KOHIMA RELIEVED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 94, 21 April 1944, Page 5

KOHIMA RELIEVED

BURMA BORDER ACTION BRITISH-INDIAN COLUMN (By Telegraph—Press Asf-ociation —Copyright, Reed. 8 p.m. London, April 19. Kohima, the British base on the Indian side of the Burma border, has been relieved after being cut off by Japanese for a week, says the Daily Telegraph’s correspondent with the 14th Army. Enemy road blocks were shelled and then cleared with the bayonet by a British-Indian column, which pushed south-eastwards fiom Dimapur. A Rajput patrol first made contact with the garrison, after which men of a British regiment linked 'up with Rajput and Runjabi troops The Kohima garrison had been subjected to day and night shelling before its relief. It also has been engaged in particularly heavy lighting in the western part of Kohima. The Japanese were apparently preparing for a final assault. ADVANCES BY ALLIES INFANTRY AMD TANKS ON IMPHAL PLAIN 3 Rugby, April 19. vances by Allied infantry and tanks north-east of the Imphal Plain are announced in a South-east Asia communique. The message states: “On the Arakan front yesterday our offensive patrolling was continued south of the road in conjunction with dive-bombing and fighter attacks. An enemy raiding party which attempted to reach a road in the eastern foothills of the Mayu Range was repulsed. In the Kaladan area contact with the enemy was maintained. South of the Imphal Plain, on the Tiddim road, there was little activity on Monday. West of Bishenpore and south of the track to Silchar bitter fighting continues for a hill feature the possession of which has been in dispute for two days. On Monday night our troops repulsed two Japanese attacks on our positions east of Palel. In this area Spitfires destroyed one enemy aircraft and damaged four others of a formation which dropped a few bombs. North-east of the Imphal Plain our Infantry, supported by tanks, made further advances. On Monday three small enemy positions were captured. There is no change in the situation in the Kohima area. In the Mogaung Valley units of the 38th. Chinese Division reached the Lankraw River, east of the road and south of Tingring, where they encountered artillery fire. The 22nd. Chinese Division was engaged with the Japanese in the Warazup area. Heavy bombers of the 10th. U.S.A.A.F. in daylight yesterday attacked the Yenengyaung oil plants. Medium bombers attacked the Manda-lay-Shwebo railway, 25 hits on the railway track being observed. Fighterbombers of the air commando force detailed for ground support in the Mawlu area in daylight on Monday were diverted to intercept enemy raiders. The aircraft, after their jettisoning bombs over enemy territory made contact with 12 enemy fighters in the Tamu area and in the ensuing individual air combats three enemy fighters were destroyed and three more damaged. Fighters, fighter-bombers, and dive-bombers were active by day and night in the Arakan, Mayu, Kaladan, and North-w’est Burma areas, No Allied aircraft ar e missing.—B.O.W. WINGATE’S SUCCESSOR GENERAL LENTAIGNE Rugby, April 18. The successor to the late General Wingate, commander of the Allied jungle forces in Burma, has been announced. He is the 44-year-old MajorGeneral W. D. A. Lentaigne, D. 5.0., Indian Army officer of the Fourth Gurkha Rifles. Gneral Lentaigne has great knowledge of the Japanese and Burma, having commanded a battalion during the 1942 campaign and a brigade on the Assam border. He was commanding one of General Wingate’s airborne brigades when the latter was killed. As soon as General Wingate’s death was confirmed, Admiral Mountbatten placed General Lentaigne in command of General Wingate’s forces. He was in the closest touch with General Wingate’s plans and ideas, and is a man who can be trusted to carry them out. The Japanese invasion of Burma in the winter of 1941-42 provided typical examples of his personal courage. He commanded the Fourth Gurkha Rifles at the time. On one occasion he was walking down a jungle track when he was attacked by four Japanese who jumped out on him. His reovlver was knocked out of his hand, but he grappled with the leading Japanese and tore a sword out of his hand, then slew him with his own sword, turned on the others, hewed one to the ground, and chased the survivors back into the jungle. On another occasion ao convoy of ambulances carrying wounded was captured by a Japanese force which had infiltrated in depth. While the drivers and wounded were wondering what their fate was to be a British officer dashed up “roaring like the bull of Bashan’’ and attacked the Japanese. It was General Lentaigne. He had been moving through the jungle wCth his Gurkhas when he heard the din of the Japanese capture and had outdistanced his men in his eagerness to attack the Japanese. The number he killed before the Gurkhas routed the Japanese varies in different accounts, some saying four, while others claimed he got eight. All the ambu 1 ances were saved. —8.0.W.