The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-02-26

NCOUulnueQ rom FdRc U miles of the idle Rangoon-to-Man- dalay railroad with the bitter strug- gle apparently forcing the defend- CTS back slowly.
 No details came from the battle front. The shallow Sittang, how ever, is virtually creek at some points and appeared to offer but little barrier to the Japanese, who had crossed the mile-wide Salween river to the east.
 Should that defense line fall, the Burma road would be cut at its southern end and Rangoon, 48 miles south of the railroad junction of Pegu-the immediate Japanese ob- jective-would be virtually defense less.
 On the jutting neck of Burma between the Bay of Bengal and the Gulf of Martaban, the capital would have to be held by siege garrison and the chances of rein forcements would be almost nil.
 Japs Cross Sittang (An American pilot in China said T know the Japs have crossed the Sittang and believe they dropped parachutists north of Rangoon in an attempt to cut off retreat.")
 Rangoon itself, with the Burma road cut, would be of great dimin- ished military value Traffic over the railroad to Mandalay already has ceased.
 Straight to the west from the Sit- tang battle lines is a stretch of 150 miles of plains and low hills to the Bay of Bengal. By covering that dis tance the invaders would isolate the RangoOn neck of Burma. By falling back to the bay and withdrawing northWard, abandon ing Rangoon, the imperials would form defense line running east and south from the Shan states = and would have India and northern Burma at their backs. Such a line possibly would be based on Prone, 150 miles by rail- road northwest of Esnpco~ md 220 miles southeast of Mandalay. There were indications Lat both sides were pouring in achievements and that armies engaged numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Allied airmen, including Americans were raking the Japanese lines and bombing their bases. Calcutta radio reports said yesterday that the al- lies had destroyed 29, possibly 35, of ,a Feet of p!a: =; raiding Rangoon.
 In the northeast, the Chinese were believed to have strong forces op- posing the new Japanese thrusts from Thailand. One Japanese drive was said to have been started north of Chiengdao, which is north of Chiengmai. That is some 300 or $50 miles northeast of the Sittang fight ing.
 Unofficial reports said the Japa- nese had constructed roads from Chiengmai toward the Shan states, and were preparing one spearhead to drive westward toward Loilem, Burma.
 Only relatively small quantity of goods intended for shipment over the Burma road to China remained at Rangoon. Hundreds of American trucks, automobiles and "Jeep" cars have rolled northward from Ram goon during the past two weeks with lease-lend materials. The head of the American military mission, Lieut.. Col. Adrian Saint John re- mained behind. 1t was said, to carry out demolitions.
 Reports were coming in of many deaths in aerial bombings. Evacuees said 100 persons were killed when a bomb hit the bazaar in the town of Pinmana. American women mission aries said another Japanese bomb nit train carrying 65 orphan chil- dren from Moulmein. killing about 90 persons but not injuring the children.
 One missionary teacher was killed and another was wounded, the Americans said.