Hankow, May 5. 'APANESE forces have launched a "May offensive" along a 250- kilometre front extending from Tsungyang, 120 kilometres south of Hankow, and west of the Canton-Hankow Railway in south-eastern Hunan, southward to Tungcheng," south-westward to Fengsin and chang, Japanese military authorities here disclosed today.
'A Japanese detachment which dislodged guerillas operating jin south-eastern Honan around Yochow, Sintsiang and Tungeheng late last month resumed a drive on Chinese concentrations south-feast of Tsungyang on Wednesday. The Japanese routed the Chinese there and continued onward to Painichiaochen, eight kilometres east of Tsungyang, where they defeated another force.
The detachment was reported to be stil! pushing south, Another Japanese column was engaged in a drive south of Tung-cheng at the same time. Chinese Survivers of the Wuning battle on the Siu River front and those troops dispatched from the Changsha sector with orders to recapture Wuning have been marking time in the sector south of a line connecting Tsungyang and Tungeheng after the collapse of their brief offensive. These troops, comprising several divisions, were Feported to be falling back to new positions.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.