The Wilmington morning star., 1943-11-22
JAPS MAKE CAIF
TOWARD CHANCTEH'
Two Spearheads OF &c..
600 Men Driving In Rice
Bowl Country

CHUNGktNG, Nov 21.-tR-TW(
spearheads Of Japanese force O
10000 made progle ss toward
Changtea in the Rice Bowl coun
try west of Tungting lake today
and reports of strong reinforce
ments at their Yochow base cas-
of the lake indicated the invaders
may be opening a fourth great bat
tie for Changsha, capital OF Hun
an province in Central China.
The Chinese nigh commands
communique suggested that the
Japanese were making a determin'
ed effort to enclrcle Cfangteh, III
miles southeast of the Yangtze
river and port Of Ichang and 2s
miles west CT the lake, and seize
that communications center as a
springboard for a decisive thrust
at Changsha. 100 miles to the
southeast.
Bloody fighting ragged near Japa-
nese-held Tell, at the junction of
the Ling and Liu rivers 30 miles
northwest of Changteh, where the
Chinese were hitting back vigor-
ously against repeated Japanese
attacks supported by incessant re-
lays of bombers
The Japanese also were striking
southwark Immediately west of the
lake in a move which threatened
Changteh's communications from
the northeast.
By moving on Changteh, the
japanese were taking heed of three
costly failures to capture Chang.
sha in previous campaigns.
! 1t was from the Changteh area
that willy Chinese commanders in
the earlier campaigns launched
flank assaults which wiped Out
large enemy forces extended up
the Slang valley toward Changsha,
so miles south of Tungting lake.
Private reports said the Japa.
nese had transferred large quaint.
ties of materials from Hankow to
Yochow, their base east of the
lake from which they launched
their previous campaigns. Ii
Changteh falls, they evidently in.
tended to be ready for a two-armed
drive on Changsha.
From the mountains below
Ichang, TO the west Oh the Japa'
nese salient. however. the Chinese
already were striking back in an
effort to smash the invaders stra.
tegy and were mopping up con-
siderable territory already reoccu-
pied.
Brig. Gen. Edgar Glenn, chief
of staff OF the United States 18th
U. S. Air Force. said the japanese
we're within 10 miles of Changteh
and American planes, both fight
ers and bornbers, were striking
from dawn to dusk to support the
Chinese in the Tungting area.
1.-THE 14tn Air Force has been
effectively bombing the enemy's
Yochow base where they are
bringing in men and supplies by
rail, road and river he said in
an interview.
The Turgting lake sector is area
No. l in importance at present, "
he added. We are giving all sup
port possible to Chinese troops try.
ing to repel the adv ance on Chang.
teh, which is the corridor of ap'
proach to Churgking .
The Changteh av'.rue to the war.
time Chinese cacital over a good
road might offer better prospect
for enemy success than the at.
tempt up the Yaagtze which failed
last June, he said, but added that
it still was unclea-: whether the
Japanese offensive had such an
ambitious purpose.
again we don't know whether
it is only a rice flareup-an at
tempt to loot the rich rice harry
est" he explained. There's evi'
dence the japanese are hauling Out
lots of rice"
japanese troops for the offensive
ffon+;rued m Pare Two; Col. 81