JAPANESE LOSSES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21142, 9 July 1943, Page 3

JAPANESE LOSSES

NEARLY 2,000,000 IN CHINA ENEMY DRIVES FOILED (British Official Wireless.) (10 a.m.) RUGBY. July 8. The Japanese casualties totalled 1.930,639 to the end of June, 1943, stated General Ho Ying Chin, the Chinese War Minister and Chief of the General Staff, to-day. Only 20,642 have been captured. Reviewing the military situation in the past year, he said that on the China front the Japanese plans to push westward had been restored to normal while the defence of western Yunnan province was as strong as ever. In the recent campaign in western Hupeh province, about five divisions of enemy troops had been smashed. The enemy forces were deteriorating in quality. As a result of 'heavy losses, the Japanese were facing an acute shortage of man-power, necessitating the calling of Koreans, Formosans and Chinese in occupied territory, who had not the slightest interest in fighting for Japan. The Chinese military spokesman stated to-day that Chinese troops had fought 71 major battles, 2037 minor engagements, and 1033 guerrilla actions with the Japanese. During the past year the Chinese forces had inflicted 187,860 casualties on the Japanese and had captured 2809 enemy troops, 23 field guns, 5327 rifles, 1893 horses and 316 tanks and trucks.