1938-05-20 — Page 11

HSUCHOW

CONFLICT

OF REPORTS CONTINUES Chinese Re-Distributed Along Lung-Hai Linet

Strong Positions In Hills Round The City

Hankow, To-day.

It is reliably reported that the Chinese Command has completed redistribution of the Chinese forces in the Lunghai Railway area.

In addition to massing strong detachments along

MISSING' MAN-

AT WORK

Mr. J. S. Shaw, yesterday re- ported "missing" from the Euro- pean Y.M.C.A., has been employ ed for the past two days, the “China Mail" understands, as' Se- cond Officer on board the Hong Kong, Canton and Macao Steam- boat Company's “Taishan.”.

the railway between Hsuchowfu and Lanfeng, CATEGORICAL

in order to keep the railway open, Chinese troops are taking up strong positions in the hills surrounding Hsuchowfu.

A large body of Chinese troops is also massing east

DENIAL OF

of Hsuchowfu, so even if the Japanese succeed JAP. CLAIMS.

in capturing the town, Chinese troops east and west of the Tientsin-Pukow Railway will con- tinue to attack the Japanese flanks.

HANKOW, TO-DAY.

CLOSING IN ON HOTSIN

Tungkwan, To-day.

from the north and south of the Launching simultaneous drives

Hotsin, northwest of. Yunglo, in city, the Chinese are closing in on

southwest Shansi.

on .in

Fighting is still going Yungcheng, northeast of Chieh~` hsien in south Shansi, and Linfen, about 100 miles south of Taiyuab, with the Chinese steadily press- ing.

Chinese guerillas have been very active in north Shansi- Central News.

THE JAPANESE CLAIM TO of Chinese bombers sighting a large OCCUPATION OF HSUCHOWFU Japanese concentration at a point WAS CATEGORICALLY DENIED north-east of Yungchen. They re- Strong defence lines, it is re- the direction of Yungchen, reached LAST EVENING BY THE CHIN- leased nearly 200 bombs, inflicting ported, are being made ready west the northern suburbs of the city ESE SPOKESMAN.

heavy casualties, says a report from of Hsuchowfu to check any Jap-yesterday, according to Chinese re- The spokesman added that at Aviation Headquarters here. anese attempt to advance west-ports, which add that Japanese ar- 5 o'clock yesterday morning the Chinese pilots have been bombing ward along the Lunghai Railway. tillery inside the city is shelling the Generalissimo's headquarters the Japanese positions in the vicin- --Reuter.

Chinese positions.

conversed by telephone with ity of Hauchowfu and along A Chinese military communique Hsuchowfu, where the situation railway. Shanghai, To-day. states that when the Japanese troops was described as quiet except for Even according to Japanese were hard pressed at Watzekou,

athe appearance of a small Jap reports, part of Hsuchow is still village near Yungchen, they used anese detachment on Pawanshan in the hands of the Chinese, in pdison gas.

Hill. spite of the confident Japanese prediction that they would cap-

day.

BOMBING RESPITE

JAPANESE REPULSED

BALLOON SPOTTERS

the

The report says that all is quiet The Chinese Command sent alin Hsuchowfu, and declares that strong detachment to attack the many balloons have been seen along

ture the city by nightfall yester-Japanese troops at Laihuang, east Japanese, who had reached the the Lunghai Railway sector, appar- of Lanfeng, were repulsed, while Hill from. Huangkou, east of ently for the purpose of directing With nightfall the Chinese had a few hundred Japanese are hold- Tangshan.

the Japanese artillery. JAPANESE LOSSES a respite from the merciless Jap-ing out in villages near Yifeng.

Many Japanese pursuit planes cir- Chinese despatches claim that Chinese aircraft heavily bombed cle round the balloons, protecting anese bombing in which relays of planes unloaded their deadly between 3,000 and 4,000 Japanese Japanese positons around Hsuchow-them from Chinese air attacks,. cargoes, but the bombardment troops were repulsed on- Wednes-fu yesterday morning, one squadron Reuter. from the Japanese guns; which day night after a flung tons upon tons of explo- ment at Chienhoushihlou.-Reuter. sives against the Chinese forti- fications, continued unabated. Reuter.

CLAIMS DISPUTED

severe engage-

TAYLOR'S LONDON OLD TOM & DRY GIN.

re-

T.P.R. SUCCESSES

Liuan, To-day. While the Hsuchow front mains critical, fighting

on the Shanghai, Today. southern section of the Tientsin- Japanese reports this morning Pukow Railway continues to run in claim that Japanese troops are favour of the Chinese. now engaged in mopping up Straggled units of Japanese Chinese remnants and snipers in troops in areas north of the Hwai Hsuchow.

River have been surrounded. Spirit- Chinese reports, however, insisted fighting raged yesterday in that the Japanese are still being Hsiaochienchi, northwest of Meng- held several miles away.

cheng, resulting in the dispersal of Chengchow was heavily bomb-the Japanese. ed yesterday afternoon, resulting in over 100 killed and wounded.

Violent fighting is continuing north and west of Hsuchowfu. Our Own Correspondent.

KINSIANG RETAKEN

Kaifeng, To-day. Kinsiang in West Shantung was recaptured by Chinese troops yester- 'day afternoon, according to mili- tary advices from the front.

Chinese on the 45

Reports confirming the 'recapture of Mengcheng north bank of the Ko River, miles northwest of Pengpu,

have is

also been received. The town said to have now been cleared of Japanese troops.

Between 500 and 600 Japanese surrounded in Shangyao, near Kao- cheng, continued to hold out. The Chinese have further tightened their cordon.-Central News.

GALLANT FIGHT

Heuchow, To-day. The Chinese are still making a gallant fight outside Hsu- chow. Fighting desperately, the Chinese are attempting to dislodge the Japanese artillery at Pawangshan, from where they are continually, bombard- ing the city-Central News.

JAPANESE CLAIM··

Shanghai, To-day. The Japanese officially claim

Japanese planes raided Chungmao,that the occupation of Hsuchow-

on the Lunghaj Railway, 29 kilome- tres from Kaifeng, and. Chihsien, 40 kilometres south of Lanfeng, yesterday. Central News

POISON GAS CHARGE-

Hankow, To-day. Chinese troops advancing south- ward from the Lunghai Railway in

fu has been completed.-Router.

Shanghai, To-day.

A Japanese plane left Shang- hai at 9.15 this morning with four foreign journalists on board for a visit to the Shan- tung war fronts, including HauchowfuReuter.

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