BURMA ROAD BATTLE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 113, 16 May 1942, Page 5

BURMA ROAD BATTLE

, «. JAPANESE ADVANCE IN YUNNAN STRONG RESISTANCE BY CHINESE (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) London, May 14. In the Chinese province of Yunnan, over the frontier from Burma, a new battle has begun for the Burma Road. The first Japanese objective is a strategic town 100 miles from the border, but the latest reports indicate that the enemy has still s another 40 miles to go to reach there. t The Japanese are advancing- from two directions. The northe ern column is being strongly resisted at Teng-yueh, on the road from Burma, and is said to have suffered heavy casualties. Another column, pushing east from Bungling itself, is reported from j* Chungking to-night to have been stoutly resisted by the Chinese. - These two columns are apparently aiming to meet on the westy ern bank of the Salween River, but it appears that at this stage they may meet with a serious check. i ()lir Allies; have <lr<,f tlm.i ——

t v/ur Aines nave destroyed Hw [ -j bridges over the river ami strong I s forces arc standing ready on the! : eastern bank to bar the enemy’s' advance toward a stepping-stone l on the road to Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province. The land fighting in Burma itsell is still confused. There is no fresh news from our own troops, out n is thought in London that toe British rearguard is still near Kalewa, and to the east and west of it at points within 50 miles of the Indian border. Although General Alexander’s men are still being bombed, the gallant counter-attack of the Gurkhas at Shwegyin, some miles to the south, appears to have given a respite from fighting, at least for a day or two. On the other side of Burma, isolated s Chinese troops seem to be operating - in several directions, but it is announct ed from Chungking that the Chinese , units are consolidating their positions i between Mandalay and Myitkyina. In the interior of China it was res ported to-night that the Chinese have i recaptured a town 25 miles south-west - of Nanking, seat of the Japanese pup- : pet Government, xt was at this point on the north bank of the Yangtse River, that the American gunboat Panay was sunk by Japanese bombers in December, 1937. RELENTLESS DRIVE JAPANESE IN CHINA Chungking, May 14. A communique said that reinforced Japanese troops occupied ■ Tachai, north-east ol Limgiing, “ and were attacking the Chinese at Teng-Chung, 90 miles inside the border, where the Japanese were striving to force a crossing of the Salween River. s Chinese units had cut Japanese . communications ax three points, but . tne Japanese reinlorcenxems in China 1 enabled the enemy to drive on relentI Xessiy in western Yunnan. The communique said that after ( taking Tacnax trie Japanese continuexi towards Plung-Mushu. The Chinese inflicted heavy losses on them in heavy lighting. The Burma Road across the Salween at Teng-Chung and ine Chinese strove desperately to check the invaders there, but the army spokesman said . that the Chinese we:-.e lighting under e extreme difficulties and therefore - Teng-Chung was endangered. The Japanese column branching y northward from the Burma Road was - threatening the ancient city of Teng- . Yueh on the old caravan route bey tween China and Burma, the Chinese - army spokesman reported. Meanwhile the Japanese have apparently e stalled at Lungling and the Japanese - claims to the capture of Paoshan are c denied. Fighting continues at several e points on the Burma-Thailand border. ■. but the enemy advance up the Sale ween River has been halted and he will be unable to reach into China unless he is, heavily reinforced, the spokesman declared. He denied that the Chinese troops in Burma were withdrawing Io India with the British. He asserted that the I main oody of Chinese still held ! pockets between Mandalay and Myiti kyina. ALLIES’ THIN LINE WEAKNESS IN THE AIR London, May 14. n "The Allies, with their thin line, ' I were never able to meet strength i with strength,” says the Sydney Morning Herald correspondent of the Burma campaign, "nor was it possible to cope with the guerrilla fighting, ; which the Japanese were able to ex- { ploit to the full. But it was the un- [ ceasing, unchallenged attack rained • t upon them from the skies which ulti- i 1 mately broke the back of the de- | •_ fence, which had fought as hard as I s any troops could.” Even the babble of tongues—Eng-I , lish, Burmese, Chinese, and Urdu—and.the difficulty to unpractised eyes of distinguishing Gurkhas, Japanese, Chinese, and Burmans one from another were factors which benefited the enemy, the correspondent says. The American Volunteer Group had dwindled, and its landing grounds being moved back on the China-Burma frontier, it had in the • closing stages of the campaign no n more than defensive value. ACROSS THE FRONTIER e (Reed. 7.30 p.m.) London, May 14. Thu Calcutta correspondent ol the n Daily Telegraph says it is expected n that’by to-morrow the last rearguards e of the Imperial forces in Burma wni i, have crossed the frontier into Assam - after withdrawing across the Naga hills. —