(Continued from page 7)
Chinese arms and ammunition, destroyed or captured, as.well as motor vehicles and other equipment reaching "astounding" quantities, the com. munique declared.
The offensive, aimed at the destruction of Chinese troops concentrated in the vicinity of the Nanning-Pingyang highway with the intention of recapturing Nanning, had made favourable progress. "The first stage has already been completed," the an. nouncement said.
The Japanese left wing, advanced through mountains dislodging and "exterminating" Chinese forces strongly entrenched in the area, to effectively cut off the avenue of retreat to the southwest from Pingyang.
Another Japanese column, the com. munique stated, broke through stubborn Chinese resistance north of Kan-tang to advance northward. Qn the way, it defeated the Chinese 45th Division moving south. Taking up positions along the narrow highway north-east of Pingyang, this column inflicted heavy losses upon Chinese troops falling back from other fronts. In the mountains southwest of Pingyang, the announcement asser! f m six and seven division: prising 50,000 to 60,000 men, were held within a narrow Japanese cor- hours of 6 pin. and midnight. don.
The second stage, the communique said, consisted in mopping-up Chinese concentrations found within the far-flung Japanese encirclement. The Chinese 75th and 78th Divisions, the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.