JAPANESE FORCES ISOLATED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20862, 19 October 1937, Page 7

JAPANESE FORCES ISOLATED

CHINESE INTENSIFY CAMPAIGN

EIGHTH ROUTE ARMY MOVING United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph -Copyright LONDON, October 17. The British United Press correspondent at Nankin reports that the Communist Eighth Route Army cut off from its base 50.000 Japanese, comprising advanced forces of the army, striking north of Taiyuan. The Communists have now established contact with the Chinese, who recaptured Laiyuan, the Pinghsinkwan Pass, and also Tallutuen, westward of the Yenmen Pass. The Chinese admit a setback in the evacuation of Pingyan on the TientsinPukow railway. HEAVY FIGHTING IN YUANPING DISTRICT CHINESE PRESSURE MAINTAINED ted Press Association—By Electric Tplofxranh Convrleht (Received October 18, 5.5 p.m.) NANKING, October 18. There is heavy fighting in the Yuanping region. Japanese aeroplanes dropped orders that those beleagured must hold out at all costs as reinforcements were coming. The Chinese, supported by artillery and aircraft, stormed the Japanese position. A Chinese divisi'nal commander, a brigadier and two regimental commanders visiting the front-line trenches were killed. A mobile Chinese column is threatening the Japanese hold on the PekingHankow railway at North Paotlngfu but the .’-panese claim that they captured the Ksingkuhuan Poss on ths Hopei-Shanri border. Japanese Claims The Japanese assert that they have made further progress south of Hopei where they captured Shungteh. An ■’rmoured train, th" spearhead of the advance, entered Hantan, 22 miles north of the Honan border. More Talk of Peace The Japanese spokesman again referred to the possibility of peace, apparently as Japan had nearly attained her objectives. The Japanese are testing the Chinese reaction to this. CHINESE PLANES ACTIVE IMPORTANT CLAIMS MADE United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph -Copyright SHANGHAI, October 18. Chinese war planes in unprecedented activity, carried out seven night raids on the Yangtsepoo airport, causing numerous fires Including one in a building occupied by Seventh Day Adventists. Japanese searchlights pencilled the skies while their “archies” fired in all directions, but the Chinese were unscathed. Chinese artillery forced 60 Japanese warplanes to evacuate the Yangtsepoo airport and establish themselves at Woosung, 10 miles away. Japanese tanks and infantry again attacked Kwangfu, only to be repulsed with 1200 casualties. CHINA’S FINE DEFENCE TROOP MOVEMENTS HAMPERED By Telegraph —Press Association WELLIITON, October 18. The following Nanking cablegram has been received by the Chinese Consul:— Three more Japanese attempts to land reinforcements north-west of Lotien, further up the Yangtse River, were frustrated. The Chinese are still holding the line south-west of Lotien. There was sanguinary fighting in the Westsaopany area, and the Japanese on the north bank, attempting to cross the creek, were forced to retreat. On the south of the creek the Chinese machine-gun fire mowed down the Japanese advance. The Japanese bombed Pootung, Chapel and the Kashan station on the Shanghai-Hangchow railway, and also extended the bombing to Kwangsi. The Chinese in Syiyuan are massing at Saratai and Paotow preparatory to making a counter-attack.