BIG BATTLE RAGES

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 197, 17 May 1941, Page 12

BIG BATTLE RAGES

Japanese Offensives In

China

SUCCESSES CLAIMED

( By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) SHANGHAI, May 15.

Fierce fighting is reported to be in progress in several parts of China. According to the Doniei news agency Japanese forces in the Shansi Province annihilated the Chinese seventh, twelfth, and thirty-fourth divisions in the coin sc of an encircling movement which trapped 200,000 Chinese.

A Chungking communique admits that the Japanese, in the Kwaugtung Province, recaptured the town of Waichow on the Tungkiang River Other Japanese are reported to have entered Fasyuen, the first major town north of Canton, but are said to have been driven out quickly.

There has been severe lighting in the past three days in the vicinity of Clitiki, in Hie Chekiang Province, and also in central Hupelt and southern Shansi areas.

The correspondent of the Gomel agency on the Honan front says that, as the culmination of long enmity, Chinese Communist troops suddenlyattacked the Chungking central _ fortieth army in the vicinity of Linlisien on the Honan-Shansi border. The correspondent said that the lighting at present was very bitter. According to a Reuter message, the Chinese military spokesman said that the big battle raging now in China will have an important effect on the Chinese-Japanese war. The Japanese have thrown in strong forces in an attempt to mop up the Chinese troops in the mountains dominating the Yellow River, and have cut the Chinese forces into two groups. The western group was being hard pressed, but the eastern group was holding its position in the mountains. There were no signs yet that the Japanese had crossed the Yellow River.