JAPS IN BURMA
SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES TRANSPORT” LINKS BROKEN (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) Recd. 6 p.m. London, Sept. 2. The Japanese, whose entire land forces in Burma do not exceed four divisions, are now faced with serious transport difficulties as the result of ceaseless attacks from American bombers and British fighters, says the Daily Telegraph’s New Delhi correspondent. Vital railway bridges have been cut and hundreds of locomotives and motor-trucks destroyed. Consequently, the enemy has been forced to rely largely on slow-moving sampans. These are falling like ripe corn before the R.A.F. Beaufighters. which, since July 1, have sunk over 1250 of them. The rate of wastage is increasing. Sixty were sunk on one day this week and a number of steamers and motorcraft have also been destroyed, but the Japanese do not possess many of these. Moreover, they are such easy targets that the Japanese prefer sampans, which can readily be concealed under trees on river banks. Many of the crews o f the sampans have been killed, which is an even more serious loss than the sampans, for these require skilled navigators, whose numbers are limited. Though large concentrations of sampans have been observed at. points on the Irrawaddy there is no evidence of any considerable movement of enemy troops. The R.A.F. has also substantially reduced the enemy’s air strength in recent weeks.
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Bibliographic details
Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 209, 4 September 1943, Page 5
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224JAPS IN BURMA Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 209, 4 September 1943, Page 5
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