HEAVY FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 March 1943, Page 3

HEAVY FIGHTING

IN NORTH-WESTERN BURMA ATTACKS BY JAPANESE REPELLED. ALLIED AIRCRAFT ACTIVE. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, March 15. Heavy fighting has broken out in the Rathendaung area, north-western Burma. An Indian war communique reports that fierce attacks by Japanese forces against our left flank were successfully repelled. The Japanese lost many men and some equipment. Our positions in the area, a few miles north-east of Rathedaung, have been adjusted to meet the situation. The fighting is continuing. This follows the arrival at Rathedaung recently of considerable Japanese reinforcements. In the air Allied fighters and bombers were very active yesterday. American heavy bombers on Friday attacked Pauzdaugn bridge, north of Rangoon, and the railway yards at Mahlow were also bombed, states a New Delhi message. Three Japanese planes intercepted and one was destroyed and another damaged. After months of defensive operations in which they fell back from near the •Indian border the Japanese last week carried out an infiltration attack and established positions on a wooded ridge north-east of Rathedaung. Last weekend the ‘Daily Mail’s” correspondent at Eastern Army Headquarters in India said that the Japanese infiltration of the area had cut off Indian troops, who were being supplied by air. BRITISH ADVANCE CHECKED FOR THE MOMENT. PROSPECTS OF REACHING AKYAB. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.) RUGBY, March 15. The Japanese attacks in the Rathedaung area, east of the Mayu River in Burma, recorded in an Indian communique, appear for the moment to have stopped the British advance. The enemy success, however, seems limited and they certainly have suffered heavy casualties. With the breaking of monsoon, about May, the country and fighting generally will become more difficult and, if the British intention is to reach Akyab, it is clearly preferable to do so before the monsoon breaks.