BATTLE OF CHINA: Object Lesson

The Hupeh-Hunan border fighting provided the Chinese with a little object lesson in military fundamentals last week. A month ago the Chinese thrust the enemy back through the flatlands to the north bank of the Yangtze (TIME, June 14). The enemy had time to fortify only three small towns—Owchihkow, Shihshow and Hwajung, which they seized in March. The towns cover river communications between Hankow and Shasi.

At Owchihkow the Japanese garrison was entrenched behind five concentric rings of pillboxes. Last week the Chinese decided to drive the enemy from these last strongholds. But instead of columns of Japanese infantry moving along unprotected footpaths amidst rice paddies, they faced the superiority of Japanese weapons. The Chinese infantry filtered in through the pillboxes to Owchihkow and fought in the city’s streets. But Japanese artillery based on an island in the river pounded them brutally, while fresh Japanese reinforcements made way to aid the garrison. At week’s end the Japanese artillery and pillboxes dominated the action. Against them the Chinese were still throwing rifle-armed infantrymen.