Communists Are Still Closing On Shanghai

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 May 1949, Page 5

Communists Are Still Closing On Shanghai

SHANGHAI, May 22 (Rec. 7 p.m.)— Communists early this morning attempted to storm the Whangpoo River and invade northern Shanghai, but were repulsed by Government artillery on the west bank, says a garrison communique. More than 20 troopladen wooden boats were sunk by concentrated fire. The Communists covered their attempted invasion with light artillery and rifle fire. Correspondents’ reports ~ay the exact point of the invasion attempt is not mentioned, but it is believed to have been in the YangtzePoo area, eight miles north downtown Shanghai. One of Shanghai’s biggest arsenals blew up today and burned fiercely. It was only eight miles from the downtown district and on the Whang-Foo River The blast shook the heart of Shanghai. The cause of the explosion has not been explained, but fighting has been reported in the vicinity of the arsenal.

Four big fires blazing at Pootunfi including the Standard Oil Company’s *ank which was hit by a stray shell. Red units operating from Pootung crashed their way to the Whang-Poo River bank, about seven miles southeast of 'Woosung, and directlv opposite the eastern Yangtze-Poo district of ihe city. This advance not only exnoses the teeming highly industrialised Yangtze-Poo area to artillery bombardment, but also has rendered the Whangnoo unnavigable. A new Nationalist line running through Kiachiao is said to have been nstahiished to prevent the Communes from reaching the Whangpoo in the rear of Woosung de f endors. the Central News announced. Fighting died down in the Woosung sector this afternoon, after several futille Communist attacks. The Peining radio ''■’aimed tonight that Sian capital of Shensi nrovinc° was occunied by Communisms. The largest city in northwest China, Sian is a key communicafions centre with a population of half a million. The Communists also are ’■•aid to have occunied Wenchow, a port : n south-east Chekiang province. The United States Vice-Consul. Mr John Stutman. arrived in Hongkon" on the last nlane from Shanghai’s Lunghua airnnrt this afternoon. The Nationalists abandoned the airnort soon after he left. He sa’d foreign nationals were now cut. off from the outride world, and further evacuation under consular arrangements was imnosrible. Mr. Stutman added that foreigners in Shanghai had the imnression the Nationalists had began to evacuate the city. As their plane took off fires were burning all round the outskirts of Shanghai. A party ot British residents from Tientsin and Peining who came to Hongkong a few months ago, is leaving on a return journey to Commun-ist-occunied north China to resume business activities. One member. Mr. A. C. Henning, one of Peining’s oldest members of the foreign business community, said he was optimistic about the general trade outlook in Communist China The party has been given re-entry permits by the Communists and did not expect any difficulties. Reports reaching Hongkong said that, the North China authorities have shown a disposition to be helnful. The cost of living was lower than last year, before the Communist occunation. Aerial observation revealed that five Communist armies are operating on the Pootung front, states a Nationalist air force communique. Government planes made more than 100 attacks against Red troops in the Pootung area.

On the Shanghai northern front a garrison communique reported that Government armoured car units coun-ter-attacked in force in the Jupu area, eight miles west oft he Woosung forts. Thirteen hundred Communists were killed or wounded and 263 captured. The Government Central News Agency said many Communist units on the Woosung front were former Nationalist troops captured in the battles of Hsuchow and Pengpu, in I.or thorn Kiangsu Province last winter.

An unconfirmed report from South China said that General Yui Ying Kai. Nationalist commander of Eastern Kwangtung Province, had issued a declaration severing relations with the Government and was seeking to conclude a separate peace. General Yui, whose headquarters are in Swatow, 200 miles north of Hongkong, controls Nationalist forces along the coast from the Kwangtung-Fukien border southward.