BOMBING IN BURMA

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21066, 10 April 1943, Page 4

BOMBING IN BURMA

ATTACKS BY, R.A.F. (British Official Wireless.) (10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, April 9. An India; Command communique reports that there is no change on the Arakan front in Burma. The Royal Air Force yesterday successfully bombed the air base at Shwebo and objectives in the 1 Mayu Peninsula. All ouij aircraft returned. Japanese bombers, escorted by fighters, yesterday 'attacked the aerodrome south of Qhittagong, causing slight damage but no casualties in view of the development of the attack against the narrow lines of communication behind them end the impossibility of clearing the Mayu Peninsula to Foul Point before the monsoon, our troops, to put it bluntly, abandoned the Donbailc positions, says The Times’ New Delhi correspondent. Our troops are now in an area from lndi. 15 miles north of Donbaik, to a point east of Rathidaung. Fighting is reported to be still going on. British and Indian troops continue to receive assistance from the air. The correspondent adds that the withdrawal is bound to increase the general disappointment over the Arakan campaign, which has largely arisen from an imperfect appreciation of its limitations and tho supply- difficulties. The originally planned attack against Akyab had to Ido _ given up through unforeseen delays, m the arrival of the necessary equipment, indeed, it was remarkable that the Japanese have not shown more initiative, because we put out our neck and were allowed to draw it back. The Japanese, despite losses, are characLcnistically operating in the jungle with numbers of small detachments, but the much shorter British lines at. the moment seem capable of resisting assaults. An agency message states that American heavy bombers attacked the Rangoon railway station on lucsclay and railroad yards and trucks were damaged. On -Wednesday, two othci tnwmTwere bombed and fires started.