CHINESE HOLD ON OIL CENTRE MAINTAINED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 April 1942, Page 3

CHINESE HOLD ON OIL CENTRE MAINTAINED

Heavy Enemy Pressure Near Siamese

Border

EVENTS IN THE PHILIPPINES AND NEW GUINEA AREA

ALLIED RAIDS CONTINUED ON ENEMY BASES

LONDON, April 21. On the Irrawaddy front, in Burma, joint action by our armoured forces and Chinese troops enabled our main forces to withdraw across the Pinchaung River. South of the nvei Chinese forces are now in occupation of the oil centre oi Yenangyaung and have driven back the Japanese three miles south of the town. On the Sittang front, Chinese and Japanese forces are at grips 150 miles south of Mandalay and 55 miles north of Toungoo. On the Salween front, towards the Siamese border, Japanese troops have been reinforced and are exerting heavy pressure on the Chinese in the Bawlake Loikaw area. Our Allies are putting up a stubborn resistance. The American Volunteer Group shot down a Japanese plane over a North Burma airport yesterday. In the Philippines yesterday the fire from Japanese heavy guns lessened slightly. The damage done was not great. Japanese dive-bombers attacked Forts Hughes and Drum, but most of the bombs fell into the water. No damage or casualties are reported. , # A High Command communique issued from General MacArthur’s Headquarters in Australia states that Allied planes raided Koepang, in Dutch Timor; Rabaul, in New Britain and Salamaua, in New Guinea. An ineffective Japanese raid on Port Moresby is reported.