NARROW LIMITS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 January 1942, Page 4

NARROW LIMITS

SET TO JAPANESE RAIDS ON RANGOON MASTERY OF THE AIR. ESTABLISHED BY ALLIED 1/ PILOTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 1T.35 a.m.) RANGOON, January 7. Japanese hit and run bombers again raided northern Rangoon early this morning. There was some damage but no casualties. R.A.F. officers point out that British and American fighter co-op-eration has so successfully ensured mastery of the air that the Japanese have been unable to carry out any useful raiding in Burma since December 23. { Following on their bad beating on Christmas Day, the Japanese have been attempting hit and run raids, which not only have not secured positive rex suits, but have resulted in further enemy losses. The forces now in Burma also include Australian specialist units, British and Indian troops and native regiments, such as the Burma Rifles, who are among the world’s best jungle fighters. LOSSES & CASUALTIES TOKIO RADIO CLAIMS. (Received This Day, 12.40 p.m.) NEW YORK, January 7. The Tokio radio claimed that Japanese forces shot down or destroyed 569 enemy planes and asserted that they had lost only 81 of their own aircraft. It was claimed also that Japanese airmen had sunk or destroyed 54 naval

and transport vessels, including nine gunboats, four torpedo-boats, two destroyers and one submarine and that Japanese losses amounted only to five ships sunk and 16 damaged. It was asserted that Japanese casualties on all fronts in the four days from January 3 were only 752 killed and 1,835 wounded, whereas in the same 1 period enemy losses were 2,105 killed and 23,864 taken prisoner.