British Abandon Position In Burma

Northern Advocate, 9 April 1943, Page 3

British Abandon Position In Burma

(Rec. 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 8. In view of the development of an attack against narrebv lines of communication behind them, and the impossibility of clearing the Mayu Peninsula to Foul Point before the monsoon, our troops, to put it bluntly, have abandoned the Donbraik positions, says “The Times” New Delhi correspondent. Our troops are now in an area from Indi, 15 miles noi'th of Donbaik, to a point east of Ruthidaung. Fighting is reported to be still going on. British and Indian troops continue to receive assistance fromt he air.

The correspondent adds that the withdrawal is bound to increase the general disappointment over the Arakan campaign, which has largely arisen from imperfect appreciation of its limitations and supply difficulties. The originally planned attack against Akyab had to be given up through unforeseen delays in arrival of the necessai'y equipment. Indeed it is remarkable the Japanese have not shown more initiative, because we put out our neck and were allowed to draw it back. The Japanese, despite losses, are characteristically opei-ating in the jungle with numbers of small detachments, but the much shorter Bi'itish lines, at the moment, seem capable of resisting fissaults. Burma Road Over-rated?

Although some aspects of the British campaign in Arakan are disap pointing, the Bx-itish Army has succeeded in accomplishing: (1) Containing the main Japanese forces in Burma; (2) presenting the Japanese froin consolidating their positions and using Ai'akan as a springboard for an attack against India; and (3) neutralising Akyab as an air base or supply base for Japanese attack on India, says the British United Press correspondent at New Delhi, who adds that its object of the armed forces in India is to defend the country until the Allies are ready to retake Burma. British Imperial Forces, despite recent setbacks, are still fighting well inside Burma. The Japanese may attempt to gain local successes before the monsoon breaks, but it is too late for a lai'ge-seale Japanese invasion of India, via Arakan. Burma Road Not Major Aid

While it is often vaguely assumed that the reconquest of Burma will radically improve China’s military supply situation and allow a great number of Chinese troops to become active the “Manchester Guardian’s” Chungking special correspondent now visiting India is of the opinion that this unfortunately is incorrect.

“it: seems that supply assistance to China cannot exceed a few tens of thousands of tons monthly, even after the reconquest of Burma until decisive weakening of the Japanese Navy permits the Allies to use the ports of Indo-China and south China.” The correspondent points out that a small number of British and Indian forces engaged in present minor operatons in Arakan need regular monthly supplies equivalent to several times the highest freight total ever carried over the Burma road to China. While authorities in New Delhi show the keenest interest In the earliest possible reconquest of Burma in view of the moral and strategic valutes of its oil and rice resources, they conceive that the tusk of the Indic-.n war effort is to develop India as quickly as possible into a great general supplies base for operations wherever they may occur and adds that the perfecting of Indian defences has been virtually completed. There is a growing threat from the quickly developing strength of the Allied base in India which evidently is making Japan more reluctant to dissipate forces for major drives inside China. Battle For Elephants

A small battle between British and Japanese patrols was fought near Assam on the Burma border on Tuesday the objective being possession of 211 elephants. Neither side gained the prize as the noise of firing stampeded the elephants which fled to the jungle. The Japanese, however, came off second best as a squadron of American bombers found them and shot them up. New Strategy in China

The Japanese have altered their strategy in China, garrisoning minor points with puppets and concentrating their own forces cn major positions. Explaining this to a Press conference a Chinese army spokesman said the Japanese had thus acquired greater mobility for operations which might develop. The spokesman said the enemy’s strength, on the whole, was unchanged in China —namely 30 divisions. The spokesman reported that fighting had occurred in the past week in Hupeh, Honan, Yunnan, Kwangtung, Anhwei, Chekiang, Shansi and Shantung Provinces, but ail of a minor character. The Japanese unsuccessfully attempted to outflank the Chinese across the Yangtse. south-west of Shansi. Enemy thrusts north and westward of Sinyang were turned back. Further clashes occurred in Yunnan, near the Burma frontier, in which a large number of enemy troops were killed. All thrusts were thrown back.