BURMA FIGHTING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 55, 6 March 1942, Page 5

BURMA FIGHTING

JAPANESE ADVANCE SITTANG RIVER CROSSED DESTRUCTION OF AERODROMES (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Recd. 10.10 p.m.) London, March 5. The lull in the Burma lighting was broken last night by serious news ot The Japanese crossed the Sittang River and a thrust to Waw, on the Rangoon-Lashio railway. The Sittang River, across which the British withdrew last week, is the last natural defence line before Rangoon. Waw consists of a few wooden buildings and ■ a few native huts and lies 65 miles north of Rangoon and 15 miles north of Pegu. A Mandalay communique states: The Japanese crosed the Sittang River. Our patrols contacted the enemy at Waw. where the scorched earth policy- was carried out. Rangoon remains quiet, with the exception of some lawlessness, especially against defenceless Indians in the suburbs. | Reuter’s correspondent on the j Burma front reports that the Japa- } nese, with local air superiority, cross- j ed the Sittang and advanced 15 miles i in one bound. The fact that only ! patrols are contacting the Japanese | at Waw indicates that our main forces i have presumably withdrawn. The ■ possibility of aerodromes in the Ran- | goon area falling into Japanese hands | must be faced. It opens the prospect i of bombing many parts of Burma, ! East Indian shipping and the Bay of , Bengal. The Daily Express’ correspondent, at Rangoon states that it is oflidaily admitted that the Japanese patrols are | pushing a considerable distance west- i wards of Pegu. This type of activity I is unimportant in itself but has al- | ways been the forerunner of bigger ! actions. The Mingaladon airfield i northward of Rangoon is unservice- j able for the first time since the out- ; break. Escorted bombers arrived i without warning and blasted all run- : ways. No labour was left in Rangoon to ’fill the craters, so R.A.F. and American lighters abandoned the ' aerodrome. The Americans kept un Iheir bril- 1 liant record in the last fight over ; Mingaladon, when they shot down ' about 25 Japanese planes.

emphasised that the population of Baris ardently desired raids by the, K.A.l"'. against factories and estaolisn- i merits in the Paris zone which are I working for Germany. This opinion is strongly held by workers and fam;- | lies- namely, those whose lives arc i exposed to the greatest danger." The aviation correspondent of the Press Association says that the j French aircraft industry is producing • Messerschmitts, Focke-Wulfs, Junk- I ers, Dorniers, and other first-line planes for the Luftwaffe, and that I a total of 2038 German machines is believed to be on order. u WE’RE COMING BACK!” LEAFLETS FOR PARISIANS NAZIS’ PROPAGANDA. (Recd. 11.5 p.m.) London, March 4. German-controlled radios are doing their utmost to extract full propaganda value from the R.A.F.'s mammoth attack on Paris, emphasising the civilian casualties and giving gory descriptions of the extracting of bodies from shelters. The Vichy Minister of State, M. Moyssett, said the Renault and Saimson motor factories and the Farman plane factory were very seriously damaged. Over 100 fires at Boulogne-sur-Seine, including .Renault’s works, are still burning. Admiral Darlan’s chef de cabinet, Captain Fontaine, said when he '.eft Paris at mid-day the casualties were estimated at between 500 and 600 killed and 2000 wounded. More were being discovered as the rescue work continued. Captain Fontaine added that the planes flew so loxv as to seem that they would inevitably hit the rooftops. According to Paris reports R.A.F. leaflets contained a phrase “We are coming back often.’’ The raid left many Paris districts without lights. I