FURTHER WITHDRAWAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 April 1942, Page 3

FURTHER WITHDRAWAL

MADE BY BRITISH TROOPS IN BURMA Devastated Oilfields Left to Enemy ANOTHER RAID ON PORT MORESBY CORREGIDOR. GUNS STILL POUNDING ENEMY LONDON, April 17. Our troops in the Irrawaddy Valley, in Burma, have withdrawn north of Magwe, having first destroyed the installations of an oilfield which is now in enemy hands. British troops are still protecting the right flank of the Chinese forces operating' further east. Continued heavy fighting is reported on the Sittang front. The Chinese are being forced back by sheer weight of numbers and are about 100 miles from Mandalay. The Japanese vanguard of a force operating from Siam has advanced to Karenni, 16 miles north of Lockaw, capital of the State. The Chinese have inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese. It is now known that the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry have rejoined the British main forces after covering the retirement of these forces for several days in difficult country and inflicting heavy casualties on the Japanese. It is officially announced that British planes have raided Japanese airfields in Burma with excellent results in the past two days. They destroyed ten enemy planes and damaged others for the loss of one machine.

Port Moresby had its 25th air raid today. One enemy plane was shot down for certain and probably others. Still others were damaged. It is reported that 45 bombs were dropped from a height of 20,000 feet. The raiders were intercepted by Australian fighters. No damage is reported. All the Australian planes returned safely. There has been no. communication between the island fortress of Corregidor and the Batan Peninsula for a week. A Washington report states that 35,000 American and Filipino troops, together with several thousand non-combatant and supply troops and 25,000 civilians were left on the peninsula and presumably were in the hands of the enemy. No reports of casualties in the last few days of fighting had been received, but it is likely that casualties on both sides were heavy. The guns of Corregidor continue to pound objectives on the mainland. The enemy artillery fire is reported to have fallen off considerably.

Large Dutch forces are still fighting in Java in mountainous country west of Bandoeng. They are using hidden supplies of food and equipment. PROSPECTS OF PACIFIC OFFENSIVE

Mr R. G. Casey, now British Minister of State in the Middle East, stated in London that he was convinced the United States meant to rectify the position in the Pacific as soon as it was possible to organise a large-scale offensive. The American Secretary for War (Mr Henry Stimson) said in Washington today: ‘“We are beginning to approach the stage of an offensive. However difficult it may be, things are moving in the right direction. ’ ’