The main Chinese force in Kwangsi, comprising 24 divisions of Central and provincial troops, were being gradually squeezed between to long fingers of fire and steel stretching from Nanning towards Pingyang, in the north-east, and towards Wingshun in the east, he said. This Japanese manceuvre, launched on Sunday, had thrown the Chinese forces, now facing encirclement, into complete confusion, he asserted.
Launching their drive from the outskirts of Nanning, early on Sunday, the Japanese forces had pushed back, in a northward advance, Chinese forces holding a line of mountains extending from Ssutang to Chitang, according to the spokesman.
Having put their enemy to rout in this sector, the Japanese forces then veered to the east towards Batang, he continued, A strong Japanese column, on Jan-wary 30, crossed the West River near Wingshun, about 60 kilometres east of Nanning, to launch a vigorous attack upon the 76th Chinese Division stationed in that area, he added.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.