JAPANESE DRIVE ON HSUCHOW

Southland Times, Issue 23512, 19 May 1938, Page 5

JAPANESE DRIVE ON HSUCHOW

China Admits Grave Situation GENERAL RETREAT TO SOUTH TOKYO FORECASTS ATTACK ON HANKOW (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received May 19; 1.5 a.m.) SHANGHAI, May 18. The Japanese, after' bombarding Hsuchow for an hour from the mountainous town of Pawangshan, seven miles westwards, claimed to have breached the western walls of the city. There was bitter fighting all night when the Japanese advance guard encountered the Chinese at Yaolin, 10 miles south-west. Another Japanese force is attacking Woniushan, immediately west of Hsuchow, from which the Japanese admit Marshal Chiang Kai-shek’s personal direction has succeeded in extricating his best troops. The Japanese report that 100,000 Chinese have begun a general retreat southwards and south-eastwards with the intention of 'taking up a line between Kweiteh and Chengchow. The Japanese estimated that 250,000 Chinese troops, mostly provincial soldiers, were still at Hsuchow, where confusion and terror reign. Japanese aeroplanes are dropping leaflets advising surrender. According to the Japanese the distinguished Chinese leader, General Li Tsung-jen, commander at Hsuchow, is to be tried for deserting his post by withdrawing his army of 400,000 to avoid encirclement. At Hankow the Chinese authorities admit the gravity of the situation at Hsuchow. Heavy casualties include General Li Pi-fan and General Ch°w Yuan, both of whom hav§ been killed. They were the commanders in Hunan and Kwangsi respectively. A spokesman of the Japanese Foreign Office says that probably the next attack will be on Hankow. Twelve Japanese warships and seven transports have arrived south-west of Macao (Portuguese). Earlier messages from Tokyo stated: The Japanese movement to Hsuchow seems to be becoming a pursuit instead of the annihilating battle expected. Neverthless the Chinese, despite a general apparently well-conducted retreat, may be pinned in an angle of the Grand Canal.

The Japanese converging armies form a semi-circle with an average radius of 36 miles around the Hsuchow. railway junction. The nearest point is seven miles away. Asked about the prospects of the fall of Hsuchow General Count Terauchi said: “Hsuchow is not the question with us. There is no place which will not fall before an army’s onslaught. Our plan is to knock out the enemy with one blow.”

A message from Hankow says that the Chinese, in addition to their successful movement at Tangshan, killed 600 Japanese and captured eighteen armoured cars at Hantaoku.