BURMA CAMPAIGN

Grey River Argus, 19 March 1945, Page 5

BURMA CAMPAIGN

Allied Progress

CATHOLIC missionaries rescued (Rec 7.30) COLOMBO, March 17 ■flie Army last night rescued from ‘danger of Japanese shell fire 162 rtoman cathono Nuns and Priests and Burmese orphans from North uurma, who haa been congregated in Mandalay during the enemy occupation. 'lhe liberated party, who have been, living in a leper asylum, include ninety-nve Nuns and tnirty Priests, including two New Zealanders. 'lhe New Zealanders are Father Lawrence Hickey, aged fifty, of two Comerce Street, Frankton, Auckland; and Rev. Father Thomas Rilstone of Nelson. When the shellfire began striking this asylum, an “5.0.5.” was sent out, and American field service drivers in an ambulance and two Bren carriers and six trucks, went out and removed the party to a village north of Mandalay. WASHINGTON, March 17 The American Twentieth AitForce have announced that a medium force of their India-based Superfortresses bombed! storage areas in Rangoon on Saturday. An Allied communique from South East Asia stated: In Mandalay, our troops are clearing the area soutnwest of Fort Dufferin. Other troops, who advanced from their bridgehead southward on the Irrawaddy, penc; trated into the Ava fort, alter a stiff fight.. The main road due southward of Mandalay was also cut. In the Mektila area, the Japanese have reacted strongly from the north in a counter-offensive during darkness. They achieved some infiltration into our positions, but our armoured columns completey restored the situation. Our tanks inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. On the Fifteenth Indian Corps front, our troops made progres on the Tamanduan line. Our aircraft were very active, and strongly supported the assault on Fort Dufferin. A military observer in Burma said: Troops of the British Thirty-sixth Division, who captured Mongmit, Uiteen miles south-east of their bridgehead over the Sliwell River at Myitson are moving southwards. Indian infantry are advancing down the first metalled road. The Division contacted retreating Japanese, who were engaged with artillery. French Offensive IN INDO-CHINA. (Rec. 11.5.) HUNGKING, March 17. The Central News Agency reports: The French Government ffa.vg laid down plans for a counter-offensive in Indo-China. The French Embassy said that the total Japanese invasion force is estimated at sixty ■ thousand men, most of which came from Nanning, in China. Fart of thei Flench Annamese defenders have withdiavn to Yunnan, but fierce fighting is proceeding in Norfhern indo-Chma. IWO JIMA CAMPAIGN. (Received March 18, 8.30 p.m.). WASHINGTON, March IS. A communique from Admiral Nimitz’s headquarters stated: .Marines continued mopping up 1 operations on Saturday, on Iwo Jima Island. Some 150 Japanese were observed attempting to organise in the northern part of the island. They were dispersed by mortar lire. The enemy has attempted to make b'oobytrap.. installations in our rear areas. Our surface, units bombarded Matsuwa Island in the Kuriles, . north of J'ap'an, on Friday, causing an explosion and several tires. Shore-based batteries answered, but caused no damage to our ships. BOMBERS SAVED BY IWOJIMA GUAM, March 16 Thirty of the Superfortresses, returning from the Tokio, Nagoya, and Osaka, raids landed on Iwojima Island for fuel or emergency repairs. Without Iwojima the majority would not have reached lhe Marianas. BOUGAINVILLE CAMPAIGN. A.I.F. HOLDS' QUARTER OF IT. (Rec. 1.9). MELBOURNE, March IS. Australian forces are now in control of approximately a quarter of Bougainville Island. The remainder of the area still harbours about 15,000 1 Japanese fighting against a sealed fate. Announcing this, the Department of Air spokesman said a. feature of the campaign during recent weeks has been the increasingly effective cooperation between units of the Army, Australian Air Force, and New Zealand Air Force. Aircraft were systematically destroying enemy strongpoints, huts, and transport concentrations. Official estimates of Japanese casualties on Bougainville since the beginning of the Australian campaign placed the total at more than 2000, including 1200 counted dead. Native risings against the Japanese were said to be one of the most successful movements in any theatre of war, and were giving valuable nelp to Australian forces. KOREAN STAND. FOR INDEPENDENCE. (Ret:. 10.10.) CHUNGKING, Mar. 17. The Korean Foreign Minister, Tso Jowang, has announced that France has recognised the Korean Provision.-' al Government at Chungking. France is the first nation to do so. He appealed to other nations to follow suit. He said his regime would insist on having a representation at the San Francisco Conference. DUTCH VOLUNTEERS WASHINGTON. March 16 Governor Van Mook formerly of the East Indies, told the press that Holland could send half a' million men to the Pacific. About half are able bodied young men liberated in Holland who had already volunteered to fight wherever sent. CHINESE FORCES. (Rec. 11.5.) CHUNGKING. March 17. The Chinese Press has reported that Japanese communisations in Indo-China have seriously been threatened by recapture of Funan, 30 miles south-westward of Nanning. The Japanese attempted on March 9 to land troops on Pingtan Island, south-eastward of Foochow. They were repulsed. Three landing barges were captured, and one sunk. Chinese patriots on the night of March 7 blew up the Japanese Consulate in inchang, killing fourteen Japanese officers and destroying< a radio station.