Japanese Lightning Advance

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 37, 6 November 1937, Page 5

Japanese Lightning Advance

SHANSI PROVINCE Fall of Capital Thought Imminent INVASION OF HONAN {Received 6, 10.40 a.m.> TOKIO, Nov. 5. The Japanese, swooping down on Taiyuanfu, capital of the Shansi province, have entered Tsiuglf^iochen, 10 miles north of the capital- Another Jtorce has occupied Yutze, an important raiiway junction 17 miles south, cutting olf the Chinese retreat to the south. The Japanese have entered the Honan province and occupied Gbangteh, oue of the lafgest walled cities. , The Chinese left over 500 dead in the field, Heavy Chinese reiniorcements were rushed to Shansi, but it is feared that they are too late to stem the Japanese advance. _ • Japanese warships attacked Yuhwan Island, South China, driving out the Chinese defenders. A message from Nanking reports;— - The Japanese are" continuing their lightning dash toward Taiyuanfu, which is expected to fall at any minute. The headquarters of the military and

the provincial GoVernment will move to South Shansi in preparation for a new stand after the evacuation. The invaders' inechanised "columns are pursuing so fast that they are nnable at present to occupy prepared posltions. Three Japanese planeS, after bombrng Tsining, flew noTthward and bombed Changchuan, a village outside the city wall. Tsinanfu is the first district to be bombed. Other raids were carried out against raiiway stations in thp interior. Two bombs fell on a village in South Honan during a festival, killing 22 and wounding 100 civilians. Tokio reports that the Japanese in the Shansi province captured Sinkow, 55 miles north of Taiyuan, and later took Sinchow, 40 miles nearer. A Japanese death band tunnelled under the Chinese main positions and blew them up at midnight and then machinegunned the Chinese. The Asahi Shimbun claims that the Chinese left 30,000 dead and that 200,000 troops are retreating to Taiyuan.