Tokyo, Feb, 4.
Chinese troops fell into a Japanese stratagem when they concentrated north-east of Nanning believing that Japanese forces in the Kiutang area could be driven out, a communique issued by the Army Section of the Imperial General Headquarters asserted today.
The curtain had to be lowered on the "final act" of the Chinese "winter offensive" by the "fatal blow dealt the enemy by the decisive fighting in this area," according to the announcement, "From Paotow in the north, to Nanning in the south, Chinese offensives have crumbled before the hammering onslaughts of our troops," it added.
Heavy spiritual and material losses were inflicted upon the Chungking regime by the capture of Nanning by the Japanese forces in November, the communique said, pointing out that the city formed a pivotal point in the Chinese supply route through the southwest. The loss of the city, it continued, added impetus to the peace campaign, coupled with the progress made by the movement for the establishment of a new Central Government of China.
"Unable to regain one inch of lost ground as his winter offensive' suffered defeat after defeat everywhere, Gen. Chiang Kai-shek began announcing his intention of recovering Nanning to cover up his reverses. As a last resort he concentrated large Central Army detachments and other troops, totalling 20 divisions, in the Nanning area under the command of Gen. Chen Cheng and Gen. Pai Chung-hsi. In addition, large numbers of irregulars were also brought to this area, raising the total Chinese concentration to 40 divisions," the communique stated.
The Japanese command, following the capture of Nanning, detailed some of its forces to areas north-east and north-west of Nanning to "lure the enemy.
"Aware that the Japanese forces at Kiutang north-east of Nanning "were weak, the Chinese massed large effectives in the hills nearby. Vigorous counter-offensives were launched by the Chinese for about a month," according to the communique.
"Japanese forces, which had been waiting for their quarry to fatten; suddenly launched a vast flanking movement to the east, while another wing advanced into the Pingyang plain. Completing their encirclement, the Japanese columns have inflicted annihilating losses upon their enemy," the announcement said.
The communique paid tribute to the heroism of the Japanese "decoy detachments", which in the face of numerically superior Chinese forces, stood their ground so as to caused the Chinese main force to fall prey to the Japanese tactics. Among the' officers killed in this sector, the communique listed Major-Gen. Masao Nakamura who succumbed to wounds at the front on December 25—
Domei.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.