BURMA SKY TRAINS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25814, 9 April 1945, Page 6

BURMA SKY TRAINS

SUPPLIES DROPPED TO TROOPS

SUCCESSFUL OPERATION

RUGBY, Apl. 6. An extremely accurate supply drop mission by “ sky trains ” operating under Eastern Air Command’recently enabled units of the British Thirtysixth Division almost to annihilate a Japanese battalion in North Burma. The British troops were attempting to cross the Shewli River at Myitson, and to carry, out this operation successfully supply drops of food and ammunition had to be made in the middle of the attack. Eight cargo planes took off from an Assam base early in the morning and seven landed at a forward strip in the Myitson area. A reconnaissance plane selected a spot in a clearing on the south bank of the river as the dropping point, returned to the strip and briefed the pilots of the transports. The sky train arrived over the point at mid-morning while heavy fighting was going on below and dropped its cargoes from 200 feet. The unarmed transports drew ground fire and were hit repeatedly, but every container was dropped and, as a result, the British troops were able to cross the river and capture Myitson. On the Fifteenth Indian Corps front on the north bank of the Taungup, the Chaung hill features which dominated the town and airfield have been occupied by our troops who overcame stubborn opposition, states South-east Asia Headquarters. On the Fourteenth Army front five more villages have been cleared of the enemy. Strong resistance is being encountered in areas south-east of Kume; 17 miles south-east of Kyaukse. " Heavy bombers of Eastern Air Command severely damaged _ four bridges on the Pegu-Martban railway on Friday,” says a South-east Asia communique. “Fighter-bombers hit the Toungoo by-pass rail and a road bridge at Paletwa, east of Toungoo Other Allied aircraft bombed the railway yards at Toungoo, troop areas at Pyu, 35 miles further south, and supplies near Loilen, north-east of Taunggyi. Attacks were made in the Arakan on petrol dumps, river craft, troops, and road and rail transport. One Allied aircraft is missing.