PUSH ON CANTON

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20661, 12 January 1942, Page 7

PUSH ON CANTON

CHINESE DRIVE ENTRY INTO SUBURBS ASSAULT ON NANCHANG (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Jan. 10, 2 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 9. A Chinese Army communique states that two Chinese columns are driving into northern and north-eastern suburbs of Canton. Fighting is progressing. Further heavy punishment has been 'inflicted on Japanese forces retreating from the Changsha region, states a report from Chungking. Chinese troops attacked and penetrated the outer defences of Nanchang. The Chinese occupied the capital, of Kiangsi and inflicted .heavy casualties on the Japanese. The importance of the Chinese army in the general Allied warfare against the Japanese, which is seen in the despatch of the Chinese troops to Burma, is further underlined by the latest success at Changsha where they evidently took good advantage of the Japanese pre-occupation in the southern front. Fighting on Equal Teiiins It is also thought that they may have a chance to fight the Japanese troops on more equal terms since the heavy modern Japanese equipment may be directed to the southern expeditions. The weekly newspaper Economist says that the Chinese “won a victory of considerable importance at Changsha. A Japanese force estimated to be between 60,000 and 100,000 has been forced to retire towards the the base of Yochow, but a high proportion has been trapped by the Chinese attacking its flanks. Adopting the strategy which served them well on former occasions, the Chinese permitted the attacking forces to advance until they reached the suburbs of the threatened town and then attacked in strength on either side of the enemy. .There rs a strong possibility that General Kaishek’s armies, supplied with arms, could roll back the Japanese invader as devastatingly as the armies of M. Stalin are turning the Germans out of Russia.”