ROAD OPENED TO KOHIMA

Southland Times, Issue 25347, 26 April 1944, Page 5

ROAD OPENED TO KOHIMA

Relief Of Garrison

Completed

(Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, April 24. The relief of Kohima is the main news from the Burma-Assam front in the south-east Asia communique, which states: “The road from Kohima to Dimapur, though still threatened in places, is at present open and the relief of the original garrison at Kohima, which withstood all attempts to capture the town, has been completed. Northeast of Imphal our troops are operating on the Ukhrul road some 30 miles from Imphal. There has been fierce fighting since Friday for hill positions on the Palel-Tamu road. In the Bishempur area a Japanese attack on Saturday evening was repulsed. Heavy fighting continues in the neighbourhood of Kinpi.” The communique adds that in north Burma Chinese troops, west of Mogaung, made a further advance. On the Arakan front there has been increased activity. The enemy suffered heavy casualties from an unsuccessful

attack on our positions north-west of Buthidaung. Widespread Allied air activity inflicted heavy damage on enemy communications and ammunition dumps. Ail the Allied planes returned. Liberators sank three tankers, twp freighters and one small naval vessel near Saigon, says . Lieutenant-General Stilwell’s communique. Other Liberators destroyed a railway bridge south of Vinh. Fighters carried out widespread strafing missions in western Yunnan, Burma and north Thailand damaging barracks, motor transport and fuel dumps. For every. Allied soldier of the special force killed in the fighting behind the Japanese lines in Burma, four Japanese died in the last fortnight of March. In three battles lasting nine days around the rail and road block established on the -lines of enemy communications by our forces, the proportion of enemy losses was as great as seven to one. Altogether the Japanese lost over 1330 men, including wounded and prisoners. TWO WAY OFFENSIVE The Allies have launched a two-way counter-offensive aimed to drive the Japanese from Assam, says The Daily Mail’s correspondent on the Assam front. Our troops attacked from Imphal plain and also from Dimapur. The Japanese are yielding ground at Kohima and Imphal, but are falling back to strong positions. RUMOURS REPUDIATED Rumours of disagreement in the Allied High Command in south-east Asia, which have appeared in the Press, are strongly repudiated in official quarters in London, where it is stated on good authority that there is no divergence between the Indian and southeast Asia Commands or between the British and American view on the conduct of the campaign. While serious criticism is not resented, repetition of baseless scandal is felt to be unfair to the troops fighting an arduous and difficult campaign, and is likely to serve no useful purpose except to the Japanese.