JAPANESE THRUSTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 March 1943, Page 4

JAPANESE THRUSTS

BRITISH & INDIAN TROOPS FORCED BACK IN BURMA. ATTEMPTS AT ENCIRCLEMENT FOILED. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 10.45 a.m.) LONDON, March 18. Two columns of Japanese who have been pushing northwards since March 1, have forced Indian and British troops occupying Kyauktaw, 55 miles north of Akyab, on the Kaladan River, to evacuate westwards, and may threaten the land supply route to the British units fighting on the Mayu Peninsula. An Associated' Press correspondent with the British forces in Burma reveals this in a delayed despatch. He says one Japanese column, pushing northwards up the west bank of the Kaladan from the vicinity of Akyab, turned westward at Kyauktan in an encircling movement against the garrison there, forcing the Indians to withdraw northwards and then westwards to Rauthedaung, through a narrow corridor held open by the R.A.F., who sent fighter-bombers on 250 sorties a day, preventing the Japanese completing a ring around Kyauktaw. Most of the Indians escaped at the last minute. A second Japanese column, which is believed to be of considerable size, driving directly west from Arakan hill positions, crossed the Kaladan River approximately 70 miles north of Akyab, in the vicinity of Kaladan city. Because of the inaccessibility of this area, information concerning this Japanese thrust is confused and the enemy objective is not determined, but if the column continues westward it threatens to isolate all the British forces in the Mayu Peninsula. POSITIONS ADJUSTED ISOLATED UNITS REJOIN MAIN FORCES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.30 a.m.) RUGBY, March 18. A joint India communique states: “On the Arakan front, east of the Mayu River, enemy pressure has continued. A further adjustment of our positions has consequently been necessary to prevent the isolation of units north of Rathedaung. Our forward detachments, till recently on the Kaladan River, in the Kanzauk area, have succeeded in rejoining our main forces. “In Northern Burma a Japanese advance against our Kachin levies was stopped and the enemy has withdrawn southward. Levies, having successfully evaded the enemy efforts to destroy them, are again actively harassing Japanese forward posts. “Throughout yesterday the R.A.F. ceaselessly supported our land forces over the battle area and no enemy air attack against them developed. “Yesterday afternoon a mixed force of enemy bombers and fighters attacked one of our forward landing grounds in Arakan. Slight damage and a few casualties are reported. Our fighters intercepted and destroyed at least one enemy aircraft. “Last night bombs were dropped on Bhamo, a Japanese airfield on the Irrawaddy, south of Myitkyina, and on Heho, an important Japanese air base. Both targets were observed to be hit. From these and other operations one of our aircraft is missing,”