Post by NZBC on Dec 5, 2007 20:47:49 GMT 12
Offensives in South China.
A struggle for control of the West River south of Canton began early in April, and turned in favor of the Japanese forces, who captured the city of Kongmoon after it had been twice taken by the two Chinese divisions fighting in this area. On April 3, in fighting between Canton and Macao the Chinese seemed to have broken the spearhead of the Japanese thrust, but a few days later, the Japanese troops received reinforcements and threw back the Chinese, with heavy losses on both sides. The Chinese retreated southward towards the city of Sunwei, but continued fighting as they went. Sporadic fighting continued in this area during the summer and early fall, but on Oct. 8 the Japanese occupied the important city of Shekki in the Canton River delta, and completed conquest of this historic Chungshan district in Kwantung Province, birthplace of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, father of the Chinese Republic, Shekki had withstood repeated attacks for months, and before the end of the fighting was reduced to ruins due to continued bombing. There was further fighting in the Province in November, when China rushed some of her best troops from Kwangsi, in order to stop the westward drive of the Japanese toward Indo-China and China's vital highways in the Southwest
encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefAuxArt.aspx?refid=461501118
A struggle for control of the West River south of Canton began early in April, and turned in favor of the Japanese forces, who captured the city of Kongmoon after it had been twice taken by the two Chinese divisions fighting in this area. On April 3, in fighting between Canton and Macao the Chinese seemed to have broken the spearhead of the Japanese thrust, but a few days later, the Japanese troops received reinforcements and threw back the Chinese, with heavy losses on both sides. The Chinese retreated southward towards the city of Sunwei, but continued fighting as they went. Sporadic fighting continued in this area during the summer and early fall, but on Oct. 8 the Japanese occupied the important city of Shekki in the Canton River delta, and completed conquest of this historic Chungshan district in Kwantung Province, birthplace of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, father of the Chinese Republic, Shekki had withstood repeated attacks for months, and before the end of the fighting was reduced to ruins due to continued bombing. There was further fighting in the Province in November, when China rushed some of her best troops from Kwangsi, in order to stop the westward drive of the Japanese toward Indo-China and China's vital highways in the Southwest
encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefAuxArt.aspx?refid=461501118