WELL SUSTAINED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 December 1943, Page 3

WELL SUSTAINED

ALLIED AIR ONSLAUGHT

ON JAPANESE IN BURMA.

MUCH DAMAGE TO ENEMY TRANSPORT.

LONDON, December 15.

British mid American airmen have destroyed'lB Japanese planes over Burma during the past week for the loss of four of their own.

There were continuous fighter sweeps during the week and bombers Harried enemy transport, up and down the country. They left behind them broken bridges and blown-up railway tracks for Japanese sappers to repair. —V . - . J MANY TARGETS OFFICIAL REPORT GIVES DETAILS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.35 a.m.) RUGBY, December 15. ‘‘Land activity on the Burma front during the past week has been confined to patrolling,” states a South-East Asia communique. In Northern Burma, the United States Air Force, between December 7 and 12, destroyed runways and dumps and burned barrack areas at a large number of places, and carried out ground strafing missions for American-trained Chinese troops at various points in the Hukawang Valley. ‘‘The R.A.F. raided military installations at Mandalay on the night of December 7, and Wuntho on the night of December 9. With harassing, last Sunday and Monday the R.A.F. carried out concentrated attacks on objectives in the Chin Hills area, west of Kalemyo. Fighter sweeps \Vere continuous throughout the week. In Southern Burma, the United States Air Force, using medium bombers and fighterbombers, got direct hits on the Myitnge Bridge and the Palsk railway yards. Four locomotives and .an anti-aircraft battery' were knocked out. Direct hits were scored on a runway and installations and approaches to railway bridges over the Myittha and Mu rivers were blanketed. Dispersal areas at the Heho aerodrome were also thoroughly bombed. R.A.F. heavy bombers in the same period attacked railway installations at Moulmein, and medium bombers twice raided dumps. The Heho and Namsang airfields were bombed and many fires were started. R.A.F. medium bombers struck at railway communications at Paleik with telling effect. Traffic on the Taungup Pass Road was thoroughly strafed in moonlight on several nights running, and five river steamers were damaged in tjie Mayu Peninsula area. “From all raids, four Allied planes failed to return. In the same period 18 enemy aircraft were- destroyed.”