WAR IN EAST ASIA

Grey River Argus, 8 January 1944, Page 3

WAR IN EAST ASIA

CHINESE CAPTURES.

CHUNGKING, Jan. 5. A Chinese communique stated: Chinese forces captured all the villages surrounding Owchihkow, the Japanese-held river port north of Tungting Lake. The Chinese are now advancing towards Owchihkow. General Stilwell’s communique states that fighter escorted Liberators dropped 10 tons of bombs on the Japanese base of Fampang in Siam, where enemy installations were apparently destroyed. Fighter-bomb-ers attacked. .Japanese-occupied Pingka, in Western Hunan, and started extensive fires. The Chinese Minister of Information, Liang Han Chao, stated that the Chinese armies are ready to launch a general offensive in 1944. but action is contingent upon Allied operations in other theatres. He added that the augmentation of the Allies’ air strength in China would be particularly helpful to any extensive Chinese offensive. LONDON, Jan. 5. More military supplies are now reaching China by air from India over the Himalayas than formerly along the Burma Road. Reuter’s New Delhi correspondent says this was officially revealed when secrecy was removed regarding the 20months’ old India-China wing of Air Transport Command, which is a part of the U.S.A.A.F. The movement of munitions along China’s aerial lifeline has shown a phenomenal surge upwards during 1943. The tonnage transported in December, 1943, was 10 times that of December, 1942. American pilots are flying dav and night. Many with only the minimum preliminary training take up huge heavily-laden and completely . unarmed two or four-engined planes to 17,000 feet over the “hump.” as they call the route oyer the Himalayas, along the skyline boulevards to China. They flv unescorted within easy .distance of Japanese fighters—the most dangerous stretch of airline in the world.