CHECK IN BURMA

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 99, 26 March 1942, Page 5

CHECK IN BURMA

TOUNGOO MENACED LOSS OF AIRFIELD. (United Press Association —Copyright. 1 (9.45 a.m.) RUGBY, March 25. A Burma communique states that Chinese forces were yesterday heavily engaged round Toungoo.

The road from Toungoo to Pyinmana was cut at Kyunun, eight miles north of Toungoo, by Japanese patrols working round the flanks of the Toungoo defences. The situation will be cleared up to-day. A small British force remaining in the area was in action alongside our Chinese allies.

A landing ground on the coast was bombed yesterday by 26 enemy aircraft.

A communique relating to the Chinese forces operating in Burma, received in London states that the situation on the 'loungoo front is serious- to-day. About 1000 Japanese infantry outflanked the Chinese forces late yesterday afternoon and captured an aerodrome north of Toungoo. Chinese forces were dispatched early this morning to dislodge them and a heavy battle is reported to be in progress. Yesterday a combined Japanese cavalry and plain clothes force cut the Toungoo-Mandalay road at Yedashc, about 20 miles north of Toungoo. Chinese forces drove the cavalry out and mopped up the plain clothes men. The main force of the enemy, however, is still 20 miles south of Toungoo, and the Chinese continue to hold their outpost line—Oktwin to Tantabin, south-east of Toungoo—despite the fierce fighting, which is now in its third day. There were four air raids on the Chinese forces yesterday, with no report on the casualties.—Official Wireless. The Paris radio reported that a formation of Japanese naval forces was in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday night. ANDAMANS EVACUATED.

It is reported from London that the Japanese have occupied the Andaman Islands, in the Bay of Bengal, from which the British withdrew some days betore. Some of the civil population also left the island with the British authorities. The Andamans lie 120 miles southwest of Burma and consist of six main islands and about 200 small ones. They have an area of 2508 square miles. The chief harbour is at Port Blair, the capital. They were formerly used as a penal settlement.