Evening star., 1942-06-25
Flying Tigers Join
East China Fighting,
Attacking Hankow
Jap Worship and Three
Transports Destroyed;
40 Planes Resist Roid
Ey tht Associated Press.

Fy tht Associated Press.
CHUNGKING, June 25.-"Fly-
ing Tigers" of the American VOL
unteer Group have gone into
action in support of the armies
of Generalissimo Chang Kali
shek in Eastern China, scoring
against japanese shipping and
warplanes in two operations.
AVG fighters converted into
bombers were disclosed TODAY to
have raided Hankow Tuesday.
sinking japanese warship and
three river transports, probably
damaging others, and blowing up
military establishments.
The previous day the Flying Ti-
gers" were over Hengyang in Human
Province, and an official announce
ment from their headquarters said:
On June % the AVG shot down
three Japanese fighters. now con-
f1rmed, in the vicinity of Hengyang
and Is believed to have destroyed
three others. On the same day q
Japanese gunboat was severely dam
aged in Tungtung Lake, Human"
Hankow Airdrome Target.
The Hankow raid marked the first
AVG action in Hupeh Province and
was directed against China's great
est interior city. which, under jap
anese occupation since 1898. has
served as the principal base from
which the japanese in the past have
bombed Chungking.
The japanese airdrome at Ham
kow evidently was the intended OBJ
jeCtive of the raiders, but the Jap
anese alarm network gave warning
in time for all planes on the ground
to take to the air.
The AVG bombers therefore con-
centrated their main attack on ship
ping in the port, the busiest on the
Yangtze River, as Japanese trans
ports are arriving continually with
supplies for armed forces in Hupeh
and North Human Provinces.
In first reports of the raid. the
raiders were designated only as
bombers of the Chinese Air Force.
Forty Japanese planes challenged
the Chinese raiders, it was stated.
One Zero fighter was shot down in
combat.
HankoW is the principal city of
Central China and lies 600 miles in
land from the sea on the Yangtze
River. The entire Yangtze as far
doWnriver AS Nanking was under
alarm during the raid, Chinese re-
ports said.
Broad Extension of Operations.
The Hupeh and Human operations
marked a broad extension of AVG
operations in support of Chinese
ground forces; the FLYING Tigers
originally showed their hand on
June II in the battle of China proper
by 80 victory in japanese planes
shot down in defense of Kweilin,
Chinese base in Kwangsi Province.
Previously the AVG-which on
July becomes part of the United
States Army Air Forces-had ope-
rated only over Yunnan, China bor-
der province of the southwest, and in
adjacent Burma. along with several
incursions over French Indo-China.
Chinese flyers were working in
close conjunction with the AVG.
While the Flying Tigers were attack
ing Hankow Chinese planes struck
at Linchwan iFuchow), south Of
Lake Poyang, in Kiangsi Province.
The Central China News Agency
said the Chinese air attack on Linch-
wan was delivered within earshot of
ground forces fighting for the
Chekiang-Kiangsi Railway.
Japs Pushed Back IL Miles.
Chinese forces have pushed the
japanese back II miles from re-
captured Kweiki. widening the gap
between eastward and westward
driving enemy columns on the i'm
portant Chekiang-Kiangsi Railway
from so miles to more than go miles,
an army spokesman announced
The Chinese thus tightened their
grasp on the segment which keeps
the japanese from joining forces to
turn the railroad into an important
supply line in Eastern China.
The recapture of Kweiki the most
advanced point of the western claw
of the invaders pincer, was an
nounced last night. At last reports,
the eastern claw still was stalled
three miles west of Shanghai. which
the japanese captured June 16.
A new enemy thrust in Chekiang
Province, however, was said to have
pushed within 6 miles of Lshui,
which the Chinese regard as their