BURMA AIR WAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 118, 22 May 1942, Page 5

BURMA AIR WAR

R.A.F. OFFENSIVE ACTION TWO RAIDS ON AKYAB (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright; London, May 2U. In northern Burma during the past week the fighting has been in the air. Our land forces on the Chindwin River have made no contact with the enemy, but the R.A.F. offensive continues to increase in scale and frequency. New Delhi to-day tells of a tighter action two days ago in northern Burma, when enemy lorries were ma-chine-gunned. One of our planes was hit by anti-aircraft lire but returned safely. The next day the aerodrome at Myitkyina, near the Chinese border, was attacked and machine-gun posts were silenced. Yesterday our planes were on the Bay of Bengal front and made two attacks on the port of Akyab. One attack is believed to have resulted in the destruction of two out of four lighters on the ground and severe damage to the others. In the second attack direct hits were scored on the runway and at least two more lighters were destroyed on the ground. All our planes returned safely. The only enemy air activity reported in the communique was the dropping of bombs on a peaceful rural locality in eastern Assam. Casualties were light and the conduct of the inhabitants was quite steady. JAPS PAY DEARLY BOMBING BY CHINESE AND AMERICANS London, May 20. On the China side of the Burma front the Americans and Chinese are carrying out daily raids. The spokesman at the U.S. Army headquarters in New Delhi said that the American Volunteer Group and the Chinese land forces made the Japanese pay so heavily in their advance towards the Salween that they were brought to a standstill. Organised Chinese forces are still challenging the invaders on every foot they advance in Yunnan and Burma. Chinese forces have now been re grouped to meet the Japanese. In China itself to-day’s Chungking communique again reports further Japanese progress in their new offensive in the province of Chekiang. They have brought up reinforcements under cover of planes and artillery fire and severe fighting continues. Casualties are heavy on both sides. The Japanese apparently fear the possibility of air bases being established in this province from which Japan could be bombed. The most easterly point of Chekiang is only 500 miles from the important Japanese port of Nagasaki. CAPTURE OF CHUKI London, May 21. The capture of Chuki, in Chekiang. 45 miles south of Hangchow, was made by three Japanese columns which converged on the town. Two of the columns then turned south-west-ward along the railway and entered Chenghsien. GENERAL AIR POOL Ottawa, May 19. Major-General Barton Young, Commander of the United States Air Training Corps, told pressmen after the United Nations air-training conference to-day: “We are nearing the point where any pilot of any one of the United Nations can step into any other nation's show.” The Air Minister said that the ideal situation would be a pool including all pilots and all planes of the United Nations.