UTTER FAILURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25560, 13 June 1944, Page 6

UTTER FAILURE

JAPANESE KOHIMA DRIVE

MUCH-BATTERED FORCES

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, June 11. A review of the fighting on the Burma fronts established that by withdrawing south of Kohiina the Japanese admitted the utter failure of their objective, to cut the Bengal-Assam railways, says an Associated Press correspondent with the South-east Asia Command. Kohima was from the first the keypoint in the Assam offensive. Progress beyond this point would not onlv have given great impetus to the Japanese drive, but would have endangered the lines of communication of General Stihvell’s forces operating in North Burma. As it is, the much-battered Japanese Thirty-first Division was hurriedly withdrawn to a position approximately eight miles as the crow flies south of Kohima. Abandoning strongpoints, camps, and equipment, they made what hurried demolitions were possible during the withdrawal.

We have occupied the village of Chakhabama, six miles directly south-south-east of Kohima, until recently the headquarters of the Thirty-first Division. Our forces have actually advanced beyond these points on the west and east sides of the main road, but our flanks still enclose scattered elements, the elimination of which is being steadily continued. It is claimed that the casualties in this division number 3000. of which 2800 are dead.

In the meantime, we are pursuing similar tactics to. the north of Imphal, attacking on the flanks as well as directly along the road. No progress has been made in the Kanglatongbi region, but some advance has been made to the north on either side south of Imphal. The limit of our holding is marked by the shell-pocked GillaveNingthoukh’ong area, with bamboos and palms straddling a stream. We hold the north bank and the Japanese the south. The enemy rarely appears in the day-time, but snipes occasionally from the direction of rising ground to the west, where he is more strongly established.

During Friday two platoons of Japanese struck our forward positions at Ningthoukhong, supported by five medium tanks which crossed the stream and pierced our perimeter. British and Ghurka troops with tanks strongly countered and restored the position. Ningthoukhong is 20 miles south of Imphal. Later the same night the Japanese attacked from the west the village of Potsangban, two miles nearer Imphal. The attack was repulsed. In the Myitkyina area Chinese forces completed the encirclement of Ka--1 maing, at the head of the Mogaung Valley, and successfully resisted attempts to displace them. In the meantime Chindits are increasing their occupation of the hills around Mogaung. at the lower end of the valley, and the pressure on this town is now formidable. By the weekend Chinese and American elements had captured the north end of Myitkyina airfield, across the Irrawaddy. The Chindits maintained thsir flanking movement to the north against Waingmaw.