Hankow, Dec. 27.
Following the capture on December 24 of Hangchow, the capital of Chekiang province, the Chinese forces withdrew to the southern bank of the Chientang River.—Reuter.
According to Japanese reports available in Hankow the city was entered on Sunday, says Trans-Ocean. The Japanese first attacked the Chinese lines near Chienchow, Kungsenchow and Zahkou, infantry, artillery, tanks and the air force engaging in the offensive.
Evidently applying the new tactics which have been decided upon since the fall of Nanking, the Chinese troops did not engage in costly hand to hand fighting but retreated fu good order after having held up the Japanese advance as long as possible. It is believed in Chinese circles here that the Chinese casualties were comparatively slight, although accurate estimates are not yet available. In the course of their retreat the Chinese destroyed the large bridge over the Chientang so that the Japanese could not follow them, and all Japanese attempts to cross the river have so far been prevented through heavy machine-gun fire, according to Chinese reports.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.