YUNNAN FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 May 1944, Page 4

YUNNAN FIGHTING

JAPANESE COUNTER-ATTACKS REPELLED STILWELL’S BOMBERS ACTIVE HEAVY DAMAGE TO SHIPS & OTHER TARGETS (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 10.50 a.m.) CHUNGKING, May 21. “The Japanese counter-attacked a Chinese column at the Memien Pass (in Western Yunnan), but retreated after several hours of heavy fighting,” says a Chinese communique. “The situation is unchanged in Honan. Clashes continue on. all sectors.” General Stilwell's communique reports that Liberators attacked *a radio station on Pratas Island, destroying three buildings and severely damaging another. A convoy of three freighters was attacked and a 1000 ton ship was damaged. Other Liberators attacked a five-ship convoy off the south-east China coast and severely damaged two vessels of 4,500 and 5,600 tons. One was left in flames. Mitchells destroyed several sampans off Hong Kong. Mustangs' attacked Likiatiein, 20 miles north-east of Nanking, causing large fires and explosions. HEAVY FIGHTING IN INDIAN FRONTIER AREA. SCOTS AND INDIAN TROOPS IN ACTION. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 10 a.m.) RUGBY. May 21. Stubborn Japanese opposition, writes a Fourteenth Army observer, is being encountered by the Fourth Corps, advancing along a section of the main Imphal-Dimapur Road, some miles north of Imphal. This move to clear the road began on May 15. In the initial stage, British troops carried out a difficult all-night march through the foothills west of the main road to reach a position overlooking the road behind the enemy. Simultaneously, Indian troops made a shorter encircling movement to the road further south, while other Indian troops, with tanks in support, made a frontal attack up the road. At noon that day, Kangletongbi, a village on the road, was in our hands, while to the east, British and Gurkha troops were gaining a foothold on the 3000 feet Kangletongbi Ridge in face of fierce opposition. When Scottish infantry and Gurkhas moved forward to the forming up place under the ridge in the early hours, a thunderstorm broke. Vivid flashes of lightning lit up the rain-lashed hilltop, their objective. At the first light, the attackers went in, up precipitous spurs, leading to the knife-edge ridge on which the Japanese were entrenched. Above the cheers of the Scottish troops and the war cries of the Gurkhas could be heard the skirl of the pipes as Pipers Walls and McDonald led the rain-soached Scotsmen into battle to the strains of a regimental march. Meanwhile, moving silently through the jungle by night, a detachment of Sikhs had travelled seven miles round the enemy’s flank, to take up a position north of the ridge. The Scotsmen encountered strong resistance on the western edge of the ridge and tanks were called up. The mam Japanese positions appear to be astride the road a few miles north of Kangletongbi, although a senes- of isolated strongpoints on the ridge to the east of the road still hamper our progress on the flank. There has been heavy fighting both east and west of the road, involving British and Indian troops and resulting in heavy Japanese casualties.