CHINESE FORCES

Grey River Argus, 19 May 1944, Page 5

CHINESE FORCES

ENTRY INTO BURMA Over Salween River (Rec. 9.0.) CHUNGKING, May 17. A Chinese communique says: Chinese troops driving from Yunnan across the border into Burma reached Hupan, 70 miles north-east of Lashio, southern terminus of the Burma Road. They are continuing an advance. At the other end of the Salween front Chinese troops crossed Mamien Pass, captured thirty-three miles north-east of Tenchung. Other Chinese units are closing a trap on fiercely resisting Japanese at Tatangtzu, four miles west of the Salween. The United States Air Force carried out numerous sorties in the course of which 10 Japanese armoured cars were destroyed and 500 Japanese killed.

Position Round Kohima

ENEMY'S BUNKER TACTICS.

LONDON. May 17.

An Allied communique says there was no major activity around Kohima yesterday. The enemv is still clinging to the south-east corner of Potsangbam village. Allied forces killed 300 there. South of Imphal Plain there has been nothing to report. In Kohima Allies firmly hold positions they won. An Allied force moving up the road to Kohima is meeting strong opposi-i tion at road blocks established by the Japanese about 20 miles north of Ims phal.

Japanese still maintain a road block on the Imphal-Kohima Road, Britisn forces are slowly pushing them east and north of Imphal Plain, and regaining positions round Kohima. On the south coast, British troops have been withdrawn into the high ground behind the villages, now flooded by the monsoon, which they captured at the outset of the campaign. The situation on the western sale of Burma thus shows no change. The Japanese system of bunker cle-r fence is the most important factor’ in the Manipur fighting, as it is also in Arakan.

An Army observer writes: “Two days after our troops captured Kohima Ridge, the enemy has not coun-ter-attacked, but is firing on the lost position with light machine-guns, sited in bunkers still holding out. As a result, our movements in that area are restricted. Although we hold nearly the whole of Jail Hill, the buildings on its crest are for the moment untenable because of fire from the bunkers. With a highly developed tunnel system it may take a few days to dislodge the Japanese. Tanks with infantry had been engaged in liquidating bunkers with some success. Enemy guns shelled the ridge from South kohima in the ground of tiie Deputy-Commissioner’s bungalow. The bunker defence system achieved a certain success in slowing down our advances. The system is peculiar to the Japanese and reflects his war philosophy. The Japanese lives in the bunker, fights in the bunker, and if his defence is broken, dies in the bunker. The bunkers vary from a one-man foxhole with a li’d to a section bunker which may accommodate six to 26 men, provided with all conveniences. Where possible the Japanese site the bunkers on the cloud line of a hilltop. Thev are always in a group, the number depend-ng on the size of the feature to be defended. Mutual protection is the principle of the defence, and the bunkers are placed to obtain all-round crisscrosses of fire. Our solution to the bunker problem is tank and artillery fire at point-blank range.

ALLIED ATTACK, MYTKYINA. (Rec. 12.40.) LONDON, May 18. An Alljp.d AsA,a Communique states: American and Chinese troops captured the main aerodrome at Mytkyina, and are now attacking the town, which is the largest in North Burma. U.S.A. SUPPORT FOR NORTH BURMA OPERATIONS. (Rdc. 1.16.) LONDON, May 18. General Stilwell in a communique at Chungking stated: Continual daylight pounding of the Mengta area by United States Warhawks materially aided Chinese ground forces to capture Tatangtzu. In additional to supporting ground forces, Mitchells and Warhawks bombed enemy supply lines behind thei Salween front. Two direct hits from Mitchells destroyed Lashio bridge. Warhawks smashed about fortv feet from the centre of Tingka bridge near Mangshin. A the ’planes returned.