RED FORCES REPORTED TO HAVE ENTERED PEKING

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22821, 16 December 1948, Page 5

RED FORCES REPORTED TO HAVE ENTERED PEKING

Dramatic Two-Prong Push

Towards Nanking

(11.45 a.m.) NANKING, Dec. 15. According to an unconfirmed report, Communist forces have entered Peking, the ancient capital of China, and captured General Fu Tso-yi, the Nationalist commander in North China. The Nationalist military spokesman in Nanking denies the report.

Meanwhile, the Communist armies north of Nanking dramatically changed their tactics by suddenly dividing forces and sending them rapidly east and west from the embattled Anhwei-Honan-Kiangsu border regions.

William Parrott, N.Z. Press Association-Renter correspondent, quotes the Nationalist authorities as saying that a strong eastern push appeared to be the first movement of an ultimate swing south to bring them between Pengpu and Nanking.

Siege of Armies Lifted

Suddenly raising the siege of the three Nationalist Army groups northwest of Suhsien, the Communist leader, General Chen Yi’s main force has started a vast eastward movement towards Lingpi and Szechsein across the Tient-sin-Pukow railway in the direction of Lake Hungtze. ‘ At the same time the Communist forces of General Liu Po-cheng, who had been encircling the Nationalist Twelfth Army Group south-west of Suhsien have split west and east, one section making towards Honan and the other towards the Tientsin-Pukow railway. The Communists on Tuesday night tightened the encirclement of Peking and are now pressing forward to the city walls. They are also completing the encirclement of Tientsin, the other last Nationalist stronghold in North China. The Nationalists abandoned three more important Peking outposts, Tungchow, 10 miles eastward, Lianghsiang and Changsintian, 20 and 15 miles south-westward.

The Communists are also reported to be advancing on Chuangliangchen, a rail town between Tientsin and the port of Tangku to isolate Tientsin.

DEFENCE FORCE FOR HONG KONG

(10 a.m.) HONG KONG, Dec. 15. The Governor of Hong Kong. Sir Alexander Grantham, announced in the Legislative Council the formation of a Hong Kong defence force of 4500 men and women in the next six months, with the ultimate goal of 5700. This force will replace the existing Volunteers Corps which had a pre-war strength of 2000 men. The Governor’s announcement follows the recent War Office decision to strengthen the colony’s defence by the transfer of Gurkhas from Malaya by the end of the year and agitation in the press to bring up the defence strength to meet any emergency should the Chinese Communists advance into South China.