Japs Feverishly Preparing to Resist Attack

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 223, 20 September 1943, Page 5

Japs Feverishly Preparing to Resist Attack

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Sunday, 9.20 pjn. NEW YORK, Sept. 19. Preparations are being accelerated in Ceylon for the day of Lord Louis Mountbatten’s counter-attack, says the New York Times’ Colombo correspondent. Evidence is plentiful that the purely defensive phase of the war in this theatre is over. Considerable numbers of East African troops are now receiving special jungle training. Supplies from Britain and Australia are accumulating and the bases are being developed and aerodromes enlarged. New aerodromes are being hacked out of the jungle and new planes have arrived and more are coming. Ceylon will play an important part in the forthcoming offensive. It is the natural base from which to exercise air and naval control over the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. Trincomalee is one of the best anchorages in the Far East and Colombo has facilities to handle a large amount of sup plies and shipping. The Chinese military spokesman at Chungking said the Japanese fearing an imminent Allied offensive against Burma have rushed eight battalions of about 7000 men to the Arakan district in the Bay of Bengal and are also pouring supplies into the Salween front bordeiing the Yunnan province. He added that the Japanese were enlarging their air bases at Mandalay and Aitkyina for attacks against the air supply route between China and India.