The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-04-02
Allied Burma Troops May Fall In Jap Trap
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 At Akyab the Japanese were barely 200 miles from Burma's main trunk railroad and in position to strike ct the rear of the allied de-" lenders.
 The Chinese spokesman said that the landings evidently were de- signed to outhank the entire west. ern flank of the British and Chi- ilese forces in Burma.
 The landing, he said, may have influenced the British withdrawal on the Prone front.
 Rear End Positions Hit
 New Delhi; India, April 2.-tup) --Japanese Warplailes attacked British and Chinese rearsllne posi- tions today in on effort to open Q path for twin drives toward Man dalay and the rich Yenangyaurg oil fields.
 The haFd-preSsed defenders oG Central Burma were falling back to new strongholds in the Toungoo and Promo sectors to make new stands against the nufnerically-Su- perior enemy forces pushing north- ward.
 Observers said that c new and perhaps deciSiVe phase appeared at hand, with tho enemy claiming the initial advantage.
 An unidentified town Of northern Burma was bombed by the Japan- csc for the firStt inc yesterday af- ternoon when 27 bombers and i6 fighters came over in three waves, on India-Burina command com munique said. Damage was neg- lIgible although there were some casualties.
 Another town in northern Burma also was bombed, with neither casu- alties nor damage,
 Today's India-B Burma command communique said no substantial change had occurred on the weSt- ern Allied flank in the Irrawaddy valley since yesterday.
 The only contact with enemy troops maSSed below Prone, it said was made by 6 British reconnais. sance force which moved down the Prome- -Rangoon railway and wiped out . Japanese patrol.
 The communique estimated that Burmese traitor forces in the Prome area now number more than 4,000 with at least 1000 on the west bank of the 1rrawaddy opposite Prone.
 Enemy Planes Active
 It said enemy reconnaiBSailcC planes were active along the Irra- Waddy front yesterday, and re- ported a Japanese air raid on an Allied landing field in northern Burma. Details of the raid were lacking.
 By outfighting their beslegcrS, an Isolated British unit ct ShWedau1g and the Chinese garrison ct TouTl- goo crashed through enemy en- encIrcIemOntB and rejoined their main forces. But both withdraw" als strengthened the Japanese posi- tionS and game the enehy Btra- tegic footholdS for new, mass aS- saults.
 The Allied situation Oil the WcSt- ern defense flank in the IrraWaddy valley admittedly was grave. coil1- manding the iar and supported by the local population, the superior JapaneSe forces seized attacking positions At 9hwedaung and near Padigon, only 10 and IS miles bee low the CIV imperial defense line just south Of Prone.
 (BrltiSh military quarters have admitted that British Gen. Harold D, L, Alexander may be formed soon to abandon Prone and fight c delaying battle iiorthward along the IrTaWaddy valley) muniqiie revealed that British ti1ita trapped below shwedaung by . Jap- anese flanking action fought their way through enemy road blocks tc reach Prone. The same com. munique admitted, however, that the Japanese completely cotltroleld the Irrawaddy valley and the rail- Foad below Prone.
 Dispatches from the eastern Al- lied flank in the slttang river val- ley said fierce fighting was rag ing northeast of Toungoo, which on oitnumbered Chinese garrison evacuated Monday by bredaking an enemy ring on the east. The main units of China's fiftn and sixth armies, under the per- sonal command of United Statei Lieut.. Gen. Joseph W. gtilweil, nov have abandoned Toungoo and eg' sabiisiled c new line below XeoaBne about iB miles to the neTth.
 ChungkiFg c0inntifk. .sle9 inai' cated that the present sAAhtf9