ADVANCE BY CHINESE

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23967, 7 June 1943, Page 5

ADVANCE BY CHINESE

Upper Yangtse Front CAPTURE OF MORE TOWNS (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, June 5. The latest reports from Chungking show that Chinese troops in their eastward drive are sweeping along the entire upper Yangtse front. Between Ichang and Tungting Lake they captured several towns. On Friday 2000 Japanese were killed and 2000 trapped. After a 30-mile advance in three days the Chinese have smashed into the Yangtse port of Itu, 23 miles south of Ichang, and have engaged the Japanese garrison in fierce street fighting, says the Associated Press correspondent. 'Two thousand Japanese were annihilated in the Itu area.

Chinese aeroplanes bombed the retreating forces and smashed concentrations of junks and other craft waiting to transport troops across the river. The Chinese Foreign Minister (Dr. T. V. Soong), after giving details of the fighting in China to Mr Roosevelt, told the press in Washington that the Japanese retreat in the Ichang area is becoming a rout. Chungking is now safe.

Chinese troops have reached the Yangtse port of Dwchikow, virtually clearing the Japanese out of the sector north of Tungting Lake. The Chinese have also reoccupied Ansiang and Yangchi, says a special Chinese communique.

The Chinese have also penetrated the outer defences of Kunga, the south Hupeh town which the Japanese had established as a bake for a westward drive. They captured Nan-Hsian, north of Tungting Lake, and also retook 10 towns in the Hupeh-Honan border region. A communique issued from Lieuten-ant-General Joseph L. Stilwell’s headquarters stated that on Tuesday and Wednesday enemy troop movements and supply lines and bases on the Can-ton-Hankow railway were bombed and low-flying sweeps on the column of Japanese troops on the road from Changyang to Itu were made. Casualties were inflicted on two columns of Japanese troops each a mile long, and on animal transport. Four other columns were raked with machinegun fire and routed with heavy casualties. One Zero was shot down and another damaged. In north-east Hunan an airfield was bombed and a fire started. Three enemy aeroplanes were destroyed. On the Yangtse 17 launches and supply craft were destroyed' and others damaged. A Chungking spokesman, referring to the increased Chinese air activity, said that this was the first time the Chinese trooops had been able to work with an air umbrella. The value of this had already been amply demonstrated.

Major-General Claire L. Chennauit has returned to Ching to resume command of the United States 14th Air Force.

HEAVY RAIDS ON WEW^K MANY TONS OF BOMBS

DROPPED ATTACKS NORTH OF AUSTRALIA (Special Australian Corresp., N.Z.P.A.) <R’c. JO p.rn.) ' SYDNEY. June 6. “In eight days 74 tons of Allied bombs have been dropped in.four attacks on Wewak, in New Guinea. In the latest raid made by Flying Fortresses and Liberators early on Friday morning, our aeroplanes delivered 18 tons of high explosive, fragmentation, and incendiary bombs on the enemy’s bomber aerodrome at Wewak. and nearby fighter strips at But, Boram, and Dagua. It is believed that many grounded aircraft have been destroyed in these raids.

Storm conditions and heavy clouds have made enemy targets in the entire Solomons Sea area hard to find, but our bombers used a break in the clouds to press home their latest attack against Wewak. Conditions in this area became worse on Saturday, and General Mac Arthur's communique today reports that air operations over the entire north-eastern sector of the south-west Pacific were limited to reconnaissance.

Several light raids have been made in the last 48 hours on Japanese targets north of Australia. In a raid on Dobo, in the Aru Islands, a direct hit was scored on a small enemy coastal vessel, while fires started among shore installations were visible, for 40 miles.

In an earlier attack on a seaplane base in this area Beauflghters engaged nine enemy float-planes shooting down one, and damaging two others without loss.

Catalina flying-boats raided an aerodrome and seaplane base at Babo in McCluer Gulf, in Dutch New Guinea.One large fire, probably from a burning fyel dump lit up our aeroplanes at 9000 feet. Numerous small fires are believed to have indicated burning aircraft. Our bombers on armed reconnaissance on Saturday were over Amboina and Langgoer in the Kai Islands in the Banda Sea.

OPERATIONS IN BURMA JAPANESE BASES BOMBED (8.0. W.) RUGBY, June 5. An Indian communique states that on Saturday Royal Air Force bombers escorted by fighters attacked warehouses at Akyab. Several hits were observed and large fires were started. Hurricanes sank three supply sam-{ pans and damaged several others. Fighters 'damaged 10 military lorries and objectives in the Myittha Valley were bombed and machine-gunned. All our aircraft returned. An earlier communique states that on Friday American bombers scored hits on an oil tank at Kyaukye, north of Magwe. On Wednesday a radio station on Diamond Island, south of Rangoon was bombed. Brigadier-General Clayton Bissell, commander of the United States forces in India, reviewing American air operations, stated that May was a record month in every phase of activity. United States aircraft made 1000 sorties over Burma and dropped a higher tonnage of bombs than in any previous month. The range of operations extended to the Andaman Islands and Bangkok. Ten Japanese bombers were destroyed and 12 prooably damaged for the loss of six American aeroplanes. HUMANISING OF AIR BOMBING SPANISH MINSTRY’S SUGGESTION tßec. 9 p.m.) MADRID. June 5, The Spanish Foreign Ministry has suggested that belligerents should humanise air bombing by establishing and announcing first, total bombing zones containing military objert’vps. second, partial bombing zones with industries and installations of some military value, and third, non-bombing security zones. The Ministry has denied that Spain is acting for any other nations in this matter.