Hankow, Mar. 3. Japanese forces driving westward central Hupeh slong the Hankow-
Tehang highway today were fifteen Kilometres east of Anlu, strategically Important town on the east bank the upper Han River, eld dispatches reaching here today said. This pro-ares, the dispatches revealed, was made by the centre column of a Japanese unit executing a three-ronged attack upon Chinese positions west of Kingshan. While the left wing seized Kinkow to the southwest, the right wing reduced Sintlen in the north.
Launching an encircling movement against a Chinese brigade entrenched positions at Sunkiakiao, tea Kilometers west of Kingshan, on Tuesday, the Japanese centre broke through this defence line the following day. The Chinese, commanded Gen. Hwang Wel-kang of the 38th Division, retreated abandoning. 1,000 dead, the reports claimed.
'Yesterday, the Japanese broke through the second Chinese line of defence at Chenkiatsi, twelve' kilo metres west of Sunkiakiao, after defeating another 3,009 men of " the Chinese "38th, and 182nd" Divisions, the dispatches said.
'Kinkow, a strategic town on the Han' River bank, was occupied by Japanese forces at 2 o'clock yesterday -after-Jnoon, according to an oficial "communique issued by the headquarters Jor the Japanese Expeditionary Force {to Central China, The town was taken by troops! marching along the highway linking /Yingcheng and Chingchow.
'Overcoming the handicaps of swirlling rapids and muddy trails caused [by floods on the Kao, Hsien and Han Rivers, the Japanese forces raised the Rising' Sun flag on the wall of Kinkow Jatter marching a day and a half on [the seven-kilometre route "from Lukiachai, according to a field dispatch received here this afternoon.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.