JAPANESE IN CHINA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 111, 15 May 1942, Page 5

JAPANESE IN CHINA

PENETRATION BY BACK DOOR GUERRILLAS CUT OFF COLUMNS (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrigh!) London, May 13. Japanese troops from Burma are reported to have penetrated 50 miles inside China’s back door. Last night they were reported at Lungling, 50 miles up the Burma Rdad from the frontier. Reserves were brought up and they are now said to be advancing toward a town 100 miles inside China. Chinese guerrilla units are disrupting enemy communications between Mandalay and Lashio and between Bhamo and Myitkyina I in the north. They have severed the Japanese lines of communica- ; tion at several points, and advanced Japanese columns are now isolated. I Thu loss of the Ihirnii) Rond :d-.

J lie loss ot tnc Burma lioad. al-i ihougli a serious blow to the Chi-’ nese, is not regarded as a fata! l ’ one. In New Delhi to-day. the'. Chinese Commissioner in Indin ex- ; pressed confidence in his.uountry 's' ’ ability to bridge tlie gap until ■ alternative routes have been estab- ’ lished. He explained that for some time ; I past the Burma Road had been carry- ' ing raw materials into China for | l making small arms and ammunition, ’ and these raw materials would keep ; I China’s many arsenals busy for many . • months to come. He emphasised that | I plentiful supplies of small arms wcr< ; J more useful to China than heavy | guns and tanks. China’s strategy was 1 ; to force the enemy to fight in coun- i 1 try where the rifle and machine-gun. j J es'pecially the latter, were by far the ; most practical weapons. ■ General Alexander’s men are con- 1 tinuing their fighting withdrawal up 5 the Chindwin River valley tav.ards ) the Indian border. They are now in | the Kalewa area, north of Shwegyin, j ) where last Sunday they threw back 1 1 the Japanese after a day’s haid light-' 1 ing. t The aerodrome at Akyab, th? Bur- | 1 mese port nearest to the Indian Iron- ■ tier, which was recently occupied by ‘ the Japanese, was bombed to-day by 1 the R.A.F., and several enemy air--1 craft on the ground were destroyed ■ or damaged. It is now known that when the Japanese entered Lashio, the western k terminus of the Burma Roaa they found nothing likely to be of any use to them. A correspondent from Lashio who has just arrived in Chungking said that British and Chinese troops, before leaving the town, applied the scorched earth policy very thoroughly. From the heart ol China, where the war has been going on for nearly five years, there are reports to-day of local successes by the-Chinese in the region south-west of Hankow, where a Japanese force suffered a heavy defeat and left 1000 dead on ’ the battlefield. Messages from New Delhi indicate that young Indians art' flocking to the colours in ever-increas-ing numbers. An observer says that although the rate of recruitment had been estimated at 50,000 a month, it is nearer 100,000 a month, and the number accepted has to be governed by the amount of equipment available anil the facilities for training. Newly-joined Indian soldiers and sailors regard themselves as honorary - recruiting officers when they go home - on leave, with the result that even - the remotest villages are furnishing a their quota of volunteers. e A Vichy message says that Chinese planes have bombed and machined gunned French aerodromes near y Hanoi, in Lido-China. s ON MEKONG RIVER REPORTED JAPANESE OPERATIONS Chunking, May 13. A communique said there had been no change on the Yunnan front, in referring to the situation along the Burma Road, but it said that the Japy anese on the Mekong River, after reaching Hawngluk, are now attack- ' ing Mongko, while another Japanese 1 column is attacking Miamong Palai. The Associated Press of Great Britain says that the meaning of the e foregoing announcement is not clear. ’• The Mekong River forms part of the r border of Burma and Indo-China, hut ■ there have been no reports of lighting 1 in that area recently. If the Japanese I have reached the upper reaches of the e Mekong in the Yunnan Province they r are much deeper into Chinese territory than was previously reported. 'i JAPANESE CLAIMS s 3 New York, .May 13. Tokio radio claims that Chinese units which remain in Burma were t isolated when the Japanese destroyed a bridge over the Salween River. Another Tokio report claimed that the Japanese have captured Tangyan, 1 150 miles east of Mandalay. BETTER PROSPECTS ASSAM-BURMA FRONTIER 1. * INTERVIEW WITH WAVELL e t* (Recd. 9.20 p.m.) London, May 14. t The first bombings in Burma. caused wholesale desertions by ra II way workers and members of public services, thus disorganising the country, said General Sir Archibald Wavell in an interview on the Assam-Burma frontier. “Once we lost Mandalay I could not get reinforcements and supplies through by sea,” he said. “We had 10 pin our hopes on driving on with the k now road through Manipur province. ■- We hoped to hold North Burma until 1. the rainy seasn, but the Japanese e pierced the Chinese lines to our left and captured Lashio. Our troops pul dup an extraordinarily good show. 0 Many fought for months without a - rest, and could get few reinforcements and comforts. Hostile Burmese were always likely to shoot them in the back. “There are five Japanese divisions in Burma. Ido not think they are able at present to throw further big forces against us. We shall henceforth be fighting on more favourable 1- terms. The enemy is bound to have fl considerable difficulties with com--0 munications during.the rains. Ours ls are steadily improving. The enemv is a skilful at ’ infiltration and mountain g warfare, but we are better prepared II and have fresh troops.” AMERICAN VOLUNTEER GROUP r : (Recd, 11.30 p.m.) Chungking, May 14. ' A communique stales that the Ame- ’ rican Volunteer Group of Flying 1 Tigers bombed a Japanese aerodrome ' at Hanoi, in Indo-China, yesterday, ’ destroying 15 and damaging 25 planes, ■jand also scoring direct hits on ■buildings.