Evening star., 1948-12-02
Reds Claim Capture Of Suchow>
ExposingRearof ; ChiangArmies
Marching to Aid Trapped Forces
Refugees Said to
Be Pouring West
From Key City
BY the Associated Press

NANKING, Dec. 2.-The Chi
nese Communists laid claim to-
night to Suchow, important gov
ernment base 211 miles north
west of Nanking.
This exposed the rear Of three
government army groups moving
slowly southwark in an effort to
support other Nationalist armies
isolated under Communist attacks
in the Suhsien and Pengpu areas
ranging down to 100 miles from
Marking
The Communist broadcast heard
in Nanking said Suchow fell at 8
pm. yesterday.
A few minutes before the Com
munist broadcast, the government
military spokesman, Gen. Teng
Wen-yi, had said all government
troops in Suchow-estimated at
about 50,000-were concentrated for
a march southwark. He denied.
however, that this meant Suchow
had been abandoned.
Refugees Reported Fleeing.
Claire Chennault's China Air
Transport pilots who dropped rice
to Suchow had reported Communists
within / mile of the city and that
refugees were pouring out to the
westward.
The Suchow garrison was last
reported blocked about Is miles
south of Suchow by strong Com
munist opposition.
The Communist broadcast,
also heard in San Francisco.
added a claim that the 10th
Division of the governments
trapped 18th Army Group near
Suhsien had come over to the
Communist sideD
Despite the dire military news.
the Chinese government told for
eign diplomats it had no intention
to remove the capital" from Nanklng,
Diplomats to Remain.
A Foreign Office spokesman said
that jacques Meyrier. French Am
bassador, had replied in his capacity
as dean of the diplomatic corps that
the heads of foreign missions had
decided to stay in Nanking.
Air reconnaissance reports showed
meanwhile, that the 18th Army
Group of more than 100000 men Is
compressed by the Reds into
pocket only seven miles In diameter.
The shrinking pocket is l3O miles
northwest of Nanking. Chinese air
force transports were dropping sup
plies to the encircled force, which
is believed critically short OF food.
Encircled for Seven Days.
The army group has been encir-
eled bv the Reds for seven days. 1t
is believed to have only weeks
supply of munitions remaining 1or
normal combat operations. Air OBJ
servers reported the 12th's positions
were fortified and apparently well
organized.
A government military spokesman,
asked to comment on the Red en-
circlement. replied:
There are Communists on all
sides. but the army group still has
contact with other government
units"
The 18th, commanded shy Gen.
Huang Wei was ordered to the as
sistance of Suchow's defenders early
in November. After march OF
about 200 miles from the HankoW
region in Central China, the force
was halted on the Kwei River SOUTH
west of Sushien. The group was
subsequently trapped by seven
Communist columns commanded by
one-eved Gen. Liu Po-cheng.
New Defense Line Formed.
The bulk of Gen. Liu's force was
reported concentrated southwest OF
the Nationalist pocket to prevent
an attempt by the 18th to break
through and join the governments
9Th and 9th Army Groups which
hold Pengpu. Units of the latter
groups are reported deploying east
and west of Pengpu to establish
new river defense line on the south
bank of the Huai.
Telephoned reports from Pengpu
said the situation at that vital juno
ton had eased, temporarily at
least.
The military spokesman said the
1See CHINA, Page A-5D