Bitter fighting is in progress on the eastern border of Shansi Province with Japanese army columns carrying out a powerful counter-attack against approximately 12,000 Chungking Communist troops who on Wednesday and Thursday made abortive attempts to sever the Shansi and Tatung-Puchow railway lines, front-line reports reaching here today revealed.
Up to Sunday, according to field despatches, 3,700 Chinese troops had been killed on the field of battle. In the neighbourhood of Niangtzekwan near the eastern border of Shansi, 500 Communist troops were defeated by a Japanese force, the former leaving 140 dead on the field of battle.
According to reports, another Japanese force engaged 1,000 enemy troops at Chengkialungti, west of Niangizekwan, Two hundred and eighty Chinese dead were left abandoned on the field, it was reported, In other engagements in this area, More Newfoundland Troops Arrive London, Aug. 27. Another contingent of New found land troops arrived a west coast port today.—Reuter. further reports declared, an enemy force of 500 was routed by the Japanese at Yenhwei, another strategic point on the Shansi Railway, in the eastern part of the province. The Chinese lost 280 men in this battle too, the reports added.
Japanese army units also defeated Chungking Communist troops along the Shansi railway, the enemy losing 1,500 men, the reports said. Along the southern section of the Tatung-
Puchow railway, 1,000 Communist troops were crushed by Japanese army units at Nankwanchen, central Shansi. The enemy left 440 dead on the field.
Along the northern section of the Tatung-Puchow railway, still other front-line despatches said, Chinese forces comprising approximately 2,200 men were routed by the Japanese and lost. 780 men, it was stated.—Domé
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