Hankow, July 20
In an effort to check the westward advance of the Japanese along. the south bank of the Yangtze, Chinese forces have launched an attack on the Japanese forces at Pengtseh, below Hukow. Pierce fighting Is' said to be at present in progress.
The Chinese, according to a military communique, have occupied the hills south-east of Pengtsch and have also cut off communications on the south bank between the Japanese at Pengtseh and those at Matung.
'Today {wo Japanese warships shelled Chinese positions in the vieing ity of Hukow while three more Japanese warships attempted to force their way upriver, but the latter are id to have been forced to turn back by Chinese artillery fre' from the The fact that many Japanese transports have been sighted in. the vicinity of Hukow and also the recent very heavy bombings of Kiukiang fare taken here to indicate that a Japanese offensive is Imminent on the Yangtze. front, One of these transports is claimed to have been sunk below Kiukiang today as a result of Chinese bombing—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.