CHINESE VICTORY

Grey River Argus, 5 June 1943, Page 5

CHINESE VICTORY

IN COUNTER-OFFENSIVE

Along the Yangtse

[Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] NEW YORK, June 3. Chinese forces recaptured Changyang, 12 miles south of Ichang, and occupied Chihchang, 35 miles below Ichang. The Chinese also claim to have cut the highway leading pack to Hankow from the Japanese forward base at Ichang. The Associated Press of America correspondent at Chungking reported • The Chinese counter-offensive has made further smashing gains. All the Japanese remnants surrounded in the sector of the Hupeh Province front south of the Yangtse River have been wiped out. Chinese forces ■took Changyang, also points* northeast of Ichang and three towns north of Lichow, in northern Hunan. The New York “Times” Chungking correspondent stated: Elation has replaced last -week’s gloom and anxiety in Chungking over the fighting in the Hupeh Province. Japanese still. control the rich Tungting Lake rice bowl, and may still show economic and strategical profit from the operations. The Chinese counteroffensive proved two encouraging things—firstly, despite inferior equipment, the Chinese armies have the power, will and leadership to defend themselves in mountain fighting, where the Japanese artillery is virtually impotent. S'econdly, , the Chinese and American air forces are able to fiy| in mixed formation and win. The leader of the combined air forces Colonel John Alison, veteran of many daring scraps, highly 1 praised the work of the Chinese pilots. He said ne owed his life to the timely interception of a Chinese pilot when Alison’s plane was badly shot up, and Zeros were crowding him. American Headquarters in China announced that the Fourteenth United States Air Force, supporting the Chinese in the Lake Tungting area', struck ten comprehensive blows on May 30/31. Liberators destroyed twenty Japanese fighters and probably another five- during the bombardment of Ichang. Chinese lighter pilots destroyed three Japanese Zeros and probably another three. At least five machines were destroyed on the ground. A gunboat was set on fire four river boats sunk, and four locomotives destroyed. Two American planes were lost and several damp o-gcL °The official Japanese version is that Japanese troops in the Yangtse area have withdrawn after accomplishing their objective. CHUNGKING, June 2. Chinese bombers, escorted by fighters, attacked J’apanese supply routes in the Yangtse Valley near Ichang yesterday morning as the enemy continued to retreat in southern Hupeh Province, states an official announcement. Tons of bombs were rained on enemy communications, with telling effect. No fighter opposition was encountered. Chinese fighters again carried out offensive patrols overi the Yangtse yesterday morning without sighting enemy planes. All the Chinese operations were conducted without loss. The representative here of the Associated Press of Great Britain says: The Chinese counter-offensive made further smashing gains. All Japanese remnants who were surrounded in a sector of the Hupeh Province front, south of the Yangtse River, have been wiped out. Chinese forces are now attacking Changyang, twelve miles south of Ichang, while a number of points north-east of Ichang and three towns north of Lihsien in the northern part of Plunan Province have been recaptured. A Chinese spokesman revealed that their offensive in Central China cost the Japanese over thirty thousand casualties in the past fortnight. He added: “Chinese forces continue to inflict staggering losses on trapped enemy remnants in the middle of the Yangtse Valley. A further five thousand Japanese were killed in May in unsuccessful attacks against guerrillas in the south of Shantung Province. CHUNGKING, June 4.

A Chinese communique stated:—

Chinese units, pursuing enemy forces in Western Hupeh, reached the west bank of the Yangtze opposite Ichang. Japanese forces suffered tremendous. losses, partly because of hunger and fatigue. More than four thousand Japanese surrounded below Ichang are being annihilated. Chinese forces, advancing north-west of the Hupeh-Hunan border region, reached Kungan, which is now under attack. The Associated Press correspondent says:—The Chinese-American Air Force, shooting down enemy planes in a! ratio of 14 to 1 to its own losses, dominates Central China skies. It is the most effective air support ever given Chinese armies. The enemy’s behaviour convinces Allied airmen it is the Japanese troops’ fils experience of .heavy air assault. Along the road back from Changvan°- Allied planes are reported to have killed over fifteen hundred enX B w nd ‘“LONDON, June's, It "is stated Ichang now lies defenceless against air attacks as a result of the bombing of its aerodrome by American and Chinese air forces on Monday. There wais no fiehter opposition then. Latest details about the struggle in the vicinity of Ichang show that Japanese forces launched an attack with five divisions in an attempt on small Chinese river defences. The Chinese High Command gave orders to hold out at all costs .as the. Russians did at Stalingrad. After five days of fierce fighting, the Japanese were wiped out. The entire Japanese line crumbled. Large supplies were left behind. , „ . Chungking radio stated Chinese forces captured an important town, Nieh-Chiaho. on the Yangtse in the course of their successful counterattack, which is driving the enemy forces back along that river.