SENTRY SLEPT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 14, 9 October 1937, Page 5

SENTRY SLEPT

-Proas Asan.-

How the Japanese Crossed Woosung Creek MIDNIGHT ATTACK

(By Telegraph-

-CopyriBht.)

(Received 9, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 7. The Daily Telegraph's Tasheng correspondent says that a private, Chi Tung Nien, of the 52nd Company, 62nd Chinese Infantry Division, a Shantung soldier with five years' service and who fought the Japanese in 1932, was halted while trudging towards a medical base with a wound. He explained how the Japanese crossed Woosung creek after futile and deSperate efforts against cnachine-gune. We slept," he said, "posting a sentry on the opposite side of the cresk, over which was a bridge ready to be mined and over which we were in the custoin of crossing to attack the eneiny. •'The sentry- was worn-out and slept at his post. "The filrst thing we knew was that the Japanese. were on us, having crossed with tanka at midnight. We fought until only 10, who were wounded, remained'of 150." Chinese reinforcements are cqunterattacking in torrents of rain in the hope of driving back the Japanese. • The scene behind lines resembled a painting on a Chinese vase. The troops are wearhig mackintoshes and hnge bamboo hats, with their Lewis guns and machine-guns covered with straw to protect them against the rain.