BURMA FRONT

Grey River Argus, 3 April 1944, Page 5

BURMA FRONT

HARD FIGHTING In the North-West . GENIAL wingatl killed in CRASH. LONDON, April 1. The town of Imphal, in Manipur State, which is one of the obJ®? of the drive into Assam from Burma, is still in British hand. - The Commander-In-Chief India £ii Claude Auchinleck) told the Legis lative Assembly in New Delhi thai Imphal had not been captured Dy the Japanese and was stion a y “I am convinced that the security of Assam has never been In dange‘ , and the security of India has n been threatened,” he said.. Nuisance raiders operating In uie last three days behind front at Arakan mav re P resent f - Qr , final Japanese bid to upset our on:®iisive plans, writes a Fourteenth Arinv observer. The Japanese raiding struck early on Saturday, at the a ministrative areas in the rear of tne troops on the east side of Mayu. Range. The tactics resembled those used on a large scale in February. To reach striking distance the Ja P" anese had to .enter a ring of strongholds where British troops are drawn up and counter-attacking. When tne raiders slipped through Into this ring, thev concentrated in hollow among the foothills known to tne British soldiers in Arakan as Wet Valley.” From this point, the “ a P" anese sent out sorties, some to harass traffic on th P dirt roads that cross the surrounding paddyfields, ana others to attack the administrative base. Thev met men of an Indian mfantrv regiment, and they were driven off and fell back to the secona ridge where yesterday they were shelled. Along the rest of the front commanders were giving orders witn the intention of putting under Brl " tish control, an important road in Arakan that can carry transport in the torrential monsoon rains. ' Tne pre-monsoon rain has already j-aii-en. Until May, when the monsoon proper breaks, rain will become progressively heavier, and the supply problem more acute. The possession of Maungdaw, the small port of the Haff estuary, is the solution of tins problem. Full control of the road running from Maungdaw through tne tunnels under Mayu Range to Butnidaung, will ease it still further. (Rec? 9.40.) LONDON, April 1. An' Allied South-east Asia communique says: Hard fighting continues among tunnels in the northwest Burma area. South of the western tunnels artillery successfully engaged a party of enemy forces. Allied pressure continues. East or Kalapanzin, Allied troops supported by tanks attacked two positions on the river north of Buthidaung. Enemy forces still remain in the locality' and they offer a stiff resistance. "On the Tiddim Road, activity has increased. Only at one point is contact reported with the enemy in any strength. Enemy forces in tne neighbourhood of Ukhrul .have made a further advance west. They suffered heavy casualties. In hill tracks east of Kohima. severe fighting continued throughout Thursday and Friday. “Forward elements of the Chinese 22nd. Division continue to push south in the Mogaung Valley. In the Fort Hertz area levies are pushing J'apanese troops south' along a road below the Daru River. Widespread Allied air operations have been carried out without loss. According to a Delhi message, General Stilwell reported American and Chinese troops operating in Northern Burma have so far killed five thousand Japanese.

JAPS FORCED BACK. FROM IMPHAL. (Rec. 9.50). „ LONDON, April 2. A Reuter correspondent In a despatch from the Imphal front, in India, says: The Japanese have lost 2,600 killed in the last three weeks. R.A.F. Hurricane bombers and Vengeance dive-bombers swooped on a Japanese force several hundred strong, which entered the Imphal plain on Friday evening Simultaneously, Allied artillery opened up. These Japanese found the plain too hot for them. They hurriedly withdrew to neighbouring hills under an hour after their presence was detected.

JAPANESE CLAIM'. LONDON, April 2. The Toklo official radio claims that the 5000 air-borne troops who landed near Katha last month are encircled by th P Japanese and that they now face annihilation. New Jap. Offensive IN NORTH CHINA. (Received 11.20). CHUNGKING, April 2. Military circles report that the Japanese have mustered at least seven crack divisions for a new North China offensiv P in the Honan Province, says the United Press. Two of Japan’s best lieutenant-generals have been appointed to conduct the campaign.