Evening star., 1948-11-13
SuchowAirfie|d
Reported Under
.C.on1nlunistFire
Only Direct Link
With Nonkine. as
4-Doy Bottle Roges
by the Associated Press

NANKING, Nov. 13.-Commu-
mist artillery shelled the govern
ment airfield five miles east of
Suchow tonight, unofficial re-
ports said, as fierce fighting for
the central China city roared
into its fourth night.
Harassed by constantly shutting
government planes. the Reds obvi-
ously were trying to knock out the
airfield-the only direct link with
Marking. ITO miles southeast of Su-
chow. The Communists have cut
the Suchow-Pengpu and Penpu-
Pukow railroads.
The great battle repeatedly in
volved more than 100000 men, had
spread over a wide area of the water
laced plains surrounding the gov
ernment stronghold. The govern
ment is fighting desperately to save
the national capital at Marking from
the Reds.
In Shanghai, Central News
Agency reported from Suchow
that National troops had re-
gained two villages. The dispatch
added the Reds had cut the Pu-
kow-Suchow railroad near the
tiny village of Sussien. It re-
ported that Nationals had killed
5000 Communists in the vicinity
Of Lienchung.
(The Communist radio heard
in San Francisco by the Associ-
ated Press said another govern
ment army headquarters and
two divisions were wiped out by
Red troops east of Suchow yes
terday. The Communists claimed
to have encircled Gen. Huang
Po-tao's headquarters at Men
chuang, on the Lunghai railroad
east of SuchowD
Outcome Uncertain.
The outcome of the gigantic bat
Tie to save Nanking was still un-
certain. The Nationalist air force
was hurled into the battle, bomb
ing and strafing the Communists.
Outcome of the great battle could
determine the civil war for months
to come. The Reds, hoping to seize
Nanking. are putting their all into
the battle.
(The Communist radio claimed
Kuomintang (government troops
we're in utter confusion and that
200 miles of the Lunghai railroad,
east and west of Suchow, was in
their hands. The Reds claimed
the capture Of 10 towns and said
the government had suffered
10000 casualties in the early
fighting.
(The radio said five govern
ment armies were being decimat-
ed. Red forces were said by the
radio to be less than 10 miles
north Of the main government
Suchow base. Another Red force
was said to have by-passed the
battlefield and was poking its
way toward Nanking)
Chang Adviser Dies.
Government newspapers yesterday
claimed Nationalists dealt the Reds
a crippling blow east of Suchow, in
flicting 10000 casualties on Tsinan
veterans who were caught trying to
cross the Grand Canal.
Throughout it all, Marking
watched and waited.
One thing was obvious here. The
Chinese civil war goes on only be-
cause of the determined will of
President Chang Kai-shek His
fierce opposition to Communism
holds together the National govern
ment in the face of continued mill
tary and economic disasters, each
one worse than the one before, COM
petent observers say.
On top of his other troubles, Gen.
Chang was saddened today by the
death of his close adviser, Chen
Pu-lei, So, who died of a heart
attack.
Since 1887, he had been director
of the second department of the
generalissimo's headquarters and
generally was regarded as Gen.
Chiang's right-hand man. At his
death he was secretary general of
the Kuomintang Central Executive
Committee.
U. S. Embassy Aids Evacuation.
Meanwhile, the American En-
bassy announced it will sponsor a
ship that will leave Marking at dawn
60 T1IYTN poro ACD