FURIOUS ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 May 1942, Page 3

FURIOUS ATTACKS

. WITHSTOOD BY CHINESE IN CHEKIANG ULTIMATE RECOVERY AT BURMA PREDICTED BY GENERAL STILLWELL. ALLIED AIRCRAFT STILL ACTIVE. LONDON, May 25. The fighting' in Chekiang Province in China is increasing in fury as the Japanese throw in more and more reinforcements.- The Chinese are now fighting a desperate battle against 100,000 Japanese, who are only three miles from the gates of the capital, Kinhwa. The Japanese have made violent attacks on the city but all. assaults have been beaten back with heavy losses. A Chungking communique states that there is no change in the position in Western Yunnan, where the Chinese are engaging the Japanese on the old trade route north of the Burma Road. The belief that the Allies will reenter Burma is expressed by LieutGeneral Stilwell, who had command of two Chinese armies in Elurma. With proper co-operation, he says, Burma can and must be retaken. It is a vital point for re-entry into China and he is certain that Britain can get it back again. The American Volunteer Group and the R.A.F. are still active in Burma. American airmen recently raided Japanese troops and guns in Eastern Burma. British planes have carried out another raid on enemy barges on the Chindwin River.

ENEMY BARGES HARRIED ON THE CHINDWIN RIVER. (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) NEW DELHI, May 25. An air communique states: “In addition to normal reconnaissance over Burma, the R.A.F. carried out a machine-gun attack on enemy barges moving up the Chindwin River on Sunday. All our aircraft returned safely.” MUST BE RETAKEN BURMA NEEDED AS GATE TO CHINA. DECLARATION BY GENERAL STILLWELL. (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) NEW DELHI, May 25. Lieutenant-General Stillwell has ar- 1 rived for a conference with General Wavell before returning to China. He said: “Burma can and must be retaken. It is vital for our re-entry to China. We took a hell of a beating in Burma, and ran away, but a little extra, strength, particularly in the air, might have tipped the scales. The American Volunteer Group is now being transformed into a Regular Army pursuit group, and bombers and fighters are being dispatched to China to build up the United States Air Force there.” General Stillwell added: “The Chinese, properly led, are good fighters. The Japanese are not supermen, but cannot be defeated by a rag tag an bobtail army. It would be nice to have some American troops. The retaking of Burma is a serious proposition, which cannot be undertaken without, properly co-ordinated forces.

ATTACK ON KINHWA REPULSED WITH BLOODY LOSSES. DENIAL OF BERLIN REPORT. (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) CHUNGKING, May 25. A Central News bulletin from the Ghekiang front said the Japanese launched a full-scale offensive today in an atempt to storm Kinhwa, but they were repulsed with bloody losses. An earlier message quoted the Berlin radio as stating that the Japanese had occupied Kinhwa. RAIDS ON JAPAN

CONTINUATION PROMISED BY DOOLITTLE. LONDON, May 25. Brigadier-General Doolittle, who led the recent raid on Tokio, has promised the Japanese more. He said the raid was made possible by the best planes in the world. Japanese pursuit planes did not have a chance. Other Japanese objectives would be bombed in addition to Tokio, he said. IN THE CHINA SEA BLOWS AT JAPANESE SHIPPING. ANTICIPATED BY AIRWAYS PILOT. NEW YORK, May 25. Captain Harold Sweet, pilot of the Chinese National Aviation Corporation, arriving from the Far East, declared that a blow will soon be struck at Japanese shipping in the China Sea from bases on the Chinese coast and, thereafter, the Japanese drive to China will dry up. Captain Sweet said a Japanese drive to India and Australia was unlikely, because the Japanese had over-extended themselves.