ithe capture of Juichang yesterday afternoon, Japanese forces breaching the centre of Hankow's first line of defences with today threatened to outflank more than 30 Chinese divisions deployed along the Kiukiang-Nanchang railway to form the Chinese left wing.
The smashing Japanese drive, which was fought in a swelter~ ing heat, successfully cut off the communication between the Chinese positions on the south and northern banks of the Yangtze, Japanese officers claimed. Principal Chinese concentration north west of here are at Kwangchi and at Wusueh.
Seven Chinese divisions, comprising three group armies, vainly sought to stem the Japanese advance, state~ ments for prisoners and documents seized after the capture of the town revealed, The Chinese troops con~ sisted principally of provincials from Shantung and Kweichow.
"the Japanese offensive was directed Julchang through the hilly region between Lake Chi and Lake Cheng-men.
'Taking part in the defence of this tarea were the Twelfth Group Army under' the command of Gen. Sun Tung-hsuan, the Seventieth Group Army Under the command of Gen. Li Chino, and the Fifty-Fourth Group Army' under Gen. Ho Tso-chang, Investigations showed.
Julehang was occupied by Japanese force at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. me Chinese military authorities to-Jday claimed that both on the north land south banks of the Yangtze the [Chinese forces had scored notable successes, While on the south bank, the Japanese drive westwards {s lsald to have been checked west of [Julehang, on the north bank more Ispectacular successes are claimed, land itis stated that the Chinese have "crashed through the Japanese leentre, completely sweeping Japanese off their feet."
Chinese reports onthe situation lon the south bank state that the Japanese forees are being held up ley the Chinese at a place called ITatukou, to the north-west of Jul-chang, recently captured by the Japanese, and also at Kweilinchiao, which lies to the south-west of, Juichang.
Heavy Japanese Losses Cities Reeaptured Hankow, Aug. 25.
Chinese war despatches reaching here from the front tell of the resumption of the Japanese offensive against Hankow and of intense Aghting In. the vicinity of Poyang Lake find near Singtze, Tt is claimed that these Intter' engagements the Japanese suffered considerable casual tier.
The Japanese columns, it appears, bogan on Tuesday. afternoon to ad~ vance westwards from Hotel along (we roads, They had concentrated in this area those forces which had been compelled to fall back owing to the inundation of the northern bank of the Yangize opposite Kiukiang, The main contre of Japanese operations is believed to tie south of the Yangtze and on the shores of Poyang Lake where yesterday morning about thirly Japanese warships stationed in the neighbourhood of Wuchang, 30 miles south of Singtze, opened a bom-of Chinese fortifications, ipanese to effect Chinese "Bole Skirmish"
Shanghai, Aug. 27.
Striking westward from Hotel, in central Anhwei Province, Japanese! forces were vapidly nearing Livan, a Chinese stronghold 35 kilometres! from the Honan border, a Japanese! military spokesman claimed in Shanghat yesterday evening, Ina surprise attack on Kwanting, 20 kilometres west of Hotel, at 1 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, the Japanese had put the Chinese' gar-ison of 90 men to flight in a brief skirmish, A Chinese major, who had failed to escape in time, was taken prisoner by the Japanese, according to the spokesman, Continuing to the west, the Japan ese column had reached Kinkino, 25 kilometres cast of Huan, by 7 o'clock the same evening.
Japanese engineers, the spokesman Acclared, were engaged in repairing the Huan-Hofei highway in order to allow vehicular trame, Renewed Japanese activity on Lake! Poyang, the waterway to Nanchang, was revealed by the spokesman, who announced that the Japanese army had effected a landing south of Sing-tae on the western bank of the lake o'clock on Wednesday morning.
Stout Chinese opposition, according to the spokesman, was crushed in
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.