Japanese infantry detachments operating west of Lake Poyang south of the Yangtze with the assistance of artillery and aerial bombardments were making rapid progress yesterday in the Kwanlungshan area, according to Domei dispatches from Lannitu last night.
A Japanese detachment yesterday morning captured the heights of Luchia, northwest of Shanchiashan, and another unit at about the same time occupied Sheshan hill northwest of Shanchiashan, the reports said.
The Japanese columns were said to be pushing ahead steadily despite shan on the east side of Kwanlungshan.
Japanese forces operating along the Peiping-Hankow Railway in southeastern Honan Killed 160 Chinese soldiers entrenched in the mountains south of Sintien, according to a message from the front. A number of Chinese were taken prisoner.
Taking advantage of rains which continued for a week in this region, the Chinese had strengthened their positions and received reinforcements from Machwang, the reports said.
Prisoners taken by the Japanese were attached to the 44th Independent Brigade. Weakened by hunger, they surrendered willingly, the messages added.
Other Domei dispatches last night stated that Japanese forces which continued a westward drive from Kwangchow and Shangcheng were steadily conveging on the Sinyang area where they hoped to cut the Peiping-Hankow Railway. These reports said Gen. Hu Teng-nan was making desperate efforts to strengthen the Chinese defence pi extending 40 kin. from Wul Sinyang.
A dispatch from Tokyo last night stated that heavy damage had been done by a Japanese aerial bombardment of Chinese military establishments at Sungfow, southwest of Macheng in Hupeh Province, on Saturday. An area comprising about three-fourths of the town was said to have been destroyed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.