Peiping, May 5.
Heavy losses were suffered by 10000 Chinese. troops billetted villages between Sinanchen and Tan-cheng In southern Shantung when Jupanese Army planes bombed them ton times yesterday afternoon, the Jepanese military command here an-hounced. today.
The Chinese troops were believed to be move cheng, which they lost to the Japanese several days ayo—Domei, Japanese Exhaust Hankow May 6.
After ten days of fighting in South Shantung, the Japanese forces appear to be exhausted, according to Chinese dispatches received here tu lay, "The Japanese," the reports assert, "are remaining on the defen sive, apparently awaiting the arrival of fresh reinforcements before Taunching a second offensive.
Describing the fighting, "Chinese Gispatehes declare that the main body of the Japanese forces Yinsien and Lingyi attacked the troops under General Tang Bu-po from east and west, starting their offensive on April. 17, Finding his flanks exposed, General Tang ordered his forces 10 with: draw southward in the direction of Pihsien, and, on April 20, his men fare stated to have been attacked by 20,000 Japanese troops at Lienfanshan, north of Pihsien.
Japanese troops pictured when they ta connection with the sinking of wards against the Chinese, Meanwhile, the dispatches go on, General Tsogal's division attacked the positions between Taierchwang and Pihsien held by Yunnanese troops. 'The 10 days of fighting which fol-owed was of a very severe nature, a Chinese regiment being entirely wiped out at Lienfanshan on April 24, "but the Chinese forces held their ground and inflicted such heavy' osses on the Japanese that they have been' compelled to abandon their offensive for the time bel On The Eastern Front The centre of the fighting in, south Shantung is expected in Chinese tireless to be shifted shortly to the] eastern "front, where the Japanese fare reported to be massing troops for a drive in the Tancheng sector.
Japanese naval aircraft, believed] to be operating {rom an alreraftecar~ Tier elf Haichow, have been subjecting the Chinese positions in the vicinity of Tancheng to severe bomb-Ing during the past few days.
Fengehinyao and Tawangehwang, two villages south-west of Tanchens, fore expected to fall into Chinese hands despite desperate Japanese attempts to repel Chinese attacks, according to an official communiqu sued today.
"A. large force of Japanese re foreements, the statement says, as arrived at Matoucheng, a strategically) Important village west of Tancheng.
Meanwhile, It adds, 6,000 Japanese troops with 30 field picees are_ centrated at Tsining, in West Shan {ting, while the Japanese garrisons at Lincheng and Tenghsien, both on the Tientsin-Pukow Railway, have been strengthened for fear of attacks by Chinese mobile columns.
*No-man's land" in South Shantung =the 100 odd metres separating the Chinese and Japanese trenehes—is littered with dead bodies.
Both sides have been unable bury their dead because of repeated bayonet charges.
The stench of the decomposed bodies due to the intense summer heat is $0 nauseating that Chinese soldiers" guarding the front-line trenches have to wear gas masks.
'A. sensational claim that Chinese troops have occupied Tanglu, on the railway between Nanking and Wuhu, contained in a communique issued by the Chinese military authorities The vanguards of the Chinese] forees, the communique says, have saehed Chiangnincheng, only 'a little more than six miles south-west the Japanese Angle Tokyo, May 0.
Gen, Chiang Kai-shek has ordered five more divisions 10 be rushed to the Heuchow front and has taken personal conimand of frst line troops there, according to press messages received here today.
Gen, Chiang was reported to have been dissatisfied with the concentra~ tion of 40 divisions on the Hsuchow front, The press dispatches indicated increasing activities on the part of both Japanese and Chinese troops in southern Shantung—Domei.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.