Chinese Troops Ordered Not To Retreat Nanking, Aug. 28.
The endurance and bravery of the Chinese troops defending the Nanko Pass, the strategic Great Wall pa along the Peiping-Suiyuan Railw on the Hopei-Charhar border, since August 12 was officially noted in a communique issued by the Ministry of War late last night.
Subjected to the most terrific artillery bombardment from three sides, with large squadrons of enemy planes raiding all the main towns in the rear and disrupting communications at important junctions, the communique stated, the Chinese troops had stood their ground, despite "heavy losses" of life Bringing heavy artillery, tanks, and planes into action, the communique said, large detachments of Japanese troops had succeeded in two general offensives in breaking through the Chinese lines at several points, including Nankow town, its right and left lines, Chenpiencheng, on August 23
Retreat Forbidden Orders had been issued by the Chinese command, the communique emphasized, that the Chinese troops were not permitted to retreat alive, with the result that the Chinese suffered severe casualties.
Beginning from August 24, the communique stated, the Chinese troops were determined to hold the line from Hengling to Chuyungkwal the Great Wall pass a little to the vest of Nankow town.
Yet with the arrival of additional reinforcements, the communique saic the Japanese offensive became more severe, inflicting such heavy losses on the Chinese troops that for a time even secretaries of the army, mafoos, messengers, signal corpsman, were brought to the front lines.—Central News.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.