BURMA CAMPAIGN

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 May 1945, Page 6

BURMA CAMPAIGN

MOPPING-UP progress

COLOMBO, May 16. “Scattered mopping-up operations ara taking olace all over southern Burma.” says the Australian Associated Press special correspondent in Burma. “Japanese pockets Left bemna as the 14th Army advanced are still resisting in some places and minor actions "are being fought as the British and Indian troops make contact with small Japanese parties trying to escape through the hills. One such i pariv seems to have established itself on an island in the Irrawaddy and is being engaged. .Resistance east of the Meiktila-Rangoon line continues to be weak.” A South-east Asia Command communique says that 14th Army troops advancing 'north-west of Rangoon along the Promo railway are now 20 miles from a force pushing south-east down the Irrawaddy Valley. Patrols have crossed to the east bank o£ the Sittang River in the Mokpalin. area, 33 miles north-east of Pegu. Mopping up elsevzhere continues satisfactorily. West' African division has occupied Gw a.

JAP. CASUALTIES

RUGBY. May .16

The latest figures ol' enemy casualties in Burma available to last Monday show that since February 1 last year, the total of 105,’328 Japacc:'.? have been killed. The total includes figures and returns for outlying areas not jn’cviousiy incorporated.