JAP. OFFENSIVE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 119, 22 May 1942, Page 5

JAP. OFFENSIVE

SOUTH CHINA INVADED

Chungking Reports Enemy

Thrown Back

United Press Association.—Copyright. Rec. noon. LONDON, May 21 f^ c i ording to the Associated Press cpH hl . nese High Command announced to-day that Japanese troops had been landed near Foochow and had engaged in heavy fighting with the Chinese defence forces. The invading force arrived in a dozen transports, which proceeded up the Min River near Foochow City. The Japanese continued intensive Bombing of important communication centres in Chekiang, Fukien, Kiangsi, Hunan and Kwansi Provinces. The heaviest raids were at i-ian, Hangchow and Kweilin.

The United Press states that Chinese counter-attacks threw back the enemy south of Hangchow and at Ningpo. In the Western Yunnan front the Chinese captured Kanbooty and seized lar Se quantities of

enn™» Ja P a nese columns, totalling 80 000 troops, half of which were being res . erve > are advancing on the Chekiang front. They have reached m , il ! es from Kinhwafu, states a Chungking message received "Nfw York. Another Japanese force is massing at Nanchang to support the Chekiang thrust. Heavy Japanese forces are also con- £"! ra £ n *, on the Yan Stse River base near Hankow, possibly as the forerunner to an effort to occupy the entire railway between Hankow and Canton entailing a fourth battle for Changsha. The Japanese three times nave entered C'hangsha, but have been driven out each time.

The Governor of Yunnan Province, addressing a memorial meeting,' declared that, no matter how the situation may deteriorate. Yunnan will be defended. He added that the Japanese had not moved vfcry deeply into "i unnan; instead, they probablv would soon retire from the frontier as a result of Chinese pressure from the rear, and also because the terrain was definitely unfavourable for the invaders.

A correspondent of the New York Times reports that the rainy season has begun all over Yunnan. Torrents are washing out the roads, and the swelling rivers are hampering transportation. It will inevitably bring malaria and cholera. The defence rea ,s 171081 important for £?i ' f? ecause the Yunnan mounSlJJi™ * 3 ? contain a considerable Chinese fighting 3 many new war factories, also essential centres of tin copper and iron production