JAPS.' REVERSE IN SANGUINARY BATTLE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 122, 26 May 1942, Page 5

JAPS.' REVERSE IN SANGUINARY BATTLE

STAND BY CHINESE America Building Up Air Force In China L.P.A. and British Wireless. Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, May 25. A Centra l News bulletin from the Chekiang front, cabled from Chungking, says the Japanese launched 'a full-scale offensive to-day in an attempt to'storm Kinhwa, provincial capital of the Chekiang Province but were repulsed with bloody losses. The latest Chungking communique saj's Kinhwa is still in Chinese hands. The Chinese have recaptured Sinteng, 47 miles north-east of Kienteh and 10 miles from Fuyang, from which the Japanese launched the Chekiang offensive. Along the Chekiang border of Kiangsu Chinese mobile forces are attacking in several directions.

On the south-western front in Yunnan the Chinese have continued their successes on the western side of. the Salween River, recapturing points east of Tengyueh, and are continuing their attacks in the mountains southward.

A Japanese Government spokesman said to-day that the main aim of the heavy offensive in the Chekiang Province was to destroy airfields that are within bombing reach of Tokyo. "Burma Must Be Retaken" From New Delhi it is reported that General Stillwell, United States commander of the Chinese forces in Burma, has arrived for a conference with the British Commander-in-Chief General Sir Archibald Wavell, before returning to China. He said Burma can and must be retaken. "It is vital for the re-entry to China, said General Stillwell. "We took a hell of a beating in Burma and ran away, but a little extra strength, particularly in the air might have tipped the scales. The American Volunteer Group is now being transformed into a regular army pursuit group and bombers and fighters are being dispatched to China to build up the United States air force there." He added that the Chinese, properly led, are good fighters. The Japanese are not supermen, but cannot be defeated by a rag-tag, bob-tail army. "It would be nice to have some American troops," continued General Stillwell. 'The retaking of Burma will be a serious proposition, which cannot be undertaken without properly co-ordinated forces." A New Delhi air communique states that in addition to normal reconnaissance over Burma the R.A.F. carried out a machine-gun attack ori enemy barges moving up the Chindwin River on Sunday. All the aircraft returned safely.