CAMPAIGN IN ARAKAN

Southland Times, Issue 25024, 9 April 1943, Page 5

CAMPAIGN IN ARAKAN

INDIA SPARED INVASION (Rec. 10.2 op.m.) LONDON, April 8. Although some aspects of the British campaign in Arakan are disappointing, the British Army succeeded in preventing the Japanese from consolidating their positions and using Arakan as a springboard for an attack against India. They also neutralized Akyab as an air base or supply base for the Japanese to attack India, says the British United Press correspondent at New Delhi, who adds that the object of the armed forces in India is to defend the country until the Allies are ready to retake Burma. The British Imperial forces, despite the recent setbacks, are still fighting well inside Burma. The Japanese may attempt to gain local successes before, the monsoon breaks, but it is too late for a largescale Japanese invasion of India via Arakan. The India communique states: “On the Arakan front the position of our troops south of Rathedaung remains

unchanged. Unable to make further progress in that area the enemy dug in at Taungmaw and then proceeded during the past several days to develop a move against our exposed northern flank on the Mayu Peninsula. Infiltrating across the Mayu River, south of Kwazoc, the enemy succeeded over the week-end in mounting a direct threat against our communications in the narrow strip between the hills and the sea north of Donbaik. To meet this outflanking movement the necessary readjustments have been made in our positions on the Mayu Peninsula. HEAVY JAPANESE LOSSES

“In the engagements here and with Japanese units operating in the hills area our troops have inflicted severe casualties on the enemy. The fighting continues. •

“Yesterday morning Royal Air Force Blenheims, escorted by fighters, bombed enemy-occupied villages at Thinganet, five miles west of Htizwe. Bursts were observed in the centre of the target area. In the afternoon our fighters machine-gunned the enemy positions and last night bombs were dropped on the Japanese aerodrome at Pakokku on the Irrawady, south-west of Mandalay. All our aircraft returned safely.”

A statement issued in New Delhi says: “The latest readjustments of the Allied positions in the Mayu area of Burma have been necessitated by difficulties of supply and communications. To maintain the Allied positions it was necessary that there should be a considerable number of Allied troops who could not be maintained during the rainy season.”