Three Japanese Columns Pressing On From Nanchang

Northern Advocate, 12 June 1942, Page 3

Three Japanese Columns Pressing On From Nanchang

< Rec. 1 p.iri.) CHUNGKING. June 11. Three large Japanese columns pressing cast and south-east from Nanchang. made long strides during the mast 24 hours, threatening to outflank the Chinese positions along the middle section of the ChekiangKisngsi railway. The Chinese situation is increasingly critical.

This .statement was made by a military spokesman who added that the Chinese garrison still holds out within Cluihsien. the defenders of which inflicted 20,000 casuaites on the Japanese. during a five days' bloody hand-to-hand fighting.

The "Central News" agency reported that 2000 Japanese were killed in a fierce battle with Chinese guerillas in the Shantung province. The Domei News Agency claimed that Japanese land forces virtually annihilated the main Chinese forces in three major battles in the Chekiang province in the past ten days. Guerillas Harass Enemy A London message says Mr George Yeh. London director of the Chinese Ministry of Information, stated that over 300 Chinese divisions, totalling 5.000.000 soldiers, are in the field. Over 300,000 guerillas are harassing the Japanese garrison’s lines of communication. Over 600,000 Chinese regulars, operating behind the Japanese lines in China, had suffered smaller losses than the Japanese. To the end of 1941. Japanese losses were conservatively estimated to exceed 2,000,000 killed and wounded.

Lack of air support and heavy armaments often obliged the Chinese to fall back from areas which could not be defended with small arms. China, for the past two years, has relied completely on her own output of small arms. China is now able to produce 100.000 rifles yearly and is also making trench mortars, light machine-

guns and grenades. Mr Yeh said it was wrong to imagine that the Japanese were using inferior troops in China.

The Tokio official radio announces that Colonel Harushige Iwasaki, spokesman for the Japanese forces in China, reports that the Japanese found an underground hangar at Chuhsien aerodrome, Chekiang province, large enough to accommodate United States Flying Fortresses. Fierce Fighting Continues A Chungking communique says that on the Chekiang front fierce fighting is still raging cast of Chengshan. On the Kiangsi front, the Chinese successfully intercepted a Japanese attack on Kinki, via Huwan. The Chinese are continuing resistance in east Tsungjon. inflicting heavy losses on the Japanese. In the Nanchnng area, the Chinese, in an attempt <o divert a Japanese drive, captured several more positions from the enemy. Six enemy cruisers unsuccessfully attempted to land troops on the shore of Poyang Lake, northcast of Nanchang.