ENEMY ADVANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 March 1942, Page 3

ENEMY ADVANCE

SERIOUS DEVELOPMENT IN BURMA SITTANG RIVER CROSSED. LOSS OF AERODROMES LIKELY. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, March 5. The lull in the fighting in Burma was broken last night by the serious news of a Japanese advance across the Sittang River, and a thrust to Waw, on the RangoonLashio railway. The Sittang River, across which the British withdrew last week, is the last natural defence line before Rangoon. Waw, which consists of a few wooden buildings and native huts, lies 65 miles north of Rangoon and 15 miles north of Pegu. A Mandalay communique states: “The Japanese nave crossed the Sittang River. Our patrols made contact with the enemy at Waw, where the scorched-earth policy was carried out. Rangoon remains quiet, with the exception of some lawlessness, specially against defenceless Indians in the suburbs. Reuter’s correspondent on the Burma front reports that the Japanese, with local air superiority, crossed the river and advanced 15 miles in one bound. The fact that only patrols are in contact with the Japanese at Waw indicates that our main forces have presumably been withdrawn. The possibility of the aerodromes in the Rangoon area falling into Japanese hands must be faced. It opens the prospectc of bombing of many parts of Burma and east India, and also shipping in the Bay of Bengal. The “Daily Express” correspondent at Rangoon says it is officially admitted that Japanese patrols are pushing a considerable distance west of Pegu. This type of activity, he says, is unimportant in itself, but always has been the forerunner’ of bigger actions, The Mingaladon airfield, to the north of Rangoon, is unserviceable for the first time in the campaign. Escorted Japanese bombers arrived without warning and blasted all the runways. No labour is left in Rangoon to fill in the craters, so the R.A.F. and American fighters have abandoned the aerodrome. The Americans kept up their brilliant record in the last fight over Mingaladon, when they shot down about 25 Japanese planes. FIGHTING PROCEEDS ON VITAL RAILWAY LINE IN BURMA. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) RUGBY, March's. A Rangoon communique states: “Our forces engaged a party of the enemy in the area of Waw, to the north of Pegu. Waw was attacked by six enemy bombers and the town was set on fire. There is no further report of contact with the enemy.” Authoritative quarters in London state that fighting is proceeding in the Waw area.