BURMA PROGRESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25051, 15 November 1944, Page 6

BURMA PROGRESS

CLOSING ON BIIAMO CHINESE UNIT'S GAIN (Reed. 12.15 a.m.) COLOMBO, Nov. 14 Japainese resistance is stiffening as Chinese troops close in on Bhamo, key to the Spur Road leading to the Burma Road. The Japanese, according to the special correspondent of tho Associated Press, apparently have only a limited number of troops, and thus are forced to withdraw to a smallar area. Tho most significant gain was made by the Chinese unit moving south-west from the Momauk area. The unit reached a point only two miles from Spur Road. When this is cut Bhamo will be almost isolated.

General Sultan, commenting on the situation, said tho J'apaneso in Bhamo are in another tough spot. In tho Sclnvegu area Chinese troops consolidated their positions and now occupy territory eight miles south of the Irrawaddy on a 20-inile front. It is officially announced that Newlaik, an important Japanese base on the west bank of the Chindwin River, has been occupied by East African forces.

LOSS OF AIR BASE DESTRUCTION AT LIUGHOW . CHUNGKING, Nov. 13 Planes supporting the Chinese forces at Liuchow, Southern China, drew antiaircraft fire, indicating that the Japanese were occupying Liuchow, says a Chinese com in unique. General Wedemeyer announced that the United States air base at Liuchow had been destroyed and evacuated on November 7. Personnel and essential equipment wore flown out. The Associated Press correspondent, Clyde Farnsworth,' says that before abandoning their fourth base in*. Southeastern China in the face of the Japanese offensive, the United States Air Force demolition teams touched off the last bombs, burying the runways at Liuchow field, and then escaped to the west, leaving behind the debris of the base, which, since tho abandonment of Kweilin, stood as the main centre of American air power in South-eastern China.

"In those blackened embers was the last hope that deliveries of American supplies might save this foothold," he writes. "Thus South-eastern China for a long time to come, if not for ever, has been eliminated as a possible zone for an inland offensive against the Japanese armies."

SHANGHAI RAIDED AGAIN LONDON, Nov. 13 Super-Fortresses have bombed Shanghai for the second time in 24 hours, states an Allahabad correspondent quoted by British official wireless. The raid, which lasted four hours, was the longest on anv Japanese target. The Super-Fortresses also bombed Pingfu and Mangfu, east of Nanking. Chinese bombers on Sunday" attacked Lingpao airfield and caused heavy casualties. ,

PRISONER BROADCASTS GERMANS IN BRITAIN (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 14 German prisoners from. the various camps in Britain are brought to London under guard to broadcast twice a day to enemy-occupied territory their impressions of Britain and appeal to compatriots to overthrow the Hitler regime, says the Daily Express. Tho prisoners' programmes, in which they can say what they like subject to censorship, go on the air in the British Broadcasting Corporation's European service. Any prisoner can broadcast, providing he has something useful to say and writes his script himself. A censorship official stands ov the prisoner whilo he is broadcasting. Tjiere has never been any deviation from the script, but the engineers are ready to press the "stop" button if necessary. Austnans on Saturday and Sunday put over a programme commemorating their country's independence day. They made speeches and sang national songs. Of five typical broadcasts quoted ail were unfavourable to the Nazi regime.

BRITISH REPAYMENTS (Reed. 12.15 a.m.) WASHINGTON,,Nov. 14 Tho United Kingdom has repaid nearly 134,000,000 dollars of the 425,000,000-dollar loan of 1941 used for paying for war supplies purchased in the United States before the enactment of len&dease.