THAILAND AND INDO-CHINA

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23232, 20 January 1941, Page 7

THAILAND AND INDO-CHINA

FIERCE FIGHTING REPORTED FRENCH CLAIM NAVAL SUCCESSES CUHITIP PEMB ASSOCIiTT >■— COPYRIGHT.) (Received January 19, 8.30 p.m.) • LONDON, January 17. A Saigon message says that French warships in the Gulf of Siam are reported to have sunk two Thai warships and damaged a third in an engagement yesterday. . In Bangkok, the Thai High Command said that the French Fleet attacked the Thai Fleet at Kochang on Friday. In the ensuing three-hour battle Thai aeroplanes and warships drove off the French vessels, all of which were badly damaged. Thai warships were slightly damaged. The Thai forces, the High Command claims, have occupied new positions in the Aranya sector after heavy fighting in which 200 French corpses were left on the field. It is also reported from Saigon that 600 Thai - troops were killed or wounded in heavy fighting on the Indo-China border, while French aeroplanes are reported to have bombed towns along the railway leading from the coast to Bangkok. . . An American businessman arriving from the frontier to-day said that the border war was far mole serious than had been realised.

Fierce fighting is taking place In five sectors along a 1000-mile front between Thailand and French Indo-China. The Bangkok radio announced last night that Thai troops had occupied a number of districts, and had liberated the civil populations.