Canton, Feb. 5.
Japanese detachments today were engaged in a widespread enveloping operation in an effort to trap 35 Chinese divisions comprising more than 240,000 troops of Central and provincial armies northeast of Nanning. Japanese forces extended their field of operations following success-tol engagements against eight divisions numbering about 60,000 men massed in the areas southwest of Pin-yang in southey Kwangsi. Kunlunkwan, northeast of Nanning, was taken by the Japanese on Saturday. A large Chinese army made desperate attempts to defend Kunlimkwan be-noise Of its strategic importance, -Kunlunkwan was captured by the Japanese after strategic maneuver designed to' draw the. attention of Chinese Commanders to a certain sector and cause them to leave others lightly defended, while several Jap-nese detachments surrounded the Deploying in a manner which deceived the Chinese into thing that a major battle was impending in one sector, a Japanese unit waited until the other detachments were in position, then opened fire, Attacked from all'sides, the Chinese commanders, although they had a large number of. men in the Une, found themselves outmaneuvered and were forced to give ground.—Domei.
Japanese Claim Big Victory Japanese troops achieved a smash-mig victory in southeastern Kwangsi with ten'Chinese divisions "definitely known" to be trapped within a fast narrowing Japanese cordon southeast of Pingyang a Japanese Army Spokesman asserted yesterday.
Displaying a map showing directions of the Japanese advance, the spokesman revealed that a double Japanese line had been thrown between Pingyang and Wingshun For blocking the Chinese retreat eastward, Substantial portions of ten other Chinese divisions possibly will be within. the encirclement, the spokesman stated.
Sustaining a heavy material and spiritual blow by Nanning's loss, the spokesman recalled, Gen. Chiang Kal-shek massed over 20 divisions with tanks and aircraft in southeast Kwangsi in mid-December for the purpose of recapturing the lost city.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.