Evening star., 1942-05-10
japanese Raid India
Again, Bringing War
Closer 10 Calcutta
British in Burma EIude
Enemy Trop and Take
Positions on Border
By the Associated Press.


into the industrial province of
Bengal, for the second time in "a
hours today, bringing relatively
close to the great port of CAL
cutta the war that India has
dreaded so long.
The raids were the third and
fourth attacks of the war on the
Indian mainland.
A high level bombing and ma
chine-gun attack on Chittagong
yesterday afternoon caused slight
damage and some casualties, the
British reported.
The results of the raid this morn
ing were not announced hours after
the bombers left.
Test Chittagong Defenses.
The Japanese apparently were
testing the defenses of Chittagong.
which doubtless is among the early
objectives OF any advance into In
dia proper. There was no confirma-
ton, however. of vague Axis reports
that enemy patrols already have
penetrated India.
Chittagong, 165 miles northwest
OF Japanese-occupied Akyab, Burma,
lies at the extreme east of the vast
Ganges delta of northeast India. On
the western area of this delta, 376
miles by sea and 220 miles by air
from Chittagong, lies Calcutta, pre-
sumably the ultimate objective of
the japanese if and when they Mt
tempt to move against the Indian
mainland.
Bombs fell from japanese planes
on India proper for the first time
last April when two ports in the
Madras presidency, Vizagapatam and
Cocanada, were attacked.
Vizagapatam, nearer Of the two
ports to Calcutta, is 460 air miles
southwest of that important city
British Elude Trap.
While the Japanese jabbed at In
dia's defenses from the air, British
lmperials eluded a japanese trap
in Burma and took up positions in
the mountains near the Indian
frontier.
A British communique said the
mperials withdrew successfully in
the face Of dive bombing and ma
chine cunning attacks from the
air. 1t declared that no contact was
made with the Japanese land forces.
OF these aerial attacks, the Brit
ish said that little If any military
damage was sustained, but it is
feared that civilian refugees en-
route to India suffered casualties" :"
The British did not indicate where
the harassed empire troops now
stood beyond saying that the Japa-
nese air force was very active" in
the Chindwin River area, which is
northwest of Mandalay.
The R. A. F. again appeared in
Burma, where the Japanese have
had the advantage from the be-
ginning Of the campaign, to seize the
Allies chief lines of communica-
tions. But the communique men,
toned only reconnaissance flights
by the British pilots
Japs Claim Rail Terminus.
To the east the Japanese re-
ported occupation of Myitkina,
terminus of railway from Man
dalay to Rangoon, presumably COM
pleting the seizure of this strategic
line.
Japanese reports also said Kinu,
go miles north of Mandalay on the
railway to Myitkina, was captured
Thursday.
Toxic also reported that the
Japanese are driving northward
from Lungling, so miles inside
China's Yunnan province from the
Burma border. The japanese said
a machine gun attack demolished
more than SIS Chinese trucks in the
vicinity Of Hweitung bridge on the
Nu River, more than 80 miles north
east of Lungling.
The principal prelude to the
Chittagong bombing was japanese
seizure Of Akyab, on the wild west
coast Of Burma. The airport there,
once a station on the empire air
route to Calcutta, was abandoned
weeks ago by the British.
Strategic Position Excellent.
Holding it and all the other air.
ports in Burma and with full sea
control in the Bay Of Bengal the
japanese now are in a strategically-
excellent position for attacking In
dias east coast.
1t has long been surmiSed that
the japanese would not attack Cal
cutta directly, but would attempt
landings on both sides. Chittagong
is on one side of the vast network
OF deltaS of the GangeS and Brama-
putra. with Calcutta on the other
The japanese have shown them
selves adept at operating small ma
tive craft along such waterways
as means of closing in on an OBJ
Iective.
The monsoon storms, now about
to start in this area, will facilitate
water passage through the delta
area. In fact, water transport be-
comes almost the sole means of op-
Grafton in this zone during the
months when rains swell the river!
to food level.
The Chittagong air attacks, com
ing near the conclusion Of the Bur.
ma campaign, focused special mill
tary interest on Northwest India
the most densely populated section
and seat of Indias small-scal
Pittsburgh"
PIT. A. Picks CHICAGO