WEEK’S SIEGE ENDS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21385, 21 April 1944, Page 3

WEEK’S SIEGE ENDS

KOHIMA RELIEVED ALLIED FORCES LINK CHINESE SUCCESSES (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (10 a.m.) RUGBY, April 20. Good comes to-day botn from the Manipur hills in Assam where the Kohima garrison continues its stout defence against sustained Japanese attacks and from north Burma where the Chinese have scored notable successes. A communique issued by the Allied South-East Asia command says: “Our troops advancing from Dimapur made contact with those defending the. Kohima area.” According to a despatch from an army observer with the relief troops, a patrol has made contact with the .surrounding forces which advanced south from Dimapur, the railhead oi the Bengal-Assam railway, and is now, nowever, only 1000 yards from the garrison’s positions. The communique continues: “Northeast of the Imphal Plain, our troops nave made further progress. Two Japanese attacks on our positions neai the Bishenpore track on Tuesday nigni were repulsed after hand-to-hand fighting. “Our operations are continuing in north Burma. Chinese troops or the 22nd Division entered Warazup, a Japanese-key-point on the main roaa ir. the Mogaung Valley. Elements m this division encircled a Japanese division in the Mansum area, indicting heavy casualties; In ■ Arakan, a battalion of the First Punjab Regiment, supported by tanks, successfully attacked a Japanese position _on the Kalapanzin River on Tuesday. Cleared at Bayonet Point Kohima, the British base on the Indian side of the Burma border, has oeen relieved after being cut on by the Japanese for a week, says the Daily Telegraph’s correspondent with che Fourteenth Army. Enemy roadclocks were shelled and then cleareo with the bayonet by a British ana mdian column, which pushed southeastward from Dimapur. A Rajput patrol first made contact with the garrison, after which the men of a British regiment linked up with the Rajput and Punjabi troops. The Kohima garrison had been subjected to day and night shelling oetore it was relieved and had also oeen engaged in particularly heavy fighting in the western part of Komma. The Japanese were apparently preparing for the final assault. It is noted in London that so far the Japanese have apparently been kept out of the Imphal Plain. The British force operating from the railway at Dimapur got through to the defenders at Kohima, but the road from Kohima to Imphal is still clocked. In the fighting round the Imphal Plain at least 4000 Japanese dead were counted. It is not thought likely that the Japanese could maintain themselves in their present situation if it did not change in their ravour before the rains began. The Chinese forces’ advance in the north has reached Warazup, eight miles south of Shadazup, and 22 miles from the railway at Kamaing, which is another 22 miles from the main une at Mogaung. The Tokio radio claims that the Japanese have captured the important strong-point of Tamiuna, about 16 miles north-east of Kohima, thus seriously threatening the AssamBengal railway. The British are feverishly trying to bring' up reinforcements. The encirclement of Imphal is now complete. The whole of the Allied air forces in India have oeen mobilised to keep the encircled British and Indian detachments supplied with food and ammunition.