HANKOW DEFENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 149, 27 June 1938, Page 11

HANKOW DEFENCE

KEY-POINT CAPTURED CLAIM BY THE CHINESE ' ENEMY' VESSELS BOMBED United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. SHANGHAI, June 26. The Chinese claim to have recaptured Hsiangkow, one of the keypoints of the defence of Hankow, after a counter-attack in which 4000 Japanese were killed and wounded. ' Chinese warplanes, in raids throughout the day along a hundred miles of the Yangtze River, sank two Japanese gunboats and set fire to two transports. The Chinese planes escaped, despite attacks by Japanese pursuit planes.

The following cablegram was received by the Chinese Consul from Hankow this morning;— On June 24, 6000 Japanese landed at Hsiangkow on the south bank of the Yangtze River between Tungliu and Matung. We attacked the enemy fiercely, killing and wounding over 4000 and recapturing Hsiangkow. The remnant of the enemy, comprising over 1000, fled westward, following the bank of the river. These have now been surrounded. Our warplanes yesterday made four raids on Japanese warships between Wuhu and Tungliu, and scored direct hits on at least Ave warships. Our planes also bombed the enemy aerodrome at Anking, destroyed many planes in the course of refuelling, and brought down three enemy planes.

i RAILWAY WRECKED JAPANESE RAID ! HANKOW-CANTON LINE CANTON, June 25. Thirty-three Japanese bombers ex- ' tensively wrecked the southern end of the Hankow-Canton railway, over . which a train carrying 300 foreign refugees was scheduled to travel to Hong Kong next Tuesday. 800,000 JAPANESE WORKERS LOSE JOBS TOKIO, June 26. The Domei News Agency estimates .that 800,000 workers have been rendered idle as a result of the control of commodities introduced last Thursday. It is hoped that many will be absorbed into the munitions industry.