GAINS IN BURMA

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24875, 22 April 1944, Page 7

GAINS IN BURMA

CHINESE SUCCESSES BRITISH REPEL ATTACKS (Reed. 6.10 p.m.) LONDON, April 21 "Allied operations are continuing in Northern Burma," says the Southeast Asia communique. "Chinese ( troops of the 22nd Division entered Warazup, Japanese key point on the t main road in the Mogaung Valley. ( Elements of this division crossed the , Wera River. Ngumchtamvng, east of ( the Mogaung River, has been occu- t pied by Chinese troops of the 88th j Division. Elements of this division , encircled the Japanese in the Man- j sum area, inflicting heavy casualtes. "In Arakan, along the Burma coast, a battalion of the First Punjab Regiment, supported by tanks, successfully attacked the Japanese position on the Kalapanzin River on Tuesday." The communique adds that British troops have repulsed two Japanese attacks on their positions near the Bishenpore Track, in the Imphal plain region. In the fighting around the Imphal Plain, at least- 4000 Japanese dead were counted. It is not thought likely in Tendon that the Japanese could maintain themselves in their present situation if it did not change in their favour before the rains began. The British official wireless says that, although the relieving force operating from the railway at Dimapur got through to the beleaguered garrison at Kohima, the road from thereto Imphal is still blocked. The Tokyo radio claims that the Japanese have captured the important strongpoint of Tamiuna, about 16 miles north-east of Kohima, seriously threatening the Assam-Bengal railway. The British are feverishly trying to bring up reinforcements. The encirclement of Imphal is now complete. The radio adds that the whole of the Allied air forces in India have been mobilised to keep the encircled British and Indian detachments supplied with food and ammunition. The United States Secretary of War, Mr. H. L. Stimson, commenting on the Far Eastern situation, said there was no occasion for mystery in connection with the India and Burma theatre. Allied forces there held ground and air superiority, and the Allied military position was sound. BIG-SCALE AIR SUPPLY NEW ALLIED COMMAND (Reed. 6.10 p.m.) LONDON, April 21 British and American fliers are making history in one of the most striking developments of the war in Burma—large-scale air supply, says a correspondent. These men belong to the iffroop Carrier Command, which was formed three and a-half months ago by an ecpial number of American and Royal Air Force squadrons. The R.A.F. squadrons, however, are nearly twice the strength of the Americans. The new command carried out its first big task in January, when it dropped several thousand tons of supplies to Lieutenant-General W. J. Slim's 14th Army. Next it flew supplies out at,night to the encircled Seventh Indian Division, and played a large part in the division's eventual relief. The Troop Carrier Command also transported the Chindits (Major-General Lenaigne's jungle forces) deep into Northern Burma. The crews fly as much as 16 hours a day, and their planes carry everything from guns to newspapers and spare parts to petrol, the correspondent says. Although he can give no figures relating to this enterprise, he adds, he can say that the total of supplies dropped in March was a record, and that April promises to be even better. The planes do invaluable work besides dropping supplies. On their return journey they pick up wounded troops and men who are ill, and fly them back to rear bases, where they can be cared for. BOMBING IN ITALY VENICE HARBOUR RAIDED TOTAL OF 2000 SORTIES (Reed. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 21 Railway communications in Northern Italy were the main targets for heavy bombers yesterday. The harbour of Venice and shipyards at the head of the Gulf of Venice were also attacked. More than 2000 sorties were flown for the loss of eight aircraft. Medium bombers attacked a viaduct and targets on the Rome-Florence line, while Leghorn was also attacked. Fighter-bombers acting in support of the ground forces hit supply dumps, road and rail traffic and bridges. They destroyed several enemy aircraft on one airfield. Ten enemy aircraft were shot down during the day. About 60 enemy aircraft were over the battle areas more than have been seen for some time. Off the Anzio beachhead a United States destroyer intercepted four enemy E-boats. One was probably sunk and another probably damaged. Littoria, a small town on the eastern edge of the Anzio beachhead, was a mass of flames yesterday after shelling, states the British United Press correspondent at Allied Headquarters in Italy. Ground patrols, under cover of guns, probed enemy positions. A raiding party west of Littoria attacked a block of houses, where they held the ground for two hours and then retired, without loss, bringing a number of prisoners. GERMAN RAIDERS SEVERAL PLACES BOMBED (Reed. 6.80 p.m.) LONDON, April 21 Two German aircraft were destroyed in raids over Britain last night. A small force crossed the coast of north-east and eastern England. They flew* over coastal districts and a few penetrated further inland. Bombs were dropped at several places. Some damage and a small number of casualties have been reported. PARATROOPS KILLED HALF LOST BY OWN FIRE WASHINGTON. April 20 Replying to a report that the Army lost 21 planes and nearly 400 men on August 14, 1943, a spokesman of the War Department said that American air forces lost ten transport planes and 44 officers and men in a paratroop operation during the Catania battle in Sicily on the night of July 13. It was estimated that 50 per cent of the loss was caused by friendly anti-aircraft tire.