ON SHANGHAI FRONT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 234, 2 October 1937, Page 9

ON SHANGHAI FRONT.

CHINESE DEFENCE UNBROKEN. CONCRETE PILL-BOXES DEFY ATTACK. JAPS. ADMIT 2000 DEAD THIS WEEK. (United Press Association.—Copyright.— Bee. 12 noon.) SHANGHAI, October 1. The Lotien sector ia the fiercest focus of activity on the Shanghai front. The Japanese are attempting to cut through in order to isolate Chinese concentrations at Liuho. Each side has suffered thousands of casualties for no particular advantage. Severe fighting continues along the railway. The Japanese failure to advance northwards from Lotien is due to Chinese concrete forts 100 yards square, which are impervious to artillery and bombing planes. They are surrounded by barbed wire. Japanese admit losses since Sunday of 2000 dead and 5000 wounded. The Chinese admit the loss of a few outposts but claim that their main line is intact. The casualties on both sides are stated to be heavy. It is estimated that 100.000 Japanese am massed in China's 22-mile "iron belt," from Chapei to Liuho. For the eighth time the "Bridge of Eternal Peace," near the International Settlement, has changed hands and now is held by the Japanese. There is little material change on any front except at Nannsiakow, on the Tientsin-Pukow railway, where the Chinese, r fl ii P i' rB V anCC t P°l' c y« are fighting rearguard actions and fell back without confusion. Defence lines on the Shanghai front remain impervious. From Taichow to Techow. The Japanese front now extends from Taichow, on the west, almost to Techow, in the east, traversing a large area of the provinces of Shansi, Hopei and part of Shantung. i^ < j V e I,C ' n * over fl°°ded ground and in heavy rain, Japanese occupied Sangchiayuan. 15 miles north of Techow, says a Tokyo message. Retreating Chinese have broken river embankments, threatening Tientsin with disastrous floods. Chinese defence of the Inner Great Wall are threatened as a result of irregular battles over a wide area. Tokyo reports that Japanese captured Liuchiang, north-west of Shanghai, also that they entered Shantung province. J«P® n «e storm troops scaled the walls of Taichow and drove back defending riflemen and machine-gunners with hand grenades. They seized the town and forced the Chinese to abandon Yenmen Pass. The Japanese are advancing across the 70-mile plain towards Taiyuanfu. capital of the Shansi province, which was bombed from the air some days ago. The populace is already evacuating the town.