungdaw, doing very slight damage and causing only a few casualties. Anti-air-craft guns opened fire and damaged three raiders. The Royal Air Force had made 200 attacks on enemy objectives in Burma during March, says a New Delhi message. In the same period a record number of offensive sorties were flown. The Roval Air Force carried out 88 attacks at Arakan and regular fighter patrols carried out 114 offensive sorties in one day. Enemy activity by comparison was on a small scale,

EX-TEACHERS’ LESSON.

LONDON, April 5

Six R.A.F. Hurricane pilots, including two ex-schoolmasters, taught sixteen Japanese fighters a lesson in the recent fighting on the Arakan front, reports the Air Ministry News Service. In just over twenty minutes they destroyed five enemy planes and probably damageci several others. Our losses were nil. One of the exschoolmasters, Warrant Officer W. H. F. Been, of Auckland, said that he got in a long burst against one plane from dead astern, and it over-turned and went straight down.

MORE JAPANESE LOSSES

RUGBY, April 5

An India communique reports successful R.A.F. attacks yesterday on Japanese positions and airfields in Burma. Offensive fighter patrols sank four out of eight sampans attacked off the Arakan coast. Several enemy aircraft were destroyed in combats during the course of the clay. One of ours is missing.

JAPANESE OFFENSIVE

(Recci. 11.30 a.m.) NEW DELHI, April 5. ’rhe Japanese are definitely on the move in Burma, said Colonel Sanders, Commander of the Tenth United States Air Force Fighter Group. He added: They realise they must move in to forestall us. This was probably the reason for the recent spurt in Japanese air activity on the border. We will maintain our pressure, monsoon or no monsoon.