Heavy Losses in Fierce Fighting

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 209, 20 September 1937, Page 5

Heavy Losses in Fierce Fighting

•Press Association-

Strong Relief Force RePorted to beMovingUp JAPANESE IN INNER MONGOUA

'(By Telegraph. —

—Copyright)

[(Eeceived S 0, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 18. The fate of the hemmed-in Chinese Army south of Liangsiang ^North China) remains uncertain, A Tokio message states that a strong Chinese relief force is now moving up. The deeply-mudded terrain hampers the Japanese frqm intercepting thejr progress. It is claimed that at one point in yesterday 's fiercest onslaught . the Chinese left on the field 1200 dead and innumerable guns, The Chinese appear to be concentrating at Laishuhsien, 16 miles south-west of Chochow, on the Japanese left flank. They resisted every yard throughout the night's fighting, yielding slowly to the superior taetics and armaments of the Japanese. A message from Peiping says that the Japanese claim a further advance of 12 miles south of Chochow, pursuing the Chinese in westerly and southerly directions. They captured a Chinese ar"moured train and six troop trains. The Chinese further east are establishing strong defence works, and are opening the canal hanks to impede the Japanese fteam-roller tactics. According to a message from Tokio, the War Office announces that main bodies of Japanese triumphantly entered Chochow, west of which the Japanese advanced to Sunlingtien, pursuing the fleeing Chinese, whose lossoe in the fighting around the Pekin-Hankow jailway are estimated at 6000. A battle is developing in Shansi between the Japanese and Chinese. It is reported that the Japanese have entered the province of Suiynan, in Inner Mongolia, occupying*Fengchen and menacing Pingtichuan, which is an important military base.