The China Lantern - JUNE 15, 1945 - China-Burma-India Theater of World War II

STARS & STRIPES OVER SHURI CASTLE - A U.S. Marine lieutenant, braving Japanese sniper fire, places the American Flag on the parapet of Shuri Castle, enemy stronghold seized by the Marines on Okinawa. The flag belongs to the Fifth Marine Division and is the same flag raised over Cape Gloucester and Pelelieu by the First. - (Radiophotos.)

Japs Recapture Ishan
As Withdrawal Halts

ALLIED BASES RING
JAPAN'S EMPIRE
GUAM, June 14 (Globe) - With the invasion of Borneo the last link in a great chain of bases of the big assault on Japan's south-east Asian empire is being forged.
The air bases which the Allies will eventually operate in this area form the southern end of a huge arc of bases that runs through the Philippines and up to Okinawa.
The pre-invasion bombing of Japanese bases within 1,000 miles of Brunei, incidentally, was the most powerful air attack yet put in the South West Pacific Theater.

Chinese Approach Paoching;
30-Mi. From Indo-China Line

HQ., CHINESE COMBAT COMMAND, June 14 - (Special to The China Lantern) - Although sporadic and at times bitter fighting continued during the past seven days along the disputed Hankow-French Indo-China corridor, in contrast to other recent weeks there was little change of positions to report during the past seven days in central and southern China.
The Japanese, who had retreated 115 miles to the northeast from Nanning in the previous week, this week apparently halted their retreat for the time being in the area of Tatang, roughly 35 air miles southwest of the former Fourteenth U.S. Army Air Force base of Liuchow. At last report, Tatang was still in Japanese hands, although a confused situation existed in the area with apparently no fixed battle lines for either side.

BATTLE FOR ISHAN
To the west of Liuchow, where the Japanese also had been withdrawing toward the former air base along the line of their former Hochin salient, the heaviest fighting of the week took place for possession of Ishan, a road and rail town approximately 45 air miles from Liuchow. On Sunday, June 10, the Chinese entered the town and drove the Japanese garrison to its eastern outskirts. The enemy reacted sharly to this thrust, however and counterattacked to regain possession of the city within 24 hours after the Chinese had occupied it. Severe fighting occurred in this action.
In the area southwest of Nanning, in the direction toward which part of the Japanese forces in the Nanning area retreated after the fall of that city on May 27th, the Chinese made their most substantial advances.
Following in the wake of the retreating enemy, Chinese forces this week penetrated as far to the west and south as the Ningaing area, on the main Nanning-Hanoi road, approximately 30 miles south and west of Saigon, reported captured last week and approximately the same distance from the French Indo-China border.

Flying Tiger Planes Sock Japs Over 2,300 Mi. Area

HQ., 14TH AIR FORCE, June 14 - (Special to The China Lantern) - While Fourteenth Air Force fighters and bombers this week (June ? to 12) struck at enemy targets wherever they were found on 1 2,300 mile perimeter from Peiping to French Indo-China, strong support was concentrated in coordinated action with Chinese Ground Forces in their drive on Liuchow. This support took the form of Mustang attacks on enemy troops moving northward on the Siang corridor during June 5 and 6. Further north on the next day, June 7, Mustangs hit Siansiang destroying 85 buildings and damaging 15 more, while Mitchells returned on June 8 and again hit enemy positions north of Changsha, leaving fires visible for 90 miles.
On June 10, Jap forces moving northward in the Siand corridor were hit. Sixty boats were destroyed or damaged by fighters, and barracks were bombed. Mustangs hit at river traffic on the West river, killing enemy troops in boats near Liuchow. The attack was followed the next day by more missions of Mustangs which killed horses, troops and hit compounds housing Japanese personnel and supplies around Liuchow.

MOVING JAPS HALTED
River shipping on June 12 was struck from Yochow in the Tungting Lake sector south to Liuchow and along the West river. On the same day Mustangs found enemy troops moving east in the Liing valley above Liuchow and killed many of them, strafed barracks areas near Luchai, north of Liuchow, damaged shipping and a radio station.
Elsewhere throughout China Fourteenth Air Force fighters and bombers picked bridges,

NEW U.S. CHINA EMBASSY READY NEXT MONTH
CHUNGKING, June 14 (UP) - The United States Embassy building, which is being built on the site of the former building destroyed by fire last winter, is expected to be ready for occupancy by July 1.
The new building is patterned after the former two-story structure which was gutted by flames six months after completion. Containing 2 rooms, the building will accomodate 25 to 30 staff members.

locomotives and rolling stock as their principal targets. On June 11 Mitchells and Mustangs struck the railroad yards at Kwanshulshih on the Ping Han railroad with 100 percent hits while Mustangs on the same day destroyed a span of the Ping Han bridge, north of Anyang.

SHIPS SENT DOWN
During the week 27 locomotives were destroyed or damaged on the enemy operated lines north and south of the Yellow river.
On June 9 Fourteenth Air Force missions of Mustangs operating on the Yangtze from Hankow to Wuhu destroyed a 200 foot cargo vessel, a 150 foot river vessel and 80 foot river boat and two motor launches. Upwards of 100 Japanese troops were killed in the shipping strikes.
Jap communications lines were struck as far south as Canton on June 11 and 12 by Mustangs. Loaded flat cars on the Canton-Sunshu railroad were exploded.
At the extreme southern end of the operational perimeter for the week, three locomotives were damaged near Tuiran in French Indo-China.

The CHINA LANTERN is the newspaper for the United States Forces in the China Theatre and is published three times weekly by Lt. Lester H. Geiss, Editor-in-Chief, for military personnel only. Lt. Harry D. Purcell, Managing Editor; Lt. Maurice Pernod, Production Chief. Pfc. Richard P. Wilson, Reporter. Editorial offices: Hqrs., SOS China Theater, Kunming, China, and Hqrs., SOS, Calcutta, India. Printed by Ajit Kumar Sinha at the "Amrita Bazar Patrika" Press, Calcutta. Unless specifically stated, news and features appearing in the China Lantern do not necessarily represent the views of the War Department; the Commanding General, USF, CT, or any other official source.

JUNE 15, 1945

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