MAJOR DEFEAT

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23261, 24 July 1945, Page 5

MAJOR DEFEAT

Enemy Break Across Sittang River Heavy Casualties ‘8.30 p.m.) LONDON. July 22. Between Pegu and ioungoo 900 | Japanese were killed on rfaiurdiiy, I writes a Rangoon eorrespon;’°nt. i inis estimate docs not include i thcs e killed by artillery fire or those i bombed and strafed as the desper- 1 ate enemy tried until 3 a.m. to break through to the east with a ; view to crossing the Sittang River. I ‘ln battles yesterday the Japanese sufleivd a inajoi «jeleui." staff ofik’.i : Faid. ‘ Their casualties by air and j artillery might be double the figure of ! 500. It is not an optimistic estimate | that half the Japanese who come into! the open in a bid for life are killed ov ' our fire or drowned in the Siltang j River. For the enemy it is one of the most, costly actions of the Japanese war in Burma. Guards Prevent Surrender Japanese guards ate posted to prevent their town troops surrendering to our oatrols in the Fegu Yomas hills, according- to a Japanese captain who 1 gave himself up p. Burmese villagers, writes a Burma correspondent. The J precaution became necessary as the | plight of the 6090 Japanese troops marooned in the flooded foothill-I worsened, until their morale was! affected. 'lhe Japanese officer carried a “safe conduct pass,” apparently dropped by R.A.F. planes. The Japanese captain I said he did not think there would be I many attempts to desert, as for the j most part the men were badly fed and

clothed and were apathetic and preferred the evil they knew to one they did not. For two years he had not received a letter from .Japan. He believed no letters were allowed to leave Japan, because of the strict censorshin regulations. Marooned and in desperate plight, the remnants of what was once a strong Japanese armv are reduced co raiding villages for food.