E-Paper
HT THIS DAY: October 20, 1944 — Indian troops capture Tiddim
Tiddim, key to the mountain roads through the Chin hills, has been in Japanese hands since March 13 this year
It is reported that Tiddim has fallen. It was near Tiddim that the 1942 retreat from Burma became a stand.
Seven months after the Army left Tiddim in flames and marched out on their 150-mile withdrawal to Manipur, men of the Fifth Indian Division have re-entered this village, says a Press Note. Tiddim, key to the mountain roads through the Chin hills, has been in Japanese hands since March 13 this year, when Major. General David Cowan gave orders to his 17th Indian Division to start back along the road to Imphal. The 14th Army has battled for 31 weeks through the worst of the monsoon. Tiddim was recaptured after a fortnight of intensive air attack and steadily increasing pressure by ground forces, which were deployed in a huge are round the village.
The Japanese broke finally on the northern outskirts. With their strong points shattered by almost continuous bombing the fierce resistance with which they had stood up to all attacks vanished overnight. Indian troops who pushed in from the north-west and north-east entered the village without further opposition.
Now they are moving on again along the road which leads from Tiddim down the Chindwin valley at Kalewa. Contact with the retreating Japanese is reported a mile from Tiddim and heavy fighting must lie ahead round Kennedy Peak and Fort White, both heavily fortified. Fighting has been in progress north of these points on the Tiddim-Kalemyo road for more than a week, as our forces were moving round in a long outflanking book that anticipated the fall of Tiddim and the enemy’s withdrawal along the road.
RANGOON AIRFIELDS RAIDED
Wednesday’s attack on airfields near Rangoon was the biggest sweep yet made in this theatre at such a range. Complete reports are not available, but already it is known that the sweep was highly successful. Enemy fighters made vain attempts to drive off the British and U.S. aircraft. One formation of U.S. Thunderbolts shot down two single-engined Jap fighters and destroyed three and damaged three on the ground at Mingaladon.
