OF GREAT VALUE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 September 1942, Page 3

OF GREAT VALUE

SUCCESSES OF CHINESE EASTERN FORCES JAPANESE PLANS FOILED. RECOVERY OF IMPORTANT BASES. (Special P.A. Correspondent.) LONDON, September 9. The Chinese counter-offensive in the provinces of Chekiang and Kiangsi has been watched with interest in London, if with relatively scanty publicity. In this area tjpe Chinese have been recapturing airfields from which Japanese cities and bases in Formosa can be bombed, and therefore the Chinese repair squads are speeding up the restoration of the air bases which the Japanese demolished when they retreated.

In addition to Chuhsien, which has the largest airfield in Asia, the Chinese have also captured Lanki, while the latest reports state that the Japanese are sustaining heavy casualties in their attempts to counter-attack at Kinhwa.

After capturing Burma the Japanese, realising that they had cut off China from western aid, thought they could safely knock out China and consequently began to clean up the area between the coast and the CantonHankow railway. After that they envisaged a combined offensive from the east, south, and west on Chungking. Last May the Japanese began to advance from Hangchow and Nanchang, striving to close the railway gap between these two points. The Japanese made progress, but toward the middle of June the Chinese began a counteroffensive, which has been most successful. Last week the Chinese announced that they had reached the outskirts of Nanchang, recaptured the last important Japanese strongholds in southern Chekiang, and were launching a vigorous counter-offensive along the Canton-Hankow railway. The “News Chronicle” states: “These Chinese successes immediately pose the question of Kiangsi and Chekiang as bases for an offensive against the Japanese on land inside China, and by air against Japan itself and against the highly-important advance post of Formosa.” It adds that till the Burma Road is reopened and till adequate supplies of war material flow from India to China the Chinese springboard cannot be fully used, which necessitates the recapture of Burma. There is a growing feeling that the Chinese successes have not received the attention they deserve, particularly as they may prove to be the turningpoint in the war in the Far East. FIVE YEARS OF WAR TERRIBLE CASUALTY FIGURES IN CHINA. TROOPS REACH OUTSKIRTS OF KINHWA. (British Official Wireless.) (Received his Day, 9.53 a.m.) RUGBY, September 10. The Chinese attacking Kinhwa are nejw reported to have reached the outskirts of the city. The Japanese are holding defensive positions, with fresh reinforcements and supplies from Hangchow. The Chinese, after taking Tungyang, are attacking Kinwha from three sides, from Lishui, Tunyang and Lungyu. From July,. 1941, to June, 1942, the Chinese, it is stated, fought 5,530 engagements, causing over 177,000 enemy casualties. In the five years from July, 1937, the Japanese suffered a total of 2,500,000 casualties, the Chinese losses being six millions. China now has thirteen million men under arms, apart from five millions called up last April. Admiral Shen Hung-lieh, Minister, of Agriculture, reported that Free China should have no food problem, following on a bumper harvest.

A drift of Japanese forces northwards in Manchuria has been noted for some time past and the Japanese were already in position some ■ weeks ago to attack Russia if they desired. It is authoritatively stated in London, however, that there are no further signs that they are about to do so.