Evening star., 1949-05-07
Reds Fighting
Near Tsiingtao,
U. 5. Fleet Base
Town 80 Miles From
Port Has Been Taken,
Communists Claim
by the Assoeioted Press

SHANGHAI, May THE Chi
nese Communists today disclosed
renewed Red military operations
on the approaches to Tsingtao
American naval base for the
Western Pacific feet.
The Peiping radio said Red
Army troops attacking Tsimo-
Tsingtao outer defenses" had cap
tured Lingshan. SO miles north
east of Tsingtao.
The broadcast did not mention
that American warships were
based at Tsingtao. Neither did 1t
give a date for taking Lingshan
nor the number of Communist
troops involved.
The Lingshan claim was the
first indication of any Red mill
tary activity for some time in the
Tsingtao area.
Months ago the Communists
rolled over the Shantung Pen
insula of Northwestern China,
cutting off the Tingtao area by
land but holding off from any
assault on the naval base city.
Tsimo is % miles northeast
of Tsingtao.
Reds Hammer at Shanghai.
The Communist broadcast
dealing largely with North China
operations, came after a Nation
list communique issued by the
Shanghai garrison command re-
ported thousands of Red troops
were hammering with little sue
cess at the outer defenses of
China's largest city.
The communique said Shang-
hats defenders were hurting back
with heavy losses $4,000 Reds who
were attacking the city from two
directions. One sector was re-
ported 80 miles west of Shanghai,
the other IS miles northwest.
The communique also said the
Reds were making little headway
against Kashing. a third anchor
in Shanghai's defense arch SO
miles to the southwest.
Railway officials in Shanghai
said, however. that trains were
running only to within 10 miles of
Kashing.
Badger at Tsingtao.
, As far as was known in Shang-
hal. Vice Admiral Oscar Badger.
commander of United States nav
al forces in the Western Pacific,
was at Tsingtao aboard his flag
ship. the Eldorado. So was the
transport Chiffon with the former
Shanghai Marine detachment
aboard. Both ships pulled out OF
Shanghai to avoid involvement in
the Chinese civil war.
It was also believed that some
American auxiliary feet units
were at Tsingtao but most of the
combat ships based there were
thought to be at sea. Some were
reported few days ago in the
general vicinity of the Yangtze
River mouth below Shanghai.
The Communist radio made the
sweeping claim that now all
North China is liberated" But
Tsingtao and some Northern and
far Western provinces still have
not been taken by the Reds.
Drive Into South China.
Red spearheads. however, ap-
peared to be thrusting deeper into
South China on an irregular front
from Shanghai's approaches to
Nanchang more than 800 miles to
the southwest.
cat Canton, 1t was learned
officially that the American
consulate at Chungking has
issued an order advising Amer
leans to evacuate that World
War II Nationalist capital deep
in South Central China almost
600 miles to the west of Nam
: chang. About 800 Americans
mostly missionaries-are in the
area.0
Press reports said Nanchang,
the city which guards the eastern
approaches to the vital Hankow-
Canton railroad, was in a state
Of siege.
Chinese Communist columns,
already more than $50 miles south