Intense military activity was noted in the Hungjao Road area yesterday by a representative of the "North-China Daily News" who was impressed by the numbers of Chinese troops and the "digging-in" operations of the soldiers, At one point rear the Shanghai-Hangchow-Ningpo Railway Chinese infantrymen have dug trenches within a few yards of the British defence line in Keswick Road, now held by the Loyal Regiment. Barbed wire i being sirring across country, and the Chinese are in occupation of well-constructed, strategically-situated reself teems with he few civilians—farm-tradesmen—are scarce> noticed t The soldiers belong to various armies and regiments; their stature and features indicate provinces far removed from Shanghai; north and west. Their uniforms differ, too, and some wear steel helmets while others have only soft khaki caps as a head-covering. The helmets, again, are of two kinds; the "German" type and the "British" type.
Slightly wounded soldiers are seen in the stream of humanity which ebbs and flows along the muddy road. They are walking, mostly, although some are travelling in rickshaws. Camouflaged trucks are pulled up by the roadside, Beginning about 7 o'clock last night, a heavy bombardment was in progress in the western "outside roads" district, the bright bursts of shrapnel being observed from parts of the Settlement and French Concession. In addition, trench-mortar and machine-gun fire was plainly heard.
The Chinese preparations to hold the western "outside roads" area were continued throughout yesterday and resulted in the placing of long lines of barbed wire, the digging of new trenches in many places and the improvement of redoubts and machine-gun emplacements, It was reported that heavy reinforcements were arriving, chiefly from Tsinpu. The area generally had been cleared of civilian Chinese.
During the Japanese shelling yesterday afternoon it was reported that the Institution for the Chinese Blind and Deaf, 290 Hungjao Road, was again struck and damaged. This property on Wednesday already had been reported partly wrecked by bombs.
It was reported yesterday that General Chang Fah-kwei, commander of the "Ironsides," is directing operations on the south side of the Soochow Creek. General Chang had been the commander of Chinese troops in Pootung.
Continuing his statement of Chinese position up to noon yesterday, the Chinese "spokesman said the Japanese main drive appeared to" at Dien Doo. Although strenuo efforts were made by the Japanese to effect a further crossing, these met with failure due to effective Chinese artillery fire which destroyed several temporary bridges, he added.
Of the 1,000 Japanese who had landed in the vicinity of Dien Doo the day before, the Chinese claimed that in close quarter fighting during the night the Japanese were split into two groups. One entered Dien Doo village and was wiped out, while the other, about 500 to 600 strong, was surrounded in Woochiaso.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.