TRANSPORT PROBLEM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 September 1943, Page 4

TRANSPORT PROBLEM

FACED BY. THE JAPANESE IN BURMA SUCCESSFUL R.A.F. ATTACKS. ON RAILWAYS AND RIVER CRAFT. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.0 a.m.) LONDON, September 2. The Japanese, whose entire land forces in Burma do not exceed four divisions, are now faced with serious transport difficulties, as a result of ceaseless attacks from American bombers and British fighters, says the “Daily Telegraph’s” New Delhi correspondent. Vital railway bridges have been cut and hundreds of locomotives and motor trucks destroyed. Consequently the enemy has been forced to rely largely on slow-moving sampans. These are falling like ripe corn before the R.A.F. Beaufighters, which since July 1 have sunk over 1.250. The rate of wastage is increasing. Sixty sampans were sunk in one day this week. A number of steamers and motor craft were also destroyed, but the Japanese do not possess many of these, Moreover, they are such easy targets- that the Japanese prefer sampans, which are readily concealed under trees on the river banks. Many of the sampan crews have been killed, which is an even more serious loss than that of the sampans, which require skilled navigators, whose numbers are limited. Though large concentrations of sampans have been observed at points on the Irrawaddy, there is no evidence of any considerable movement of enemy troops. The R.A.F. has substantially reduced the enemy's air strength in recent weeks.