SAVAGE FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 February 1942, Page 3

SAVAGE FIGHTING

BRITISH COUNTER-ATTACKS Defence of Bridgehead During Retirement COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF IN INDIA TAKES OVER CONTROL AIR BATTLE FOUGHT OVER SURABAYA LONDON, February 24. The latest news from Burma reports a further withdrawal by our troops. Army headquarters at Rangoon state that British troops have withdrawn across the Sittang River at one point and are now established in good positions behind the river. The Sittang is the last of the river defences in front of Rangoon. During Sunday and Sunday night our troops held a bridgehead on the east bank in order to cover the withdrawal of our forces. They were heavily attacked by fresh enemy concentrations and, in savage fighting, the situation was restored again and again by counter-attacks. Our troops are now established in good positions behind the Sittang. Today all is quiet. In the air our planes are still giving support to our ground forces. In a recent air attack four enemy planes were destroyed on the ground without loss to ourselves. It was announced earlier today that operations in Burma are now the responsibility of the commander-in-chief in India. Plans for co-operation between India and China were mentioned today in an exchange of radio messages between General Chiang \Kai-shek and the Viceroy of India. The remnants of the Japanese fleet which was so severely mauled by Allied naval and air forces off,Bali were sighted today by reconnaissance planes. A cruiser and a destroyer were seen with another cruiser and destroyer in tow. An agency message from Java states that two waves of 27 Japanese planes bombed the Surabaya area today. They were met by Allied fighters and anti-aircraft gunfire. , The harbour area was the main target and although some objectives were hit, the damage was only slight. Targets in Western Java were also attacked this morning. At least one enemy bomber was shot down. A Japanese raid on Port Moresby, in New Guinea, resulted in damage to some buildings but no vital point was hit.