Evening star., 1944-04-19
Allies Lash Out
With Tanks at
|Japs in India
Three Enemy Defense
Positions Northeast
Of lmphoI Taken
BY the Associated Press.

HANDY, Ceylon, April 19.-Al-
lied forces have lashed out with
tanks in their offensive against
the japanese invaders of North
east India, scoring further ad-
vances and taking three small
japanese defensive positions
northeast of the Plain of I'M
phal, Allied headquarters an
nounced today.
The communique said that "bitter
fighting continues for a hill feature
the possession of which now has
been in dispute two days." west OF
Bishenpur and south of the track to
Silchar, the alternative land route
southwest of Imphal to the Bengal
Assam railway, Allied feeder line.
No change was announced in the
kohima area, 60 miles north of I'M
phal, where the Allies are fighting
to secure the 35-mile main road to
Dimapur on the Bengal rail-
road.
Infantry and Tanks Join Drive.
Both infantry and tanks joined in
the offensive northeast of the Plain
OF Imphal where the Allied forces
for several days have been success
fully beating back one of the three
original invasion spearheads which
the japanese thrust over the Indo-
Burmese border.
South of Imphal and east of Palel
the Japanese launched two attacks
on the night of April 17-18 against
an Allied position and were repulsed
handily, the communique said.
Japanese aviation joined in the
fighting in this area and British
Spitfires destroyed one and damaged
four others out of small formation
which dropped only a few bombs.
Virtually every type of plane of
the United States Air Force, the
Raj and the Indian Air Force
Joined In widespread operations over
the Burma area during the last two
days. Communications serving the
Japanese in the Imphal- -Dimapur
and Mogaung- -Myitkyina areas in
the north were strafed and bombed
Air commando ighter-bombers. en-
route to the support of Chindits, air
borne forces blocking the railroad at
Mawlu, southwest of Mogaung
dropped their bombs in enemy ter
ritory, then tangled with IL Japa-
nese fighters in the Tamu area, de-
stroying three and damaging three.
Bombers Attack Oil Plants.
American heavy bombers in day.
light yesterday made an attack on
the valuable oil plants at Yenan-
gaung, 1870 miles southwest of Man
dalay, sending clouds of black smoke
rolling skyward.
Strafing planes shot up total of
u Japanese river craft and not a
single plane was lost in all the
Allied operations.
In North Burma, the Chinese 38th
Division, operating under 1t. Gen.
Joseph w. Stilwell, continued its
progress down the Mogaung Valley
in the direction of Kamaing and
Moeaupg, reachlng the LankraW
River east of the road and south of
Ilngring, where the japanese
countered the advance with artillery
fire. The Chinese 22d Division con-
tlnued its assault on Warazup.
Meanwhile, it was disclosed that
the japanese are paying heavily for
their thrust into India, their known
dead in the last six weeks far ex-
ceeding 1000, without counting the
large numbers doubtlessly killed by
artillery fire, strafing and bombing
The japanese lost at least 400
killed and much equipment in the
battle of Nunshigum Hill north of
lmphal, with some of their units
being practically wiped out and
one company reduced to 10 men
Six Japanese prisoners were taken
Allied casualties were comparatively
| light.