TWO-PRONGED DRIVE BY CHINESE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 228, 28 September 1942, Page 5

TWO-PRONGED DRIVE BY CHINESE

(Recd. 7.5 p.m.) Chungking, Sept. 26. The Chinese, in a two-pronged drive from Chungkiang, by-passed Japanese positions in the Chekiang Province, reached Chuki, 40 miles south of Hangchow, and laid siege to Chenghsien. The Japanese garrisons at Kinwha are busy shipping loot out of the c“y, indicating their intention to abandon the place. (Recd. 7.5 p.m.) Rugby, Sept. 26. Chinese sources in London say there has been no changes of importance in the battle for Kinhwa during the past week. The most significant development is indicated by renewed reports of fighting round Tungyang, some 30 miles north-east of Kinhwa and so placed as to threaten the garrison's supply line along the ChekiangKiangsi railway. This activity appears to be an intensification of the Chinese attempts to cut the railway in this section, which had been reported two weeks earlier. Two Chinese columns are involved in the drive, one west of the railway, which was met by stubborn resistance in the Pukiang area after successfully pressing well behind the Japanese Kinhwa positions, and other fighting for possession of Tungyang, east of the railway. Chinese forces which are directly besieging the Japanese-forti-fied positions at Kinhwa and Lanchi appear to be temporarily halted on a line running roughly from the south bank of the Lan River across the railway at Kugang, six miles south-west of Kinhwa.—B.O.W.

U.S. TECHNICAL EXPERTS TO ASSIST CHINA Chungking, Sept. 25. The Foreign Office spokesman announced that the United States is sending technical exports to China at. Chungking’s request to assist in an improvement of agriculture, forestry, communications, mining and hygiene. SUPPLIES FOR CHINA TWO NEW OVERLAND ROUTES Chungking, Sept. 25. Two overland transportation routes, covering thousands of miles, are now ready to transport American war material from India and Iran to Chungking, say transportation experts who have just returned from a survey or north-western China. The first route begins in Karachi, running through Lahore and Peshawar, thence to Alma Ata and Lanchow. The second Iranian route begins at Bushire and runs northward to Bandar Shah on the Caspian, thence by water to Krasnovodsk and Alma Ata. The experts said that two short cuts were also planned, the first providing transit via Karachi and Peshawar to Kashgar, in the southern Sinkiang Province, thence across the southern slope of the basin of the . Tienshan mountains to Kami and Chungking. This would require the construction of a 500-mile highway, but this was not difficult, because the route was grassland. It would shorten the route greatly, eliminating long stretches through Afghanistan and Russia. A second short cut highway from Kashgar to Yarkand, thence to Chengtu and Chungking provided the safest route, but would require 1250 miles of construction work. AMERICAN PLANES EFFECriVE RAIDS ON JAP AERODROMES (Recd. 7.5 p.m.) Rugby, Sept. 26. A communique issued from General Stilwell's headquarters states that American bombers attacked enemy targets at Yunan, French Indo-China. On Wednesday 40 enemy planes were attacked south-west of Yunan. The next day a Japanese aerodrome near Hanoi was attacked. A large enemy force attempted to intercept. Three enemy planes were destroyed, two probably destroyed and several others damaged. All the American planes returned safelyJ-8.0.W. |

Leningrad garrison, already established across the Neva River have received further support. Messages from Stockholm report important Russian progress from Leningrad through the Pulkova district. General von Leeb apparently realises the danger of the Leningrad blockade being broken. At least one infantry division was hastily transferred from the West. The Russians are steadily improving their positions in the Karelia area. The Finns have been displaced from another imnortant stronghold after suffering 300 casualties. The Russians continue to make headway on the central front, despite strong resistance. One unit in the nast ten days recaptured three villages and killed more than 2000 Germans. / 4