DOUBLE GAIN BY JAPAN

Southland Times, Issue 23307, 17 September 1937, Page 7

DOUBLE GAIN BY JAPAN

ADVANCE ON TWO FRONTS CHINESE ATTACK AT SHANGHAI FAILS Q HEAVY LOSSES IN NORTH RETREAT (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received September 17, 12.40 a.m.) LONDON, September 16. During the night a Chinese attack, to drive a wedge in the Japanese front at Hongkew, recapture the eastern wharves and prevent furtiter landings, did not succeed. The Chinese made a sortie in the unlighted streets and alleys, and bitter fighting with machineguns and trench mortars followed. The Chinese retired to their original positions.

This morning the Japanese began a major offensive against the Chinese on the Chsku plain, between the PeipingHankow and Tientsin-Pukow railways. They claim to have captured Paochow and other strategic points, despite fierce resistance by the ill-equipped Chinese. According to the Japanese the slaughter was as heavy as at Nan-yuan in the early days of the war. Japanese accounts say that the troop which captured Kuan swam the Hun river till engineers threw a pontoon bridge across. The Japanese further north forded the Hun and captured the walled city of King Sun-chen. Others from Kiang-siang overwhelmed Fang Shan-sien, the Chinese divisional headquarters. Japanese aeroplanes bombed Tai-yuna and set fire to an arsenal and military depots. Others dropped pamphlets uring the Chinese irregulars not to fight. It is claimed that 500,000 rounds of ammunition and 5000 hand grenades were captured at Tatung. The battle in North China, in which the Japanese are employing 100,000 men, has been extended to a 79-mile front—from the mountains west of the Peiping-Hankow railway, near Liangsiang, where they are driving the Chinese from their positions in the hills, to 30 miles west of Tientsin. The Japanese claim that despite heavy rain they have advanced from five to nine miles on the whole front, being halted only by the fast-running Chuma river, 12 miles from the railway. The Chinese fought stubbornly and counter-attacked at Liang-siang, but were driven back. THREAT TO PASS Another Japanese column occupied Kwang-liang, 15 miles south of Tatung, from which it is threatening the Chinese defending the Yenmen Pass commanding the road to Tai Yuan-fu, the capital of the Shansi province. The Tientsin correspondent of the British United Press points out that Japanese penetration on wide fronts is complicating the difficulties of supplies and communications, and every day sees a further advance from the bases, against increasing guerilla warfare. At Shanghai the Japanese are preparing a new offensive from Liuho to Chapei, which their batteries are already bombarding. The first naval battle occurred on Pearl river, five Japanese and two Chinese warships participating. The Japanese claim that they disabled the Chinese vessel Chao Ho but deny that their vessels were damaged. The French, British, Italian, American and Dutch admirals have sent notes to the Chinese and Japanese pointing out that missiles from aircraft guns are being fired in the settlement, killing manv non-combatants. They urge the cessation of aerial fighting and bombing. Cases of cholera total 550, the deaths including a number of foreigners. Chinese planes attacked 20 Japanese warships in Bias Bay, including two aircraft carriers, one of which was disabled. CHINESE STRATEGIC WITHDRAWAL HEAVY JAPANESE LOSSES REPORTED (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 16. The Chinese Consul has received the following cable message from Nanking: The military spokesman has confirmed the withdrawal of Chinese troops yesterday from Yin-shiang village, the civic centre near Kiangwan and points on the northern fringe of the Yangtze-poo district. The Japanese have already advanced to the civic centre but Kiangwan, two miles further west, is still in Chinese hands and sufficient forces are concentrated there to check any further Japanese advance. The fall of Yuepoo and Yanghang, north-west of the civic centre, exposed the Chinese positions evacuated yesterday to the danger of being outflanked if a withdrawal had not been made in time. At present it is estimated that Japanese control over the narrow strip of land from the river was gained at a price of over 10,000 casualties. Now that the battle has been carried further inland all the advantages no longer lie with the Japanese, according to the spokesman. It was revealed at the beginning of the hostilities that the Chinese hoped to clear the International Settlement of Japanese forces before further reinforcements could be landed. This task was progressing with the utmost satisfaction when large numbers of Japanese troops under cover of a naval barrage landed at various points outside Shanghai. Neither the landing of Japanese reinforcements nor the subsequent push inland could effectively be prevented for as the Chinese coun-ter-attacked and advanced near the river bank the Japanese warships blazed into action and brought down upon them the concentrated fury of the naval batteries. The spokesman expressed himself as being satisfied with the result of the fighting so far and predicted that fiercer battles lay ahead. JAPANESE COMMANDERS APPOINTED TOKYO, September 15. General Count Terauchi, a former Minister of War, has. been appointed to command the Japanese Army against the Chinese, and General Matsui to command the forces in the large Shanghai sector.