Shanghai, Nov. 2.
Fighting near the railway in the western district was intense. fled late last night, heavy machine-gun fire being heard quite close to the line. So far as could be learned, however, no major engagement was being fought in this particular area, fiercer fghting taking place further to the wes roar of guns and splutter of machine-gun, could be heard all over the city. retreating Chinese forces south-Chinese troops at Yinsuimiao and Zokaza are retreating in the face of advances made by Japanese army units which crossed Soochow Creek fon Sunday afternoon, a spokesman for the Japanese military revealed yesterday morning.
Because of the low-lying clouds, the spokesman said, "Japanese army aeroplanes were forced to fly at an altitude of 70 to 8 metres in order carry out reconnaissance flights.
'According to Chinese prisoners, the officer continued, Chinese troops retreating from 'Tazang split into two parts, two divisions falling back on the southern bank' of Soochow Greek, while four divisions retreated the direction of Nanziang.
The 18th and 87th divisions, the spokesman said, were reduced to one-tenth of their original strength, only 1,000 men remaining.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.