ROAR OF ARTILLERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21113, 22 February 1932, Page 9

ROAR OF ARTILLERY.

EARLY MORNING FIRE. JAPANESE ADVANCE. FIGHTING ON THREE FRONTS. ♦ --- BIG PUSH NOW IN PROGRESS. . Telegraph—.Press Association—Copyright, f , (Received February 21, 5.5 p.m.) SHANGHAI. Feb. 20. The Japanese forces moved to the ftttack about 7.30 a.m. to-day. "We gave the Chinese 30 minutes' grace," said the Japanese Commander, Lieutenant-Geileral Uyeda, "and now we . must take the offensive. The end of our patience is reached." At 8.50 a.m. the deafening roar of artillery in the vicinity of Chapei indicated that the Japanese offensive had Begun. Two columns advanced I)etv> pen Shanghai and Woosung against • the Chinese positions, the middle line of yhich is about six miles from Chapei. Observers state that the operations were feminiscent of the Great War. The Preliminary Operations. The Japariese, using roughly a brigade and a-half, headed by tanks, preceded by aeroplanes, which enfiladed the Chinese trenches, followed behind a creeping barrage and, at the outset swept everything before them, in spite of stout resistance by the Chinese, who were sadly handicapped by lack of material, while the Japanese were excellently equipped. Other accounts described the earlier fighting as on a small scale and say the Japanese are awaiting the full expiration pf the time limit (5 p.m. to-day). The British and other foreign authorities early in the day were assisting their compatriots to. leave the danger zones. Major Operations in Evening. Hostilities on a large scale were opened this evening by the Japanese, after the desultory beginning this morning, on three fronts. There was intensive bombarding by Japanese artillery along the Kiangwan and Chapei fronts, together iwith heavy shelling of the Woosung defences, as the Japanese commenced a big push over a wide front. The Japanese forces, stretching along the front between Woosung and Shanghai, made a concerted move and slowly advanced, preceded by heavy fire from small •Howitzer batteries. The movement along the Kiangwan front had commenced shortly after 3 a.m., Iwhen Japanese infantry occupied the international racecourse with little fighting, the Chinese having retreated to strongly ientrenched positions further inland. At 7 p.m. General Uyeda summoned his *taff and announced that the Chinese had failed to withdraw and ordered an imme- / diate offensive. Ninety minutes later the Kiangwan tacecourse was occupied, with few casualties. The infantry advance was assisted by a heavy bombardment of the shallow Chinese trenches in the Kiangwan area. Japanese Ready for the Advance. The Chinese forces retreated to Kiangwan village, where they are reported to bo strongly fortified. A converging movement toward Kiangwan was commenced at midnight on Friday, when. Japanese infantry took up positions in a right-angle formation and awaited the order to advance. A mixed brigade which had been stationed for a week at Chang-wah-pang tooved south-west toward the racecourse, ■While the main line moved across the IWoosung military road steadily. Ihis was .Cons-olidated. and awaited the general : > offensive, having cleared the immediate front. Small Chinese resistance in this area -> a s fully expected, as the Chinese intend fall back on their fortified trench system along a line extending from Kiangwan village beyond Jessfield Park southis Shards to*Nantao.