LIGHTNING RED THRUST

Chronicle (Levin), 4 May 1949, Page 5

LIGHTNING RED THRUST

(N.Z.P.A.-

-. Reuter ,

liegrouping Nationalists May Be Oulflanked

CovyrigMj

Received Wednesday, 10.20 a.m. SHANGhAI, May 3. A lightning Commumst torust that may ouciiank suDstantiai Nationalist forces regrouping on tne east sector of the new Cnientang . River defence line, 12U miies soutu of the Yangtze, was developing today under the direction oi Cnma& iamous Communist sirategist, thc one-eyed General Liu Po-cheng. Nauonalist troops have estabiished a new defence line south of che Chientang River to check a r'urther Communist advance irom Hangchow. They have blown up ohe railway and highway steei oridg-e spanning the Chientang. Reports filtering- through the Nationaiist censorship saia tna^ General Liu's spearheads were in the vicinity of evacuated Shunan, jo miies from the Chientang River. ff the Commumsts cross tne livei in this sector to take Kinhwa, military observers believe that they may force the abandonment of the Aauonaiists second greac river lme in little more than a fortnight of ihe reopening of the civil war, stiil without having fought a major oattle. Threat Of New Red Trap. Kinhwa's capture simultaneoulv would cut the vital National land escape route to South China along die Hangchow-Nanchang raLway, 75 miies south-west of the expected place at the already deserted Hangchow. By moving north-east along the south bank of tlie Chientang, General Liu's forces would compe. a Nationaiist retreat on the Mingo seanort, where a bridgehead might be held until tbe evacuation by sea is completed. A similar ■ommunist trap is now closing slowly 100 miies farther nortli li'ound by-passed Shanghai.