JAPANESE DRIVE TO MANDALAY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 29 April 1942, Page 5

JAPANESE DRIVE TO MANDALAY

SERIOUS THREAT TO ALLIED FORCES Rec. 11.10 a.m.) Rugby, .April 28. The Allied position in Burma as outlined in the latest communijue has clearly deteriorated. The Japanese drive up the road which uns northwards from Loilem into Mandalay is a serious threat to he Chinese and British forces. It is not known in what strength ‘he Japanese are advancing in this area nor how strong are the forces which the Chinese can bring to bear against them. It has probably taken the Japanese some time to organise their rear since their capture of Rangoon, which was heavily scorched by the withdrawing British troops; but it now seems as though the necessary reorganisation has been completed, mechanised equipment, sufficient supplies and reinforcements brought up, and that the Japanese now find themselves in a position to attack in strength. The sudden fast break through up the road from Loilem may in fact Be the First manifestation of this. However, though it is known that this Japanese force has reached a position half-way up the road from Loilem to the Mandalay-Lashio road and though the possibility of cutting this vital line of communication cannot be excluded, the Japanese probably have some sixty miles to go before reaching their goal. Nevertheless, the position for the Chinese and Allied forces at and west of Taung-gyi, which it is believed is still in our hands, is indisputably serious. A Chinese High Command communique stated: “A Japanese column entered Loilem last Friday and pushed on 75 miles eastward.” Another Chungking communique said that Taung-gyi remained in Chinese hands, but fighting was raging in the hills immediately east and north of it and along the whole Salween front.

The communique shows that the situation has been changing rapidly. | The Chinese have widened their j counter-attacks in the rear of the Jap- | anese forces each of Taung-gyi. and a 1 communique from General Stilwell’s headquarters announces that the i Chinese expeditionary force has cap- ' tured Hopong, 10 miles east of Taung- i gyi, and cut the communications of the Japanese mechanised forces driving north towaxd the Burma Road. BRITISH FRONT WIDENS In the western sector the British forces which have been fighting in the area of the Yenang-yaung oilfields of the Irrawaddy Valley are now fighting ; on a line to the north-east, nearer the ; Sittang. They are now occupying a ! position which extends over 45 miles | and the left fiank of which terminates j at Meiktila, 80 miles south-west of! Mandalay. The line runs along a road j which skirts the southern edge of a range of hills. No enemy progress in the Yenangyaung area is indicated. On the Sittang front, and on a dir-1 ect line from Rangoon to Mandalay, j British forces are engaged alongside | the Chinese.—B.O.W. and P.A. PUBLICATION BANNED (Rec. 12.20 p.m.) N e w Delhi, ApriL 28. j The Goven.ment banned the publi-1 cation of the Congress Working Com-j mittee's resolution referring to events in Rangoon and the probability of simi- j lar events in India. A special issue of! the '‘Gazette" warns the printers, pub- j lishers and editors against publication. - p - A - TOJO WARNS JAPANESE WAR STILL HAS TO BE FOI'GIIT London, April 27. According to Tokio official radio, the* Prime Minister, General Tojo, in a speech said that despite successive j Japanese victories the war still has to be fought Recent developments show-! ed that the United States and Britain j had been forced to reckless actions be- i cause of the successive defeats in the j Pacific. The coming stage would be the real j tost for Japanese nationals, demanding jc the utmost unity The Japanese people j t must always bear m mind the fact that U they were still in the midst of a great!, war. Even those behind the lines must I j be of the same mind as the troops at j c the front and be fully prepared to cope U with any attack on Japan itself with s unalterable determination.—P.A.