Chinese Fighting With British

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 93, 21 April 1942, Page 5

Chinese Fighting With British

Reinforcements for The Irrawaddy Front

SUCCESSFUL BRITISH TANK ACTION LONDON, April 19. Chinese troops are now fighting beside the British forces on the Irrawaddy front, in Burma. The main Chinese forces fighting on the Sittang front, farther east, have made a further withdrawal, but they are still south of the lateral railway linking the Irrawaddy and Sittang fronts. It is officially announced in Chungking that the Chinese troops on tho Sitaang front have withdrawn from Elafi 50 miles northwards of Toungoo. A Chinese communique says that tho Chinese forces are engaging tho enemy in the vicinity of Ela, ten miles south of the important rail junction of Pyinmana, while the situation is unchanged on the Salween front, farther cast, where the Chinese have halted the Japanese drive to Loikaw. A British Burma cominuniquo states: “On the Irrawaddy front, our armourod forces successfully cleared a Japanese road block. Fierce fighting is continuing in the area of the Pinchaung. Burmese troops fought with particular gallantry. Chinese forces are now operating with our troops on the Irrawaddy front. Enemy air attacks were heavy over the area yesterday. Magwe was attacked by R.A.F. bombers.

“A report from the Chinese Expeditionary Force states that Chinese guerrillas raided Tongy, five miles south-west of the Swa River, on Wednesday, killing 200 Japanese. The hinese losses were four killed. There is nothing to report from the southern front.”

A successful action by British tanks on the Irrawaddy front -was reported in yesterday’s communique. Enemy units had set up a road block north of the Yenangyaung oilfields (the destruction of which was announced on the previous day), but the tanks cleared the blocks and held the road open, allowing the thorough completion of the destruction.