Evening star., 1942-03-02
British Patrols Seek
To Block Jap Fee|er
.Thrusts in Burma
Enemy Radio Reports
New Aerial Attacks
In Indiun Ocean
~ the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, March 2.-British
patrols ranging along the Sit
tang River fought today to break
up feeler thrusts by japanese
forces massed in gathering
strength for q drive across the
river toward virtually deserted
Rangoon, the broad Irrawaddy
and the approaches to India.
I'm Rangoon the British cNm-
mand indicated tonight that its
lines were holding unchanged
along the Sittang River, facing .
growing number of Japanese ap-
parently preparing for . new
assault toward Rangoon and
Pegu.
Meanwhile the r. A. r. blasted
at Japanese positions along the
Sittang, bombing q number Of
targets and starting fires which
q communique said were burning
fiercely when the British bombers
returned to their base)
The Japanese radio reported that,
for the second time, the invaders
had struck beyond the battle lines
with aerial attacks In the Indian
Ocean.
The broadcast said Japanese naval
bombers raided q radio station and
base facilities for the Allied fleet"
at Britain's Christmas Island, on key
sea lanes 220 miles south Of Western
Java. In the first such attack the
Andaman islands between lower
Burma and the tip Of India were
bombed last week.
Dispatches from Burma indicated
the British still held the west bank
Of the Sittang, and said two parties
Of Japanese had been ambushed by
patrols on the east bank north Of
the important rail center Of Pegu,
80 miles from Rangoon.
City Now Abandoned.
That once great Oriental seaport,
bustling only q few days ago with
the unloading Of supplies for China
via the Burma Road, has been aban-
doned now by virtually all except
weary empire troops and looters.
On the 434-mile road north from
Rangoon past Pegu and on to Man.
dalay the fiow Of trucks for China
has been replaced by the stream OF
bewildered peasant refugees and
bandit-beset Indian laborers plod-
ding toward their homeland and
hopes of safety.
In the hard-bombed little towns
along the roadside nearly 1000 vii
layers are reported to have been
killed in the last few days Of re-
peated air raids.
There still has been no word Of
Japanese attempts to land from the
sea on the delta below Rangoon, or
westward where the many-mouthed
Irrawaddy enters the Bay Of Bengal.
Trap for Poor Swimmers.
The strong tide Of the lower Sit
tang makes it death trap for poor
swimmers. Many of the British rear
guard reached the river after the
rail and road bridge had been de-
stroyed.
Some swan. Others stood their
ground on the east bank and fought
it out with the Japanese until they
were overwhelmed.
Can Associated Press corre-
spondent with the British forces
on the Pegu front in Burma said
yesterday that the japanese had
been driven OF in an approach
toward the main Burma China
highway north Of Pegu after
crossing the Sittang under cover
of darkness)
A vivid picture of the desolated
city Of Rangoon was given in dis
patch from Rangoon yesterday by
Philip Jordan Of the London News
Chronicle.
How long the water supply here
will last no one knows" Mr.. Jordan
wrote. I'm some parts of the town
1t has stopped already.
AT night there are several rec
glows in the sky.
"A form OF military control ha:
been declared in the city but
it is not safe to 60 into the center
of town now without some kind oi
weapon and, often as not, the only
way to deal with looters is to Shoot
them without mercy
In the harbor are whai
ships the navy can spare to safe.
guard communications. At present
their main job seems to be to fire
on raiding warcraft."
There were reports from Mandalay
that Japanese bombs had hit oil
stores Saturday In Toungoo on the
Rangoon -Mandalay railroad north
of Pegu. Flames were said to have
wrecked at least q square mile ir
the heart Of the town.
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