Trapped Force Suffers 2000 Casualties

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 59, 13 March 1944, Page 5

Trapped Force Suffers 2000 Casualties

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Sunday, 8.50 p.m. LONDON, March. 11. The Japanese trapped by the Chinese* American thrust in the MaingkwanWaiawbum area have already siiuered more than 2000 casualties, says the Associated Press. Reports iiitering through from the front indicate that the Japanese are withdrawing from North Burma in some confusion. General Merrill’s forces deployed across the path of the Japanese retreat are mowing them down at every opportunity. Chinese-American tanks cut a wide path through the Japanese ranks in the Hukawng Valley, leaving 500 to 700 casualties in their wake. British forces made advances on Thursday on the coastal plains of South Maungdaw and into the foothills southeast of Maungdaw, states Southeast Asia Headquarters. They established a road block on the Buthidaung-Maung-daw road. Japanese activity was confined to shelling. North of the road on the main Mayu range our troops made further local attacks which resulted in small advances northeast of Buthidaimg. In the Hukawng Valley enemy forces are withdrawing southwest. In the Lalawng Ga area Allied air activity was kept up throughout the area of operations. Chinese assisted by a Chinese tank unit captured Walawbum, southeastwards of Maingkwan. Allied bombers during a sweep over the Central Burma airfields without loss to themselves destroyed 45 grounded Japanese planes. General Stilwell stated: “I am willing to hazard a guess that the entire Hukawng Valley will soon be ours.” Liberators bombed Kowloon docks on Friday. Fighter-bombers attacked a Japanese freighter near Campha port, leaving it sinking, says General Stilwell’s communique. ‘‘The war will last a good time yet. Whenever you feel yourself getting tired and see others getting slack remember the job still to be done,” said General Auchinleck addressing officers of the Indian Military Academy. 4 ‘ The fact that in Arakan the Seventh Division refused to budge when the Japanese got behind them is a good omen. Our men have put the Japanese bogey behind them.”