SWAYING BATTLES

Evening Star, Issue 25047, 14 December 1943, Page 5

SWAYING BATTLES

CHINESE PROGRESS FROM CHANGTEH AMERICAN AIR REINFORCEMENTS rtßec. 11.20 a.m.) ,' CHUNGKING. Decem'ber 13. , The Chinese have recaptured Niupitan. east of Changteh, and also retaken 10 villages north-west of Changteh, encircling 2,000 Japanese, of whom 500 were killed, says a Chinese communique. The Japanese have captured Shihmen, an important town 40 miles north-west of Changteh. The Associated Press reports that tho Japanese have been driven out of Panlungkiao, 20 miles north-west of Changteh. Reinforced Japanese are fiercely counter-attacking near Ausiang, 45 miles north-east of Changteh. - The Chinese, after capturing several villages in fierce hand-to-hand engagements, are now reported to be attacking the outer defences of the Japanese base of Ichang, on the Yangtse. General Stilwell's communique says that Mitchell's dropped 12 ' tons of bomibs on Japanese installations at Ansiang and lhishow, in the Tungting Lake sector, starting many fires. American fighters intercepted a Japanese formation of fighters and dive-bombers. Eight Zeros and two dive-bombers were shot down and there were no American losses.

' Tokio radio announced that American Liberators and Mitchells bombed the Hankow area last night. The United Press correspondent at General Stilwell's headquarters says that after a year of fighting in Burma and Assam an American fighter group equipped with P 40's and Warhawks reinforced Chennault's air force. Their squadrons recently escorted the bombers to Haiphong and Hanoi and ma-chine-gunned the Japanese in IndoChina'and southern China.