Amoy, Oct. 26.
A fleet of Japanese warships, including an aeroplane carrier, who appeared yesterday, to-day started shelling the Kinmen Island opposite Amoy at 4 a.m. Over 20 shells were fired. Chinese coastal defence units immediately replied and the artillery duel "died down as the Japanese vessels withdrew.—Central News.
Although a Chinese counter-attack drove the enemy back for a brief period, the arrival of Japanese reinforcements early yesterday morning turned the tide against the defenders, the spokesman said. The enemy recrossed the highway and by pushing toward the Tazang-Chenju highway threatened the left and rear of Tazang. In view of the situation, Chinese troops were ordered to withdraw from the village shortly after 9 am. They are now on the east and south of Tazang.
Further west on the Tazang-
Nanziang highway, Japanese troops passed Kechiachiaoche and were striving to reach the Changpang Creek, according to the spokesman. Evidently their objective is the Chenju wireless station.
Heavy fighting also took place north of Miaohang on Monday, the spokesman said. The situation at Tazang having rendered the Chinese positions untenable, Chinese troops withdrew to a new position north of Kiangwan. Simultaneously, Chinese troops occupying a line west of the Civie Centre, were also withdrawn to the Shanghai-Woosung railway.
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Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.