HONG KONG SIEGE

Grey River Argus, 20 December 1941, Page 5

HONG KONG SIEGE

HEAVY SHELLING

Japanese Landings

[British Official Wireless] RUGBY, December 18. Little fresh information is available of the situation at Hong Kong, where shelling continues. British fire is stated to have dispersed troop concentrations on the mainland, and silenced sections of artiliei>. > The shelling of Hong Kong bv the Japanese continues. The Japanese claim that all the forts on the island are on fire, and that their aircraft are mintaining incessant bombing attacks.

The Governor and Commander-’.n-Chief at Hong Kong (Sir Mark Young), replying to the message sent yesterday by the Secretary of Stale for the Colonies, telegraphed: “All concerned in the defence of Hong Kong received with gratitude the message from His Majesty’s Government, conveyed in your telegrant. We are going to hold on.” POSITION GRAVE. (Rec. 10.30). NEW YORK, Dec. 18. In an official announcement, the Tokio radio stated: The Japanese forces have landed on Hong Kong Island, in the face of fierce’ resistance. The report added: The Japanese army and navy, co-operating, landed on the night of Thursday and on Friday. They now are rapidly carrying out further operations. (Rec. 1.30). LONDON. Dec. 19 There is little news from Hong Kong, where the position is grave since the Japanese made a number of landings, and are now ' fighting through the mountains. The Japanese report that Governor Young has left the island, is not confirmed.. The Japanese crossed the mile-wide strait from Kowloon, after a 12 hour artillery due].

JAP. RETREAT IN SHANSI.

CHUNGKING, December 18.

It is officially announced that the Japanese have abandoned five districts in the Shansi Province, giving up territory they had held for three years.

Soviet and Japan TOKIO, December 17., The Prime Minister (General Tojo) told the Diet that Japan's , attitude was unchanged toward the Soviet and that the Soviet had repeatedly declared that it considered itself bound by the neutrality pact with japan. The Diet passed the extra war budget of 2,800,000,000 yen. CHUNGKING, December 18. Chou Enlai, liaison officer between the Chinese Communists and the National Government, said his party was ready to throw the entire weight .of its troops and organised guerillas into the Pacific. war. A party manifesto urged Chinese troops to engage the enemy on all fronts, and prepare large-scale counter-offensives. 319 KILLED. FORMOSA QUAKE DISASTER. MANILA, December 18. It has been officially announced from Tokio that 319 oersons were killed, 437 injured, and 1,768 homes destroyed in an earthquake in southern Formosa, on Wednesday.