CHINESE REVERSES

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 May 1944, Page 5

CHINESE REVERSES

JAPS.’ RAPID ADVANCE LARGE AREA CONTROLLED CHUNGKING, May 12. An atmosphere of unconcealed) concern spread over 1 China as reports told of yet another Japanese thrust towards Honan. It is admit ted that the enemy has finally succeeded in gaining control of the lull length of the Peiping-Hankow railway, linking the Japanese northern and central forces. The Chinese claimed to have repulsed a Japanese attempt to make another crossing of the Yellow near Manghsien, about 25 miles north-east of Honan, but admitted that they were battling with Japanese troops which had crossed the river near Yuanchu, and that .a third enemy spearhead had pushed along the Lunghai railway near Yenshih, only 21 miles east of Honan. The present Japanese offensive is the largest since the successful pus.i to Hankow in 1938, and has already carved out roughly 60,000 square miles of territory, including much rice and wheat country. It opens the possibility of a drive on the strategic town of Tungkwan, west of Honan. Another communique reports that air forces supporting Chinese ground operations destroyed more than oU vehicles in the Honan area, blew, up an artillery position at Kwantilm, bombed seven enemy launches near Tungstan on the Yellow River, and killed many Japanese west ol Tengfeng. In the course of these operations, six Japanese intercepting aeroplanes were shot down and two were probably destroyed. All the Chinese aeroplanes returned. RETREAT LINE CUT. CHUNGKING, May 12. The Japanese cut the Lunlhai railway about 40 miles west of Loyang, thus barring the Chinese line ol retreat. This is admitted by the Chinese High Command. General Stilwell’s communique reports the American planes attacked supply lines, bridges and installations in" Burma, Western Yunnan, and French Indo-China causing considerable damage. FIGHTING IN BURMA. LONDON, May 12. The 14th Army continues 'to drive the Japanese from Kohima, in Assam, and a communique from Southeast Asia Headquarters says that the enemy has been forced from several hill positions on the outskirts ol the town. , . “For more than halt an hour a tiny Japanese-held Manipur village, just south of Bishenpur, on the Im-phal-Tiddem road, became an inferno of steel and flame,” writes a Burma correspondent. “The Strategic Air Force was giving the biggest bombing display yet seen on the Imphal front. Liberators, Mitchells, and their fighter escorts look part. Bombers went over in wave after wave, some straddling the target area from east to west, and others irorn north to south. Momentarily the village became lost to view, shrouded by a rising and expanding pall of smoke.” JAP. STRONGHOLD BOMBED. (Rec. 11.5.) LONDON, May 12. The largest force, of British and A.merican bombers which has yet operated over one target in Burma, dropped nearly two hundred tons of high explosives on the Japanese strongpoint at Ningthoukong, two miles south of Bisnenpur, in a twq-day attack just ended, says Reuter’s Kandy correspondent. The Japanese in this area had concentrated tanks embedded in pillboxes and bunkers manned by 1000 men. According to one pilot, the village received a knock-out punch. SPITFIRE SQUADRON. A well-known Spitfire squadron, fresh from the Italian battlefront, is now operating against the Japanese over Burma, says a report from New Delhi. It is the Nizam of Hyderabad’s squadron, and is composed of pilots from every part of the British Empire. A letter from the personal secretary of the Nizam, welcoming them to India, says: “His exalted Highness is deeply gratified to learn that the squadron is fighting fit. and that the morale and health of the squadron are exceptionally good. He has commanded me to convey to you his warmest, greetings and best wishes.” The squadron is commanded by a 22-year-old New Zealander, Squadron Leader M. I. B. Ingram, D.F.C., of Dunedin, who was awarded the D.F.C. in October, 1942, at Alamein, for leadership and devotion to duty. Joining the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a flight sergeant in 1941, he was commissioned before the year was out. For three months be was in the battle of Malta, later serving with his squadron in Sicily and Italy. Just before leaving for the forward area, his squadron shot, down an intruder aircraft over Calcutta. “Just to keep our hand in.” he explained.