FIERCE FIGHTING IN MYITKYINA

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 201, 23 May 1944, Page 5

FIERCE FIGHTING IN MYITKYINA

Allies Take One-Third PLANES FRUSTRATE ENEMY ESCAPE (British Official Wireless and Press Assn.) (Received May 22, 7 p.m.) RUGBY, May 21. After savage street fighting, Chinese and Americans with strong artillery and air support, now occupy approximately one-third of Myitkyina, including the railway station, says a Southeast Asia communique. The Chinese sent patrols across the Irrawaddy. Rear elements joined forces to capture the villages of Namtavi and Charpate, a few miles to the north-west, which cut the railway and motor roads to Mogaung. This completes the isolation of the Japanese in Myitkyina,, except for a motor road from Bhamo, which is constantly harassed by long-range penetration forces. Japanese battle casualties on all sectors on the Burma front exceed 25,000. The railway station in the north-east part of Myitkyina changed hands five times before the Chinese finally won it, cables Reuter’s correspondent from Myitkyina airfield-. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. The railway station had been converted into a strongly barricaded fort. The Chinese forces, under a veteran colonel of the Shanghai Fighting Force, fought grimly all- Friday night till they • overran it yesterday. Allied warplanes yesterday frustrated a fresh Japanese attempt to sneak out of Myitkyina -by crossing the Irrawaddy River. Warhawks spotted 12 boats, each carrying 20 Japanese troops, preparing to cross. The fighters swooped down and sank every boat. Fall Believed Imminent. New Delhi radio, quoting a dispatch from -the Burma front, says that the fall of Myitkyina is imminent. It is officially announced in Kandy that the remnants of the Japanese 33rd Division have been completely cut off from their supplies as the result of a landslide on the Tiddim Road, 43 miles south of Imphal, caused by air bombardment. The road was the enemy’s only supply route from the south. Stubborn Japanese opposition is being encountered by the Fourth Corps ad- . vancing in the section of the main ImphaFDimapur road some miles north of Imphal, writes a 14th Army observer. This move to clear the road began on May 15. The situation at present is that the main Japanese positions appear to be astride of the road a few miles north of Kanglatongbi, though a series of isolated strongpoints on the ridge to the east of the road still hamper our progress on the flank. There has been heavy fighting both east and west of the road, involving British and Indian troops and resulting , in heavy Japanese casualties. In Mamien Pass. The Japanese counter-atLayked against the Chinese column in Mamien Pass, but retreated after several hours of heavy fighting, says a Chinese communique. The situation is unchanged. General Stilwell’s communique reports that Liberators attacked the radio station on Pratas Island, destroying three buildings and severely damaging another. A convoy of -three freighters was attacked and a 1000-ton ship damaged. Other Liberators attacked a. five-ship convoy off the south-east China coast and severely damaged two vessels ot 4500 and 5600 tons. One was left on fire. Mitchells destroyed several sampans off Hong Kong. Mustangs attacked Lakiatien, 20 miles north-east of Nanking, causing large fires and explosions. CHINESE HOLD ON IN LOYANG (Received May 22, 11.55 p.m.) CHUNGKING, May 22. Front-line dispatches report that the Chinese are still holding the suburbs of ■Loyang, where they have destroyed four enemy tanks, A Chinese communique states that Chinese and American planes in widespread attacks south-wen of Loyang destroyed and damaged more than 100 Japanese supply trucks and armoured cars, killing and wounding more than. 600 Japanese. CHUNGKING, May 21. The Chinese, counter-attacking from the south, have advanced to within TO miles of the Japanese base of Sinyang. on the Peking-Hankow railway, says a Chinese communique. Other Chinese forces are attacking Changtaukwan and Mingkiang, railway points north of Sinyang.. ' *