Shanghai, Dec. 27.
-APANESE troops have captured four towns in Shansi and gained control of the hilly regions on the north bank of the Fen River opposite Linfen in operations during the past few days, ac~ cording to field dispatches reaching Shanghai yesterday.
Detachments wi 'h captured Kuchen and Macchitsun continued a drive against troops of the 68th Division at Tumentsun und in a frontal attack on the morning of December 25 drove them from their positions around the town, a message from Linfen claimed, Other Japanese units operating northward in areas east of Taiku in Central Shansi attacked large Chinese forces of the 72nd Division and on the morning of December 25 attained an east west line running through Fantsunchen, about 20 kin. cast of Taiku, according to the same dispatch, Additional Japanese columns operat ing in the same general area on the afternoon of Dec. 24 captured Chenehlachwang, two kilometres west of Sunchutsun, and Talchientsun, Chinese: casualties were given as more than 600 dead in the message from Linfen.
'A dispatch from Taiyuan revealed that the Chinese forces near the Shansi-Shensi-Honan border made an lunsuecessful "attempt to recapture positions in the vicinity of Fenglingtu the southwestern tip of Shansi Chinese troops concentrated round Tungkwan, across the Tiver from Fenglingtu, sent several boat loads men over the river but they were the Taiyuan message Japanese forces which have been operating round "Fenglingtu for eral Weeks are preparing to cut the Lunghai Railway and sever communications between Loyang in Ho-than and Sian in Shensi, according 10 this report, Three Army air units on Decem-24 attacked Sian and almost luced to ruins the aerodrome, hang~ ars and other military establishments, according to a message from Peiping Al the planes returned antely to their Japanese naval aircraft carried out effective raids in' Kwangsi and Kwangtung on Dee. 24, according to 8 communique issued by the head quarters of the Japanese China Sea Pleet-on Decembel 25.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.