Before launching their drive on Kiukiang the Japanese forces busied themselves during the past 18 days in making preparations and in completing mopping-up operations around Hukow, which was taken on July 4 Five detachments which led the drive on the town were joined later by at least five other detachments when the push got under way in full force.
When the mopping-up was completed at Hukow, the Japanese forces set out at 12.30 o'clock in the morning of July 23. In pitch darkness and rain Japanese warships sailed across Lake Poyang and landed the attacking forces near Kutang on the western side.
The landing parties had been taken aboard at two places south-west and north-east of Hukow.
Having anticipated a landing of Japanese troops, the Chinese had consolidated defence positions on the lake shore, but when they were attacked unexpectedly in the rain storm they were easily routed, although there was some severe fighting for a short time.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.