AMERICAN PLANES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 August 1942, Page 4

AMERICAN PLANES

CO-OPERATING ACTIVELY WITH CHINESE JOINT OPERATIONS YIELDING GOOD RESULTS. LINCHWAN ENCIRCLED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.55 p.m.) CHUNGKING, August 4. Chinese infantry and American planes co-operated in a damaging attack on Linchwan. In the course of the attack, United States bombers dropped 3J. tons of bombs, including 500-pound bombs, squarely on the Japanese army headquarters. During the attacks American pilots saw Chinese ground forces engaging the enemy, and, according to a front line despatch, the Chinese have completely encircled Linchwan. The nearest Chinese troops are only two miles from the south gate. Chinese forces have recaptured Huwan, twelve miles south-east of Linchwan, inflicting heavy casualties on the Japanese. The Japanese entered Sungyang yesterday. The Chinese Minister of Information. Mr Shih Chieh, has issued a statement eulogising American Air Force successes in the first operations in China, which he says, have produced three results: Firstly, the Japanese earlier tactics of menacing China with an unchallenged small air force are no longer feasible; second, the Chinese Army is able to achieve better results by immobilising an increasing number of Japanese troops; thirdly, the immobilising of an increasingly important portion of the Japanese Air Force in China. A Chinese military spokesman said a general lack of foodstuffs has caused the Japanese forces to inaugurate a widespread campaign to seize newlyharvested grain. In the Shansi and Hopei provinces, the Japanese are kidnapping women and are holding them for ransom, which is payable in wheat.