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BRITISH IN
BURMA
Marked Dearth
of News
"The Age" Special Correspondent
. in London and A:A.P.
LONDON, May 8.
- An authoritative statement issued in
London to-day said there was
no. news of . our forces In the Chind
win Valley, in Burma. - Akyab, it was
added, was probably in Japanese
hands, and most likely was unde
fended. - -
China's fifth and sixth armies,
which are fighting" behind Mandalay,
are facing a threat of encirclement by
Japanese forces, which have, swung
east from the Chindwin River through
Yeu, in order to -Join up with the
Japanese fanning : out from -. Lashlo
to the Irrawaddy and to Bhamo.
" The Isolated Chinese south of Man
dalay have evacuated Taunggyl, and
using guerilla tactics are trying ..to
fight their way to the main forces.
Japan's drive up the Chindwin has
halted, but that may be only a, tem
porary. measure, pending the. "/arrival
of reinforcements. , Thus it is: prema
ture to suggest that General Alexan
der's little -army has evadedencircle-
ment, and can bo "extricated across
the Assam border without : further
losses. . "', , :
A Chinese High Command com
munique- says that reinforced Chinese
troops in. Yunnan have beaten off re
peated Japanese attacks at-Kalpung.
The Japanese suffered heavy casual
ties. Fierce fighting: is continuing, in
this area, which is 30 miles north of
the Burma border.
Japanese are strongly pressing the
Chinese on the Burma Road around
Chcfang, but fresh Chinese are still
moving in to prevent the enemy ad
vance./. ,
The American Air Force, under the
command of Major-General Brereton,
is carrying out fierce attacks on Ran
goon. It has twice attacked Mlngala-
don, leaving it an inferno. The
R.A.F.'s activities at the present are
restricted, but operating apparently
from Indian airfields . it is - attempting
to support the British army's re
treat.
A New Delhi communique statej
that United States heavy bombers
again raided the Rangoon area early
this morning and started many fires.
This was the fifth raid in recent
weeks.
A Tokio despatch reads: — "Japan
ese, pursuing the enemy,, occupied
Lashio on April 29, and Bhamo on
May 3. The vanguard of the same
units crossed the Yunnan border and
occupied Lungllng on May 5."
A Chungking army spokesman
claimed that. Chinese were still fight
ing around Mandalay, and denied
that Bhamo and Myitkina had been
captured by the enemy. He asserted
It would be impossible for the Japan
ese to gain complete control - of
Burma with their present strength of
five divisions. The Japanese were
continuing their air bombings of.Ohe-
klang and Kiangsl provinces (China),
from which apparently they feared
air raids on Japan could be
launched.
The spokesman added that if the
Japanese attempted, a major inva
sion of China - from Burma they
would encounter much more formid
able resistance than the fifth and
sixth armies sent to Burma, which
were merely an expeditionary force,
whereas China ha'd 4,000,000 to
5,000,000 troops.
, Tokio Radio said a military spokes
man asserted that the chief objec
tive of the Japanese operations in
Burma - was achieved with -the en
trance to. Yunnan and the occupa
tion: of the airport of Akyab'.
'/Paris Radio said the Japanese,
after occupying Paletwa, made seve
ral crossings of the Kalandan River
into Indian territory, and took up
positions in the "elephant region,"
about 60 miles from Chittagong.
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