Evening star., 1938-05-17
N|PPONESE GUNS
HAMMERSUCHOW

lIHlvIIULNOUUlIUU
Communique Says Chinese
Fleeing Rail Center in
Wild Disorder.
BACKGROUND
Attempts to seUer the Lunghdi
RdilWay, "China's lifeline" east and
tcest, brought the japanese arms
their first crushing setback several
months ago. The japanese inrn1e-
diately concentrated heavy forces
in the area and renewed their drtpe
to dominate the rnilpay line uith
savage intensity.
By the Associated Press.
SHANGHAI, May 17-Japanese ar
tillery has begun bombardment Of
Suchow, the Central China Railway
junction that has been the objective
of five months of bloody fighting,
Japanese communique said tonight.
Big japanese guns, brought up by
a column approaching from the SOUTH
west, began pounding Suchow's de-
fenses from the Fengchwang Noun
tains, few miles away.
Two other japanese columns were
reported within firing distance of
Suchow, nerve center of China's des-
perate defense of the Lunghai Railway
corridor running east-west through
Central China.
The Japanese said Chinese, soldiers
as we'll as civilians, were in wild re-
treat to the southeast, the only avenue
remaining for escape from the nearly
encircled city.
-. japanese declared that throughout
the Suchow area their airplanes, tanks
and guns were battering the Chinese
into "a state of pitiful confusion"
Chinese Deny Reports.
Chinese reports, however, firmly de-
MED Japanese accounts of victory.
Foreign military experts expressed be-
lief that the thinness of the encircling
japanese lines west and southwest of
Suchow gave most of the Chinese
forces a chance to escape.
The Japanese also reported $4,000
Chinese were In full retreat from
Suhsien, which had been the main
resistance center on the Tientsin-
Pukow Railway south Of Suchow. A
force of 10000 Chinese was reported
crushed" by low raiding japanese
warplanes while fleeing eastward from
Suhsien.
The Japanese communique said ar
tillery began bombarding Suchow's
west wall in midafternoon and that
by nightfall terrific damage already
was apparent. Casualties among
heavy troop concentrations inside the
city are believed heavy.
japanese infantry was said to be
moving up steadily. prepared to at
tack as soon as the guns made q
breach in the walls.
japanese reported that four of the
Chinese Central Army's best divisions
retreated westward from the Suchow
area before the Lunghai Railway was
cut, thus escaping the rapidly con-
tracing Japanese net.
10 Warships on Coast.
Chinese military messages from
Hankow said 10 japanese warships
were concentrated of Fukien and
Provinces, indicating fur.
ther attacks on the South China coast
were planned similar to recent attacks
at Annoy and Foochow Twenty Jap
anese ships were reported of Canton.
A japanese spokesman said the 240,-
900 Chinese seeking to stave of the
fall of their Central China military
base must now surrender or perish"
Meanwhile, 200 japanese warplanes
rained bombs on Chinese positions
throughout the battle area.
Two squadrons dropped more than
400 bombs on villages east of Suchow,
while others bombed the Lunghai rail-
way zone in relays and strafed Chinese
troops wherever they were sighted.
Outside the inner circle of steel.
other japanese columns closed in on
the Lunghai from its eastern terminus
all the way to Kweiteh, 80 miles west
Of Suchow.
Cavalry Is Advancing.
At the eastern end Of the front, a
cavalry detachment was advancing
northward up the Yen River toward
Haichow. At the western end, another
column was within striking distance
Of Chengwu, threatening Kweiteh, 81
miles to the south.
Dispatches from Tsingtao said 5000
fresh Japanese troops had arrived
there within the past two weeks to
reinforce the 100000 japanese already
fighting on the Lunghai front.
One military train q day was run
ming from Tsingtao to Tsinan. Shan
tung Province capital, while fleets Of
trucks were distributing the fresh
troops elsewhere.
Some Of the wounded Japanese being
returned to Tsingtao reported cas-
ualties in the front lines were ex-
tremely heavy, running as high as
so per cent in some instances.
Widely separated Japanese attacks
outside the Lunghai front:
Japanese warships shelled Chinese
positions at Kiuhsien, 80 miles up the
Yangtze River from Wuhu.
Under cover Of an artillery and
aerial bombardment, q japanese de-
tachment unsuccessfully attempted to
cross the Chientang River near Hang
chow, Chekiang Province capital.
japanese marines attempted land
ing at Chungshan, the birthplace OF
the late President Sun Yet-Sen, In the
Canton sector, but were driven OF.