AUNCHING " concerted drive Shihchiachwang, Apr. 11. upon eight Chinese divisions entrenched in the forbidding Thasing mountain range in southeastern Shansi on Friday, four major Japanese Army columns today were engaged in extensive mopping up operations along a 150-kilometre front stretching from Chinyuan to Wusiang, approximately 200 kilometres south-east of Taiyuan.
Tyinhsien, from where Gen. Chu Toh directed the activities. of Com-wunist guerillas seeking to disrupt Japanese lines of communication, {ell before the Nipponese onslaughts at 5 o'clock on Sunday evening. Chinyuan, captured on Saturday, is 5¢ kilometres east of Tsinhsien.
The former Red stronghold was attacked by Japanese forees from the south, The advancing Japanese et countered force of about 1,000 Eh nese at a point 10 kilometres. south of the town on Saturday.
After putting to flight the Chinese holding "this line, the Japanese column again found its way blocked on Sunday. Following a brief en-axement, the Chinese retreated.
Gen. Chu, reports reaching here suid, fled with his staff before the Japanese reached Tsinhs Another Japanese coin turday, took Yuwuchen, tree north of Tunllu, atter defeating 2,000 Chinese holding the town.
After successive victories marked by the capture of Slangyuan, 32 kilometres west of Licheng, and the Gispersion of a force of about 2.000 Chinese holding a line of defence, four kilometres deep -north of Sinngyuan, a third Japanese column was marching towards Wuslang.
The fourth unit, operating out of Linfeng on the north-to-south /Toiyuan-Puchow railway, to the east, ut to flight 4,000 Chinese who left! 1,000 dead on the feld in retreating.
the meantime, in western Shansi, Gen. Yen Hsi-shan, former [Pacification "Commissioner for the province, was reported to have retraced his steps into Shensi after 9 of sojourn as the head of a "dare-to-die corps.
Wiis retreat was attributed in dis-palelies reaching here from the feld to the rapid progress made by a Japanese force engaged in mopping, up the Shihlow and Yungho areas near the Shansi-Shenst border.
Fighting five major engagements in the period of March 28 to April 6, Jculminating in the capture of Shih-Tow and Yungho, this unit suffered two killed and 40 wounded. The Aggregate number of Chinese dead abandoned by their comrades follow-jing engagements with this unit was put at 1,600, Gen, Yen fled across the Yellow River into Shensi through Tsikowchen, 40 kilometres north-west of Lishin, early in March following the spectacular Japanese advances into! western Shansi—Domel.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.