SERIOUS FIGHTING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 10 December 1940, Page 5

SERIOUS FIGHTING

SOUTH INDO-CHINESE FRONTIER (Received 10th December. 9.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, 9th December. A message from Hanoi says that serious fighting has broken out on the northern frontier of Laos Province, both sides using machineguns and dropping bombs. At Savannakhet French “Seventyfives” blazed into action at 7.45 a.m., hurling more than 30 shells across the Mekong River. It is understood their target was a Thai airport. The Siamese, replying against Savannakhet, swept the objective with machine-guns and the fire of small artillery. A representatives of the American United Press spotted a battery of 105 howitzers on the Thai banks of the river. It is reliably reported that French planes carried out reprisals at dawn following yesterday’s bombing of Vientiane. An official French communique states: “Early yesterday without provocation Thai troops machine-gunned the French side of the Mekong River at Vientiane and we replied. At 8.10 a.m. the shooting was resumed and in the afternoon a Thai plane flew over Vientiane but dropped no bombs. “At 5 p.m. three light bombers and one fighter dropped 10 bombs on Vientiane, injuring a civilian, burning a house, and destroying two huts. The French authorities for the past three months have shown sufficient coldbloodedness and willingness to negotiate; however, they could not tolerate this. This morning a French plane dropped 22 bombs on Lakhon, in Thailand, south-east of Vientiane. A message from Bangkok states that the Thai high command said that the French fired on Thai forces In the Aranya, Mongkai and Prachinburi sectors. The Thais returned the fire. Six French launches from Vienchandra fired on two villages on the Thai side of the Mekong, and Thai planes forced the launches to retreat. TRAINS BLOWN UP (Received 10th December. 9.5 a.m.) SHANGHAI, 9th December. It is authoritatively stated that Chinese guerillas in one week blew up five Japanese trains, mostly in North China. There were several hundred casualties including a few Japanese troops.