BURMESE CAMPAIGN

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 December 1944, Page 6

BURMESE CAMPAIGN

bailey bridge erection.

COLOMBO, December 13.

'“Working under shellfire, engineers of the 33rd Division in Burma have thrown a Bailey bridge 1900 feet long across the Chindwin River at Kalewa, savs’ a correspondent of the Australian Associated Press). “The bridge is probably the longest built in any theatre of war and is the first over built across the Chindwin. Across it 14th Army troops, guns and vehicles are rolling in a drive which will not halt this side of Manadalay. Japanese aeroDianes yesterday bomoecl the area, but our fighters drove them off, shooting down one. “The bridge, which, is floating on nontoons, was open for traffic less than’ 48 hours after the approaches had been begun. It was carried by tail up the East Bengal railway, trucked by road for 300 miles across the Chin Hills, and assembled out of sight or the Japanese. The sections were then floated round the bend of the river and joined up. The river at this spot is 40 feet deep and the bridge ramps drop sharply, to the main Li a monsoon me river will be 60 rust higher up the Banks, and buffaloes, and even will come racing down the swollen stream. Then a more permanent bridge will be needed.” , “East Africa patrols on the Chmdwin front have entered Shwegyin under fire from enemy positions east oi the village of Votes,” says a Southeast Asia Command communique. “The Japanese also hold strong positions on a ridge to the north covering the approaches to Shwegyin. On fm’ Arakan front our troops have occupied a village 13 miles south oi Maungdaw.” KATHA ENTERED CHUNGKING, Dec. 13. The Allies in Burma entered Katha 155 miles north of Mandalay, without serious opposition. FURTHER PROGRESS. LONDON, December 14. A swift advance in Central Burma has" been made by units of the Chinese 22nd Division. The foremost Chinese- troops were last reported w bo at Konkwa, 50 miles south oi Bhamo and 120 air miles from Mancialay”. There have been local actions in other parts of Burma. “The Indaw-Katha line in norm Burma has now been completely, occupied and consolidated by the British 36th Division,” says a correspondent oi' the Australian Associated Press. “The occupying forces found Indaw almost destroyed by bombing. At Katha, 15 river vessels were found sunk Katha, the largest place taken from the Japanese since Mogaung, ci busy, prosperous town, the chiei industry being the export of teak. There are signs that the Japanese leh in a hurry." TARGETS~Tn SIAM. (Rec. noon) WASHINGTON, December 14. A. substantial force of Superfortresses from India struck at key military targets in Siam. Important Japanese military installations al Bangkok and also Rangoon were bombed. Returning crows reported good results at Bangkok desphe considerate cloud cover, and excellent results at Rangoon, where the weather . was clear over the marshalling yards m the Rangoon area, '"Tckio"radio said that eleven Super'ortrssses attacked Rangoon to-uay. and five of them were shot down. CHINESE CAPTURE. CHUNGKING, December 13. Chinese forces, advancing 12 miles into Kwangsi Province, have captured the railway town of Nantan and the nearby town of Mangchang. The Japanese are retreating towards Hochm after suffering heavy losses. SATISFACTORY . DEVELOPMENTS CHUNGKING, December 14. The Chinese ore reported to be- approaching Hochln closely pursuing Ihe Japanese invaders who have been chased from Kweichow Province. The High Command said that C'hcVc. 15 miles north-cast of Hockin, fell last night to Chinese advancing south-east along the KweichowKwangsi railway. While the Chinese success has removed the immediate Japanese threat to Kweiyane, the latent danger to the important Kunming base still exists, pccorcling to Mujor-Gcneral rlobert McClure.’General Wedemeyer’s Chief-of-Staff.' General McClure expressed the opinion that if the Chinese had sufficient forces they, could re-take Liuchow, although this undoubtedly would involve large-scale lighting. He added that American delivery, ol supplies by air Irom India was measing every month. The Americans v'erokhilting some personnel to new joints’in order to inefoase efficiency, hut there was no truth in a repori that tiie Americans planned to remove their headquarters from Chungking. Co-ordination and co-opera-t'.ckw/ih the Chinese was improving and things were moving faster. JAP. BLOQD-LUST CHUNGKING. Doc. 13. General Fang Hsieh Cheuh. Commander of China's loth Army, has accused the Japanese of slaughtering thousands of Chines.'.? prisoners after capturing Hengyang. Fang, who escaped after idefending Hengyang, said the Japanese ignored his appeals to abide by international law. The Chinese High Command announced that Chinese forces pursuing the retreating Japanese along the Kweichow-Kwangsi railway are now 15 miles from Hochln in Kwangsi province.