"Dare-to-die" Corps in Night Attack; Hsuchow}
Not Meant to Be Taken, Says Japanese Hankow, Apr. 12. JPUSHTING between the Chinese and Japanese forces on the Tientsin-Pukow Railway front_is now centred at Yihhsien, about twenty miles north of the Grand Canal and east of the Railway. After delivering a night attack under the brilliant moonlight, in which a Chinese "dare-to-die" corps used hand grenades to blast the Japanese out of their strongly-entrenched positions in the hills surrounding Yibhsien, the Chinese are at present approaching the city walls, according' to a Chinese military communique received here this afternoon, The communique stated that "since yesterday evening the Japanese forces have withdrawn their field pieces and heavy armaments from the city towards the north-west. To cover their retreat the communique continued, "part of the Japanese retreat~ ing artillery units heavily bombarded the Chinese positions.
"The Chinese troops operating on the south-eastern outskirts. of "Ythhsien occupied Luankoe and Tienkwei shan, two strategic points on the highway leading to Yihhsien. The Chinese column attacking the city from the north-east is nearing Yih-helen, following the occupation of Continuing, the communique fur ther declared that the "Chinese forces attempting, to cut communications be~ tween Yibhsion and Tsacehwang, Jaunched an attack on 1,000 Japanese troops holding Kits, north of ¥ih-
Japanese are now preparing to withdraw from Yihhsien, retreat ing in a north-westerly direction."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.