Japs Attempt to Stage Offensive in Burma

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 66, 21 March 1944, Page 5

Japs Attempt to Stage Offensive in Burma

l ALLIED SUCCESSES ON SEVERAL FRONTS. Received Monday, 8.50 p.m. •LONDON, March 20. Allied Headquarters at New Delhi i announce that it is now apparent the Japanese are staging a major offensive l on the Chindwin front and have crossed . the river in force at several points. » Our troops who recently landed behind the enemy lines in Northern Burma i have been in action and after severe ; hand-to-hand lighting have driven the i Japanese from a strongly-held position. They inflicted heavy casualties. The ; latest reports state that our losses were . light. In North Burma heavy Japanese opposition at Jamoubum is being met ■ by the Chinese who advanced on the lower slopes of that mountain but the Chinese are on the flanks of the only • road exit south of the Hukawng Valley. : The Chinese have partly encircled an i enemy unit in the Saipawnga and Tabauang vicinity. In the Chin Hills our troops broke into a Japanese position north of Tid- : dim. Fighting was severe and heavy casualties inflicted on the enemy whose main force has now been split into several small groups. A large quantity of i equipment was abandoned by the enemy. Our Air Force maintained attacks against enemy positions, communications, etc., throughout Burma. In air combat two enemy aircraft were destroyed and from all operations in which more than 800 sorties were flown two Allied aircraft are missing. A Southeast Asia communique states; ‘ 1 On the Arakan front yesterday the Allies made further progress on the Mayu range. The Allies after an artillery and air bombardment drove the Japanese from a prominent feature north of the Maungdaw-Buthidaung road. “The enemy met with some initial success in an attack against the Allied position in the Kaladan Valley. We counterattacked and retook the position, inflicting casualties * in hard fighting.