The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-08

NCOuI10uS0 40Om rage ~
"Our columns are actively harass-
ing the enemy's supply lines, and
our air force is carrying out most
successful attacks against enemy
concentrations and supply columns, .
the communique said.
British Are Halted
The Axis attack apparently halted
for the moment the British west
ward advance that began last Thurs
day night. Lieut.. Gen. Neil M.
Ritchie's forces were believed still
In control Of Biz Har7nat, strategic
outpost six miles below Knights
bridge that has changed hands
three times.
The battle in the desert waste
lands now has become q struggle of
counter-attacks. Both Rommel and
Richie are at the front, mastering
every available tank and vehicle and
employing every tactical nnaneuver
Of dessert warfare.
West Of Biz Harmat, British and
Indian troops were established in
side Axis positions, despite repeated
enemy attempts to drive them out.
At the southern end Of the Imperial
line, Free French forces under Gen.
Pierre Koenig held the Biz Hachei1n
salient after repulstng two heavy
italian attacks and inflicting Grip
ping losses.
Front dispatches described wild,
confused tank fighting west Of
Knightsbridge.
United Press Correspondent Rich
ard D. McMillan reported from Rit-
chie's front headquarters that the
third and present phase Of the Liby-
an fighting was marked by "the
worst fighting British troops have
experienced in the war" He said the
1910 battle of France could not COM
pare with the furious struggle rag
ing between thousands of tanks on
parched, sfell-pocked desert plateau
near Knightsbridge.
JapS Hit China Hard
Chungking, June 8-CUP)-Japan
pressed five major offenSives in
China today in q spreading cam
paign to Hquidate the Chinese in
cident" and remove the threat Of
further American bombing raids on
the Japanese islands.
While fierce fighting ragged on a
new inner Monaghan front $40 miles
west Of Peiping, the beSieged Chin
ese garrison at Chuhsien (Chuchow)
in western Chekiang Province was
still holding out within the ancient
walls.
Chungking military quarters adj
mitted the Chinese position there
was increasingly grave. The Japan
ese occupied the strategic Chuhsien
aidrome Saturday.
Chuhsein, on the Nanchang- Hang
chow Railway, was besiebed by q
Japanese force Of at least 100000
men. The Chinese had Withdrawn
behind the walled defenses and
were engaging the enemy In severe
hand-to-hand fighting.
The Japanese opened their inner
Monaghan offensivxe Gu the famed
OrdoS Plain Saturday, in another
move to isolate China from her
friends. From Paotow, they crossed
the Yellow river and moved south,
encountering strong resistance from
Chinese troops in Suiyan Province.
This conceded with renewed enc.
my offenSives in Chekiang, Yunnan,
Kwangtung and Kiaksi Provinces.
Informed quarters estimated that
roughly 100000 Japanese troops -
half the total enemy garrison in
China proper-were engaged in
these campaigns.
Sporadic fighting also has occur
red since May 10 on q sixth front.
IN Central Hopei Province, where
The enemy has employed about 5O,-
200 men to wipe out a threatening
Chinese guerrilla menace. The Com.
nunist organ, New China Daily. re-
ported that the Chimes positions
we're unaltered.
Chinese troops we've reported Of
Ideally to have opened a strong
counter-offenSive in the area of
Provincial capital Of
Kiangsi. The Chinese were said to
have attacked enemy-held towns so
miles north Of Nanchang, inflicting
heavy casualties.