DEFENCE OF RANGOON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 February 1942, Page 4

DEFENCE OF RANGOON

AND THE BURMA ROAD OPPOSITION TO JAPANESE THRUST. STRONG BRITISH & CHINESE FORCES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day. 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, February 17. It is officially stated in Rangoon that there is no change in the position of the British forces on the west bank of the Bilin River. Half an hour after the last British troops had left Thaton, the Japanese began to occupy the town. The British withdrawal was accom-* panied with only minor clashes between rearguards of Gurkhas and other Indian troops and the Japanese. It is reported unofficially that im-. mediately afterwards R.A.F. bombers attacked the town, blasting warehouses containing supplies left by the withdrawn troops and the Railway Station. They also destroyed sections of the railway linking Thaton and Moulmein. The Japanese forces in the Thaton sector are now north of Rangoon. The enemy strategy is undoubtedly to develop a sweep to the westward of Pegu, about 50 miles north of Rangoon, and thus constitute a serious threat to the Burma Road and the important rail link with Mandalay. However strong British forces bar the way. There is confidence that the British forces will hold the present line. It is understood that General Hutton is determined to fight with all the men and materials at his disposal to hold Rangoon and the Burma Road. The new Chinese armies undoubtedly also will play a prominent role. Rangoon is hastily putting the finishing touches to its defences. The population has dwindled in a few weeks from 400,000 to 150,000 and the evacuation of non-essential workers has been nearly completed. In Chungking, a Ministry of Economics spokesman, declared that if the Burma Road falls, aeroplanes will 4 be used to ferry essential war materials to the Chinese war factories. AIR FIGHTING DUTCH SUCCESSES. AGAINST FIGHTERS & ENEMY TRANSPORTS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, February 17. A Batavia communique states: “During a raid by Netherlands bombers on aerodromes at Palembang, we shot down two Japanese fighters and also scored a direct hit on a transport, while a near hit and probably also one hit were scored on another transport.”