Big Offensive at Shanghai

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 16, 12 October 1937, Page 5

Big Offensive at Shanghai

i'reas Aasfi

JAPANESE READY Tokio Claims Dominance in North

THE CHINESE LOSSES

(By Telegraph

[a]

i (Received 12, 10.40 a.m.) SHANGHAI, Oct. 11. The cessation of rain has enabled the rosumption of the Japanese thrust on tlie Kiangwan sector, where an advance of a mile on a four-mile front is elaimed. Admiral Matsui, who ia in charge of the Japanese operations at Shanghai, deelares that the preparations for the big offensive are almost eomplete. Tho Chinese report that General Li Chung Yeii, Govemor of the Kwangsi province and formerly a bitter Op ponent of Marshal Chiang Kai-shek, anr] who led a revolt last year, is flying to Nanking to offer to mobilise 3, 000,000 men to assist Marshal Chiang Kai-shek A Peiping message reports: Despite deep snow, the Japanese Occupied Liang cheng, 50 miles south-east of Suiyuan city, on which Mongolian cavalry are advancing after occupying Patow, the terminus of the Suiyuan railWay. Tlie Chinese, aceording to a Tokio message, ar6 now holding only a small corner of the province of Hopei. The Japanese claim that the eapture of Shihchiachwang assures them of domin ance in North China. A naval communique at Tokio claim that Japanese warships thus far have beached or sunk seven Chinese cruisers and eight gunboats and have sunk a destroyer, a torpedo-boat and a survey vessel. The Japanese claim also to have destroyed 324 Chinese planes and wrecked 18 aefodromes and 10 arsenals. The Japanese say that they have lost 39 planes and no ships. The casualties total 1133. General Han Juchu, Governor of the Shantung province, has declared his allegiance to the Nanking Government. He personally is commaiiding his . troops against Japan. General Ma Chan Shan, who raised a revolt against Japan in Manchuria, has reappeared at the head of the army at Suiyan. Admiral Matsui has left the warship from which he has directed the Japanese operations at Shanghai. He is now personally leading his armies ia the field. Japanese planes were active all day and also bombed Canton.