ALL-OUT BLOW

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21548, 30 October 1944, Page 3

ALL-OUT BLOW

ENEMY IN CHINA DRIVE ON KWEILIN TWIN RAILWAY THRUST (9 a.m.) CHUNGKING, Oct. 29. The Japanese opened an all-out offensive against Kweilin on October 27 and are now attacking Chinese positions in the city’s outskirts. The Japanese have also advanced six miles in a renewed thrust westward from Pingnam and struck westward from Foochow. The new Japanese offensive began after a long lull in which the enemy regrouped his forces and built roads to bring up supplies. The drive began with twin thrusts down both sides of the Hunan-Kwangsi railway. Another column swung south-west-ward from Kwangyang, 50 miles east-north-east cf Kweilin, with the ultimate aim of joining the general attack and bringing Kweilin under twosided pressure. The Japanese drove down the railway and a supporting column moved to outflank Kweilin from the west. Other Japanese troops, to protect the offensive’s left flank, jabbed southward from Yungming, 75 miles eastward of Kweilin, against Fuybwan, 35 miles distant. The Japanese drive from Pingnam is aimed at the Liuchow air base.

The Chinese High Command announced the successful occupation ol a major part of the enemy positior eight miles southward of Kweiping

General Stilwell’s communique says 14th Air Force bombers on the night of October 2G probably sank a Japanese destroyer and damaged a destroyer, a tanker, and a cargo vessel 75 miles westward of Liuchow.