JAPANESE GAINS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19456, 15 October 1937, Page 13

JAPANESE GAINS

NORTH CHINA WAR FLIGHT OF DEFENDERS IRRETRIEVABLE DISASTER COMBING OF SHANTUNG BIGGEST RAIDS TO DATE (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Oct. 14, 3 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 13. The Tokio correspondent of The Times says that all news confirms the impression that the Chinese have suffered a complete and irretrievable disaster in North China. The defenders of Shihshiachwang, numbering 200,000, have become a mass of fugitives. Those sufficiently fortunate to be near the railway, made off southwards, but many thousands were caught in the Japanese net. The remainder are fleeing through the mountain passes into the hilly inhospitable regions of Shansi. Nearing Yellow River The Japanese reached a point 40 miles south of Ehihchiachwnng. Further to the southwards they bombed troop trains at Kcikiu and half ruined Shung tell. The Japanese making a thrust towards Taiyuan reached the Niangzckuan Pass on the borders of the Ilopei-Shansi area. A message says that fighting was renewed along the Ticntsin-Pukov railway. The Japanese were attacking the Chinese entrenched at Pingvuan and are now within 40 miles of the Yellow River.

The Japanese carried out the biggest air raid thus far and bombed all the important towns of Shantung and also 23 railway stations, numerous bridges and railway tracks. They claim also to have sunk two Chinese gunboats.