1944 BURMA / DEFENCE: World War 2: Campaign on four fronts

Date: 18th May 1944

Location: BURMA

Source: Reuters Historical News Collection: BRITISH PARAMOUNT NEWSREEL (REUTERS)

SLATE INFORMATION: The Position in Burma

BURMA(MYANMAR):

Superimposed title over map of Burma.

LV Brigadier Sir John George Smyth

Smyth posing.

CU Smyth talking.

GV pan hills and jungle of Burma.

GV pan jungles and hills of Burma.

SV map of Arakan district and animation towards town of AKYAB

GV hills and jungle.

TV jungle.

SV supplies through jungle.

SV General Stilwell looking at man on table.

CU Stilwell.

SBV Chinese troops along road through jungle.

LV jeeps through jungle towards camera.

LAV showing Lido road.

Map scene showing animation of Lido road and dotted line showing old Burma road. GTV General Wingate's troops lined up.

LV General Wingate inspecting with Louis Mountbatten.

CU Wingate.

SBV Wingate watching columns moving off.

Map scene showing town of MYITKYINA.

CU Smyth talking.

LV British troops and tanks along road towards camera.

CU tank along road.

LV Indian troops along road.

SV map showing Imphal, and road via Kohima and railhead at Dimapur on Bengal and Assam railway

LV guns in woods preparing to fire.

CU Chinese soldier at sight.

LV guns fire.

BV guns fire.

SV mortar gun fires from pit.

CU mortar gun fires from pit.

GV explosion in jungles.

LV explosion in jungle and troops moving forward.

SV troops moving forward behind bushes and trees.

CU soldier behind bushes and trees.

CU soldier behind tree firing rifle.

SV dead Japs in undergrowth.

LV troops moving forward past dead Jap.

CU dead Jap.

GBV tanks moving forward in battle area followed by soldiers.

SV tanks moving forward past wrecked Jap tank.

SBV tanks forward in battle area followed by soldiers.

SOUND EFFECTS:

CU Smith talking:- "The country in which the Burma campaign is being fought is about the most difficult in the world from an operational point of view"..."Arakan, where the fighting started this year, is separated from the rest of Burma by a range of high mountains. As our troops advanced along the coastal road which leads to AKYAB the Japanese countered by their favourite encircling movement designed to cut our communications." In Northern Burma there are two main areas of activity both centering round this all-important question of communications. The first is General Stilwell's move with his American trained Chinese troops protecting the construction of the Ledo Road. The idea is that this road should eventually connect up with the old Burma road which was our main means of communication with the Chinese. His advance is being greatly assisted by the operation of the late General Wingate's airborne troops, and mobile columns, which are smashing up the Mains Japanese communications south of MYITKYINA"...

"CU Smith speaking:- "But the vital area of the present campaign is the central Manipur district and it is here that the main forces are engaged and the fiercest fighting is taking place"..."The main Japanese thrust was directed against our central base at IMPHAL and on the road which connected that base via KOHIMA with our railhead at DIMAPUR on the Bengal and Assam railway. had this thrust succeeded the Japanese would have severed the main line of communications of General Stilwells force."

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#War #Fighting #Defence #Military #Myanmar #Burma

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