Big Movements On Yangtse

Northern Advocate, 11 July 1938, Page 5

Big Movements On Yangtse

(Received 10 a.m.) LONDON. July 9.

Foreshadowing an intensive bombardment of Kiukiang and Kuling, on the banks of the Yangtse River, the Japanese have urged foreign consuls to evacuate their nationals, merchant vessels and warships between Hukow and Wangshikong.

At present, one British gunboat and one American gunboat are at Kiukiang. Japan has requested that foreign warships should fly long masthead identity streamers tp prevent “aerial mischances.” General von Falkenhausen, the chief German military adviser to the Chinese, and 28 other advisers, who are returning to Germany, arrived at Hongkong, by train. It took them sevep days to traverse the 600 miles from Hankow, owing to the Japanese bombing of the railway. The Chinese claim that in an air raid on Anking they destroyed 50 Japanese aeroplanes and damaged five warships. The Japanese admit that counterattacks and floods have checked their drive towards Hankow, says a Shanghai message. British and American nationals evacuated Kiukiang aboard the British gunboat Cockchafer and the American Monocacy as three Japanese warships began shelling the port.

Chinese reinforcements are pouring into the Kiukiang-Nanchang area. The Chinese claim that their planes sank two Japanese warships and drove a third down the river.