THE SITUATION IN CHINA
I
—ADVANCE OF THE IMPERIAL ARMY—
PRESS SECTION, WAR DEPARTMENT
The Shanghai Front
THE Kawanami and Takamori detachments began a campaign against the remnants of the Chinese troops in Nantao, the southern Chinese quarter in Shanghai, at noon on November 11th and crossed Zahhwei Creek which runs through the western side of that district. The Kawanami detachment then took the southern road near the French Concession and the Takamori detachment, the southern road along the Whampoo. Both started an eastern drive on Nantao.
The Kawanami detachment occupied the District Court, the South Station and the Tatung University buildings, while the Takamori detachment took the Shanghai Arsenal and other buildings, as both steadily penetrated into Nantao. A large number of Chinese troops were disarmed by the Japanese, while many fled into the French Concession and some attempted to escape in junks on the Whampoo River. Confusion was heightened when the Japanese air force opened machine-gun fire on the Chinese troops.
The following day, November 12th, these detachments continued their cleaning-up campaign. The Chinese troops resorted to their favourite tactics and set fire to various parts of Nantao. Through the flames, the Japanese troops covered by the warships on the Whampoo River advanced through meandering lanes and occupied the customs buildings which the Chinese troops had used as a base of operations. At 4:30 o'clock on the afternoon of November 12th, Nantao fell into the hands of the Japanese troops.
Those Japanese forces which had been engaged in securing the western suburb of Shanghai advanced north on November 10th to clear the district west of the city of Chinese troops. They took Chuchiachen on November 10th and Kuanyintangchen the following day. They also captured Huangtuchen and maintained their western drive along the Shanghai-Nanking Railway in the direction
east of Kunshan. The Adachi and Wachi detachments swung north and reduced Nansiang west of Tachangchen. They then drove north-west and took Waikangchen on November 13th.
The main body of the Japanese forces which attacked Liuhochen, the important position at the northern extremity of the Shanghai front, broke through the enemy position on the Liuho, while part of the Japanese forces was attacking Liuhochen. The Japanese swung south-east and completely occupied Tatsang early in the morning of November 14th in cooperation with the Adachi and Wachi detachments which were making a drive on the town from the south. Closely following the reduction of Tatsang, the Japanese forces swung north and took Shachichen the next evening. They occupied Chitangchen on the evening of November 15th and Meilichen on November 16th, thus bringing strong pressure to bear on Chinese positions in the Changshu sector.
The Iizuka, Tsuda, Tanigawa and Fukui detachments which had been advancing north since November 12th, passing east of Nansiang broke through the enemy positions along the line extending north and south of Maluchen and swept down on Kiating which they captured at 11 a.m., November 13th. They then advanced upon the area east of Tatsang in pursuit of the retreating enemy. Part of the fresh Japanese troops which landed on the shores of Hangchow Bay advanced north while others drove west. The situation in both directions developed favourably for the Japanese.
The Drive on Nanking
A portion of the Japanese detachment which pushed north captured Sunkiang, a strategically important town on the Whampoo River 30 kilometres south-west of Shanghai on November 9th and reached the line between Ssuchingchen and Yushanchen the following day when it effected junction with the Japanese forces which were pushing south from the Shanghai area, after crossing Soochow Creek. The main body advanced north, passing west of Sunkiang, and took Tsingpu. This northern drive was continued and Soochow Creek was crossed south of Paihaochiangchen and Wuchiangtan. The main body of the Japanese troops cut the Shanghai-Nanking railway at Antingchen and Luchiapinchen. It pursued closely the Chinese troops retreating in the direction of Kunshan, and captured Tsingyangchiang, 4 kilometres south of Kunshan, on the evening of November 13th. By crossing the creek west of Tsingyangchiang, it advanced north of Yuanming and started an attack on Kunshan on November 14th. Fighting continued all day ; the Japanese occupied Kunshan on the morning
of November 15th.
Both the Japanese forces and foreign observers anticipated stiff resistance on the part of the Chinese troops along the line between Tatsang and Kunshan, where strong positions had been established. But the fierce Japanese onslaught carried everything before it, depriving the Chinese army of its fighting spirit. Many Chinese troops surrendered.
The Okamoto detachment which pushed north after reducing Tsingpu followed a water route in cooperation with an engineer corps. By crossing Lake Tienshan successfully the detachment reached Pingwangchen south of Soochow, early in the morning of November 14th, cutting off the railway from Soochow to Kahsing, while the vanguard of the detachment reached Kintzechiang.
The Kosaki and Kataoka detachments which drove west after landing on the shores of Hangchow Bay immediately took Tinglinchen and reached the southern bank of the Whampoo River, where they swung west and captured Foochingchen on the Shanghai-Hangchow-Ningpo Railway on November 10th. They maintained their western drive and occupied Kashan on November 13th. Pursuing the retreating enemy, they swept down on Kahsing.
The Chinese troops had established strong positions along the line connecting Soochow, Pingwanchen, Kahsing and Haien. These main positions formed not only a powerful defence for Hangchow but also a major defence line against an offensive which might be made on Nanking via Lake Tai. The line connecting Kashan, Pinghu and Chapuchen formed the outpost of the main positions.
The Chiba and Yazaki detachments which advanced west from Kinshanwei broke through the Chinese entrenchments at Tushan, while the Yamada and Yamamoto detachments reduced Chapuchen and pressed hard on the southern area of Pinghu on November 15th. Thus a general attack on Pinghu from the south and east was inaugurated. This together with the attack by another Japanese force on Kahsing was menacing Hangchow, which was the major base of operations for the Chinese south of Shanghai.
A powerful body of Japanese forces landed at Paimao on the estuary of the Yangtze on the morning of November 13th, thus menacing the rear of enemy positions at Changshu and Soochow, to which the Chinese troops, defeated in the Shanghai area, had been fleeing in confusion. The fresh Japanese troops steadily advanced to the west and also to the south. The following day they reached the line east of the highway from Changshu to Tatsang.
The Japanese troops which had been attacking Chinese positions along the line connecting Soochow, Changshu and Fushan where
the enemy had been offering desperate resistance succeeded in breaking through the line at last.
On November 18th, the Noda and Sukegawa detachments started a frontal attack on Changshu from the east, while the Nagatsu, Takahashi and Sato detachments took Yushan to the left of the enemy position. The Hanaya detachment succeeded in crossing Lake Kuncheng from Paimao and took Mochengchen south of Changshu. Their combined attacks reduced Changshu on November 19th. This marked the beginning of the collapse of the Chinese positions between Soochow and Fushan.
The Nagatsu, Sato and Takahashi detachments which took Changshu followed up their victory and pursued the retreating enemy. On the evening of November 20th their vanguard occupied Chitangchen, while the Noda and Sukegawa detachments started a drive on Wusih from the region south of Lake Tai in an effort to break through the centre of the enemy positions connecting Changshu and Fushan. Another Japanese force which reached the line between Hsiaochiachiao and Hsiehchiachiao succeeded in taking Hsiehchiachiao on November 17th after dislodging the enemy from the creek embankment. At midnight, November 19th, it launched an attack on Wusih. A cavalry corps which formed the extreme right wing of the Japanese forces occupied Fushan at 10 p.m., November 21st.
The Japanese forces which had been pursuing the retreating Chinese troops north of Lake Tai were forced to march along roads turned into quagmires after the long spell of heavy rain, but kept up their westward drive. They suffered a shortage of provisions, but Japanese military aeroplanes dropped provisions and ammunition for them more than twenty times on November 22nd.
The Japanese military and naval air forces made combined attacks on the enemy bases of operations recently established at Kwangteh north-west of Hangchow and also at Liyang north of Kwangteh.
The Fujii and Isa detachments which had been advancing along the Shanghai-Nanking Railway on Soochow where a large body of Chinese troops were concentrated, succeeded in breaking through the strongly established enemy position at Chenyichen on November 18th and maintained pursuit along the Shanghai-Nanking Railway. The Fujii detachment successfully crossed Lake Yangcheng and landed at Kiuchiapin in face of the enemy, thus facilitating the attack on Soochow. At 6:30 o'clock November 19th, the Fujii detachment surprised the Chinese troops at Soochow, which it entered at 9 o'clock the same morning. The advance of the Japanese troops was so quick and so unexpected that many retreating
Chinese soldiers mistook them for their own troops and freely mingled with them. The result was that large numbers of Chinese troops were disarmed by the Japanese. After establishing order in Soochow, the Japanese troops resumed their offensive and started a drive on Wusih.
The Japanese forces which had been advancing westward along the southern shores of Lake Tai surrounded Kahsing on November 18th. The Kataoka, Nozoe, Kosakai and Fujiyama detachments attacked Kahsing from the north-west, while the Yazaki, Yamamoto and Yamada detachments battered the walled city from a due eastern direction in the heavy rain. On the morning of November 19th they occupied Kahsing completely. The Okamoto detachment also occupied Nanzin south of Lake Tai, about 30 kilometres north-west of Kahsing, and kept up its western drive.
Kahsing has been a strategically important town for a long time. In days gone by, many feudal battles were fought in and around it. Since the outbreak of the present incident, General Chiang Kai-shek has attached special importance to the line between Kahsing and Nanzin which he ordered strongly fortified in order to check the Japanese advance along that line.
The Katagiri, Ono, Noda and Sukegawa detachments which pushed westward following their occupation of Changshu pressed hard on Wusih on November 22nd by occupying Tungtingchen, about 6 kilometres east of Wusih ; while the Isa, Wakizaka and Shimoeda detachments which advanced north-west along the Shanghai-Nanking Railway after reducing Soochow also approached Wusih. The Hanaya, Adachi and Shimoeda units, representing the vanguard of the other detachments, reached a point about 6 kilometres south-east of Wusih on November 23rd. The same night the Shimoeda detachment stormed the south-eastern salient of Wusih which it succeeded in occupying. In close cooperation with an engineer detachment which blew up the gate of the city, the Japanese forces succeeded in entering Wusih on the night of November 24th. The following morning they completely occupied Wusih, culminating a steady four-day attack.
At 8 a.m., November 25th, the Japanese forces including the Hanaya, Katagiri and Sukegawa detachments led by the Adachi detachment made triumphant entry into Wusih. The Noda, Sukegawa and Ono detachments, taking comparatively little rest at Wusih, resumed their pursuit of the enemy and occupied Chenchiangshang at 10 o'clock, the same morning. The following evening they reached the line between Kuanchuang and Sishangchiang. On the evening of November 27th, they advanced on
Changchow along the Shanghai-Nanking Railway and occupied Huanglinchen.
Nanking is Neared
The Japanese forces continued their westward drive with Nanking as their objective. On the morning of November 28th, they launched an attack on Changchow. The Ono, Sukegawa, Noda, Katagiri, Mikuni and Imanaka detachments successfully entered the city. After street fighting lasting all night, the Japanese completely occupied the walled town at noon, November 29th. Part of the Japanese troops occupied Penniu, two stations west of Changchow at 4 p.m., November 30th.
At 11 a.m., December 1st, the Japanese forces reached Luchangchen, 18 kilometres south-east of Tanyang. The following morning they advanced to Pangchiachuang and launched an attack on Tanyang the same afternoon.
The Sato, Takahashi and Nagatsu units which pushed westward from a position north of Changshu, after breaking through the Chinese positions at Yushan, passed near Lake Pochang on November 26th and approached Yangchiangshang, 8 kilometres north of Wusih on the evening of November 27th.
The Japanese cavalry force which drove west after reducing Yangsheying occupied Hsiangshan on December 2nd.
The Tashiro, Morozumi and Kurabayashi detachments which successfully broke through the centre of the enemy positions along the line between Changshu and Fushan reached Changshouchen, about 20 kilometres north of Wusih and also Tsingichen south of Kiangyin on the evening of November 27th. They reached the line between Huchiatsun, about 3 kilometres south of Kiangyin and Ssumalou on November 30th, thus tightening the Japanese encircling line round the Kiangyin forts. On December 1st, the Japanese forces entered Kiangyin city, which they occupied completely at 11 o'clock, the following morning. They also occupied Huangshan Fort, one of the Kiangyin forts. Part of the Japanese troops cleared the area north-west of Hsiangshan of the remnants of Chinese troops. Japanese captures included 5 guns and 8 anti-aircraft guns.
The Japanese troops which advanced westward, south of the Shanghai-Nanking Railway, reached Huangtangchen, 10 kilometres east of Kintancheng on the morning of December 2nd, and continued their pursuit of the retreating enemy. They took Kintancheng the same afternoon.
Part of the Isa and Fujii detachments, which remained at Soochow after its occupation by the Japanese, crossed Lake Taihu and made a
surprise landing near Shatangkow on the western shore of the lake during the morning of November 27th. Early in the following morning they occupied Hochiaochen and Wanshihchiao, about 25 kilometres north of Ihsing.
The Nagano, Yamada and Okamoto units which advanced westward from Nanzin both by the water route and over the highway occupied Hositsun, 16 kilometres east of Huchow, on November 21st. The following day they annihilated 2,000 Chinese troops at Palitien.
On November 23rd, these units together with newly arrived reinforcements kept up their westward drive. The Nagano and Yamada detachments reached Kinkaishan and the following day occupied Huchow, from which the enemy fled in the direction of Changhsing and westward. The Japanese captured supplies of rice sufficient to feed 50 divisions for several months.
The Nagano, Yamada and Okamoto detachments which advanced on Changhsing from Huchow took Wushan Hill in front of Changhsing on November 25th. Covered by artillery, they started a general attack on Changhsing and reduced it early on the morning of November 26th. With the capture of Changhsing, the northern, southern and eastern shores of Lake Tai were completely occupied by the Japanese. The enemy had made a full retreat from the western shores of Lake Tai.
The Japanese forces which followed up their victory and continued their westward drive on Ihsing after reducing Changhsing occupied Tolin at noon, November 27th. Part of them started an attack on Ihsing and part advanced along the defile in the valley south of Mt. Tungkuan. A general attack on Ihsing was launched on November 28th. After fighting across the creek all day, the Japanese forces succeeded in entering the city at 11 o'clock that night. After eliminating remnants of the Chinese troops from the city, the Japanese troops started a drive on Liyang in pursuit of the retreating enemy at noon, the following day.
These troops continued their westward push and reached Hsuchechen on December 2nd. Another Japanese detachment which advanced north-west along the mountain pass west of Changhsing reached Tsaipuchen, 14 kilometres south of Liyang at 3 p.m., December 1st, via Changchuchen and reached a point 8 kilometres west of Liyang on December 2nd.
The Nagano and Yamada detachments which advanced westward to Ssuanchen from Changhsing resumed their westward drive on November 27th and crossed the border between Chekiang and Anhui provinces. They occupied Chiashihtang in Anhui province
shortly after noon, the same day.
On the afternoon of November 29th, they started a general attack on Kwangteh, covered by the Fujimura artillery detachment and in cooperation with the Fujita detachment. After fierce fighting which continued into the night they reduced Kwangteh. The following morning, they resumed their westward advance and reached Honantien, 20 kilometres west of Kwangteh on December 2nd. Part of the Japanese troops also pursued the enemy in a north-western direction.
The Katagiri and Ono detachments, which had been attacking Tanyang since the morning of December 2nd, completely occupied the city at 11 o'clock that night, after reducing the remnants of the Chinese troops. They continued their drive on Nanking. At 9 a.m., December 3rd, they occupied Paituchen and on the evening of December 4th entered Taipingchuang, 7 kilometres east of Kuyung. An attack on Kuyung was immediately started. After fierce night fighting, they succeeded in occupying the airfield by entering the city from its north-western extremity. At dawn, the following day, they occupied Kuyung.
On the morning of December 6th, these units launched an attack on enemy positions near Tangshuichen. The following day, they established a position encircling Tangshuichen from the north-east and east. Part of the Japanese troops advanced to Kaoen, south-west of Tangshuichen threatening to cut off the retreat of the enemy.
The Japanese forces which took Kintancheng on the afternoon of December 2nd pursued the retreating enemy to the west. On the evening of December 3rd, they occupied Mt. Mopanshan, Erhchengchiao, south of Kuyung, on the evening of December 4th and Shangtsochu on the highway from Kuyung to Nanking at 3 p.m., December 5th. They pressed hard on Chunhuachen, 14 kilometres east of Nanking.
On the afternoon of December 7th, the Japanese forces surrounded Chunhuachen from the north-east and south. Heavy gun and rifle fire resounded in the clear sky ; the morale of the Japanese troops ran high, now that Nanking was nearly within striking distance.
The Japanese detachments which reduced Liyang on December 2nd followed up their victory and captured Nantuchen on December 3rd, when they swung north-west, negotiated Mt. Mopanshan and swooped down on Lishui, which they occupied on the afternoon of December 4th. They continued their drive on Nanking and took Wushanchen on the evening of December 4th and Lukowchen on December 6th.
Those Japanese forces which pursued the enemy in a north-western direction after reducing Kwangteh captured Langchih on the evening of December 3rd. They continued their westward advance and occupied Shuiyangchen, west of Lake Kucheng.
The Kosakai and Fujiyama detachments which had been attacking Honantien fiercely since December 2nd succeeded in reducing it on the afternoon of December 4th. Pursuing the retreating enemy, they took Shiherhpu at noon, December 5th. They soon captured Chutangchen, pressing hard on the Kiangnan Railway between Nanking and Yushan which provided the only retreat for the enemy near Nanking.
The enemy offered desperate resistance from the heights of Mt. Lungtao in order to check further western advance of the Japanese forces. After fierce mountain warfare, the Japanese troops captured Lungtao at dawn, December 6th. They followed up their victory, by taking Wangchiashan and Chuangchihchen. They soon crossed the Kiangnan Railway and occupied Hsuancheng on December 7th. Part of the Japanese troops took Sishanmiao, 16 kilometres north-west of Hsuancheng at 10 : 30 o'clock, the same morning.
By thus breaking through the Chinese positions along the line between Kuyung, Lishui and Shuiyangchen and establishing a basic position for the strategic encircling of Nanking, the Japanese forces started an attack on the final defence line of the capital.
The Soeda and Kurabayashi detachments which occupied the Kiangyin forts crossed the Yangtze River near Kiangyin, reaching the northern bank at dawn, December 8th. Covered by army and navy air forces and also by warships, they stormed Tsingkiang at 1 o'clock, the same afternoon. Part of them succeeded in occupying the fort near Tienshengchiang. Thus the Japanese forces secured free passage on the estuary of the Yangtze.
The Japanese forces which were massed near Tanyang turned north and reached Kuantangchiao, 4 kilometres south of Chinkiang on December 7th and opened an attack on Chinkiang. Some of the units which reduced the Kiangyin forts also started a drive on Chinkiang, pushing west along the southern bank of the Yangtze River.
The North China Front
(From November 11th to December 2nd)
The Japanese forces operating in Shansi province successfully entered Taiyüan, capital of Shansi province, on November 9th. The complete occupation of Taiyüan further strengthened the Japanese position in North China.
However, remnants of the Chinese troops were still rampant in the region between the Peking-Hankow and the Tientsin-Pukow Railways. Consequently a campaign against them was started by the Japanese troops.
On November 11th, the Japanese troops overcame about 2,000 Chinese troops at Kaocheng, Chinhsien and Hsinchi east of Shihchiachuang on the Peking-Hankow Railway. The Japanese detachment which drove on Nanho broke through the enemy position at Hokuochen and on November 13th succeeded in clearing Nanho and Jenhsien districts of Chinese troops.
The Japanese troops which advanced on Taming, an important town in southern Hopei province, easily captured Taming on the evening of November 11th. Another Japanese detachment occupied Kwanyping north-west of Taming on November 13th. The unit then swung east and reduced Kiuhsien, an important town at the western extremity of Shantung province where the Chinese 38th division had been concentrating. The clean-up campaign was completed on November 16th when the Japanese forces took Weihsien, a large border town in south-western Hopei province where the Chinese 37th, 115th, 132nd and 143rd divisions had taken up positions to conduct guerilla warfare against the Japanese troops.
General Han Fu-chu, Governor of Shantung province, who had not declared his position since the outbreak of the present Sino-Japanese conflict, gradually defined his attitude against Japan and ordered his troops to attack the Japanese forces. The Japanese Army, therefore, decided to launch a punitive expedition against him. Consequently a general attack was started on the Chinese forces under General Han Fu-chu by the Japanese troops which had been pushing south along the Tientsin-Pukow Railway line.
Those Japanese forces which had been driving south along the eastern zone of the railway occupied Kingyun on November 10th and Wuting on November 12th. They then drove further south and reached the northern bank of the Yellow River on the morning of November 13th. The detachments took various important points along the northern bank, including Sumeitien and Tsiyang. Other Japanese forces acted in full concert with these detachments.
One Japanese detachment took Linghsien and drove further south to reduce Linyi. Another occupied Enhsien and Kaotang in an effort to reduce Yucheng, an important town on the Tientsin-Pukow Railway. On November 15th it took Ancheng and the following day occupied Yucheng, after surrounding it. Still another detachment which pushed south from Tsiyang captured Sishan near the
Iron Bridge of the Yellow River on November 15th, thus dominating Tsinan, capital of Shantung province.
The Japanese forces have now taken up positions on the northern bank of the Yellow River, by holding the region north of that great river.
Winter has arrived on the northern front, but peace and order are steadily being restored in North China where the Chinese people are enjoying orderly life.
The autonomous governments of south Chahar, north Shansi and Suiyuan provinces organized a federated commission with headquarters at Kalgan on November 22nd. The birth of this new organization has brightened the atmosphere of North China, whose people appear very eager for autonomy.
The general tendency prevailing in North China is reflected in the surrender on December 2nd of a large body of Chinese troops which had established their base of operations between Lungping and Kulu in south-western Hopei province.
II
FORCES OF THE IMPERIAL NAVY IN ACTION
PUBLICITY BUREAU, NAVY DEPARTMENT
The Shanghai Area
(From November 11th to December 5th)
THE threatened complete encircling of Greater Shanghai by the Japanese forces alarmed the Chinese troops which had taken up positions in the Pootung district opposite Shanghai across the Whampoo River. They menaced the inhabitants of the International Settlement with their reckless gun and rifle fire. Taking advantage of the psychological moment, the Japanese Marine Force at dawn, November 11th, landed at Pootung and started a campaign against the remnants of Chinese troops. At 10 o'clock, the same morning, the Japanese marines reached Pailienchen, a strategically important point in the Pootung district.
The Chinese troops in Nantao, the southern Chinese quarter in Shanghai, were trapped completely by the Japanese forces. Prompted by the humanitarian consideration of avoiding needless bloodshed, and also to spare innocent Chinese non-combatants the horrors of war, the Japanese forces advised them to surrender peacefully, but the Chinese troops failed to follow this advice and persisted in their resistance. Consequently, the marines in cooperation with the Japanese troops launched a campaign against the Chinese troops in Nantao on November 10th.
The Japanese Marine Force landed at Nantao on November 10th and steadily cleared that section of Chinese troops, with the result that the campaign was completed on November 13th, thus restoring peace and order to Greater Shanghai.
In this connection, it must be mentioned that the Japanese forces inflicted no losses to Chinese non-combatants in their attack on Nantao, while General Matsui, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Army in the Shanghai area and Vice-Admiral Hasegawa, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Third Fleet made contributions to the relief fund for Chinese refugees in Nantao.
On November 13th, the Japanese Naval Force escorted a large body of Japanese troops up the Yangtze estuary and enabled the latter to land successfully near Paimao in face of fierce enemy gun and rifle fire, after overcoming geographical difficulties which included many shoals near Paimao. The landing of Japanese troop
near Paimao paved the way for the Japanese occupation of Kunshan.
On November 20th, the Japanese Marine Force landed at Fushan on the Yangtze, thus occupying the terminus of the important enemy line between Soochow and Fushan.
The activity of naval units in the Shanghai area was varied and extensive. On December 4th, the Japanese Naval Force captured the Chinese warship Ninghai which was stranded off Pahanchiang on the northern bank of the Yangtze opposite Kiangyin some time ago, when it was bombed by Japanese naval aeroplanes.
On the other hand, the naval force succeeded in removing blockades and sweeping the minefields laid by the Chinese in the Whampoo and the Yangtze Rivers, thus securing free passage on those important waterways.
The Japanese Naval Force began removal of the booms and sweeping of the minefields on the Whampoo on the evening of November 12th. After careful study and with daring action, the naval force succeeded in refloating the Chinese steamer Chungho which the Chinese had scuttled in order to block the waterway. The Japanese crowned their success with the subsequent sweeping of the minefield which had been spotted though careful study.
At noon, November 13th, several Japanese warships sailed from Shanghai up the Whampoo River and supplied the Japanese troops at Sungkiang and Kinshan with provisions and ammunition.
Work on the removal of blockades on Soochow Creek was initiated by the Japanese Naval Force on November 23rd. During the same day, the Japanese repair-ship succeeded in sailing up to Kunshan, 40 kilometres west of Shanghai, by blowing up sunken stone bridges and ships and marking the shoals and obstacles to be avoided on the way. On November 24th, the repair-ship reached Soochow, 80 kilometres west of Shanghai, thus re-opening Soochow Creek to navigation.
Activities of the Naval Air Force
After securing command of the air in China closely following the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese conflict, the Japanese Naval Air Force has since been cooperating with the Japanese troops in dealing a crushing blow to the Chinese armies. At the same time, the air force has extended its activities over China in an effort to eradicate Chinese air units which may be reorganized in order to gain the opportunity of attacking the Japanese forces. Naval air squadrons also visited various important towns in the interior of China and bombed Chinese military establishments there.
In North China, Japanese air units visited Yenchow, Hsuchow, Taian, Tsining and other towns along the Tientsin-Pukow Railway, and Haichow, Hwaiyin and others on the Lunghai Railway and effectively bombarded the Chinese lines of communication and military establishments, including arsenals and barracks.
On November 21st and 22nd, Japanese naval aeroplanes raided Chouchiakow in Honan province for the first time and bombed the airfield and other military points there. In the ensuing air combat, the Japanese raiders brought down several Chinese planes in addition to destroying over a dozen Chinese planes on the ground.
On November 24th and 25th, several Japanese naval planes visited Loyang, capital of Honan province, and bombed the hangars, aeroplanes on the ground and military barracks there.
In south China, the Japanese Naval Air Force effectively bombed the forts at Amoy and the airfield at Changchow in Fukien province. Canton, the new Chinese base of military operations since the loss of the Shanghai area, has been visited almost daily, while military establishments and railway tracks along the Canton-Hankow Railway have similarly been bombed. Japanese naval planes repeatedly visited Bocca Tigris, Tienho, Siuchow and Pokwan in and around Canton and bombed the airfields there. They also bombarded the military arsenal and barracks in Canton and the military establishments at Hengshih, Paknai, Pakonghow, Yingtak, Lienkong and other important points along the Canton-Hankow Railway.
In the Shanghai and Nanking areas, the Japanese Naval Air Force, in cooperation with the Japanese troops which have been driving on Nanking after capturing Shanghai, has been increasing its activities by attacking the Chinese positions from the air in order to facilitate the advance of the Japanese troops and the pursuit of retreating Chinese forces, and in order to sever lines of communication in the rear of the Chinese positions.
Japanese naval planes visited practically all important towns between Nanking and Shanghai and bombed Chinese troop concentrations and military establishments, including those at Nantao, Pootung, Kunshan, Changshu, Tatsang, Soochow, Wusih, Kashan, Kahsing, Chapu, Changchow, Tanyang, Ihsing, Kiangyin, Kintan, Chinkiang, Kwangteh, Ningkuo and Lishui. Japanese naval planes raided Nanking on November 10th and 11th and again on November 22nd and 24th, when six Chinese planes challenged the Japanese raiders of which three were shot down in the ensuing air duel. On November 25th, the Naval Air Force again visited Nanking, but no Chinese plane challenged them. The Japanese raiders effectively bombed the airfield at Tachiaochang, suburb of Nanking, and destroyed
several Chinese planes on the ground.
On November 24th, naval air units raided Changsha, capital of Hunan province, and bombed the military depots and railway station there.
By the beginning of December, the Japanese forces were pressing hard on Nanking. In concert with the troops, the Naval Air Force started a general attack on Chinese positions and forts in and around Nanking. Naval squadrons directed their attention mainly to Kiangyin, Tienshengchiang, Tingyuhan and other forts on the Yangtze River, Hsiaoshan Fort at Hangchow, and also Chinese positions at Ningkuo, Kiangyin, Hsuancheng, Pukow and Wuhu.
On December 2nd, when the Japanese Naval Air Force visited Nanking, it spotted a large number of planes on the ground, apparently imported from abroad, of which the Japanese raiders bombed and destroyed 30 fighting planes and six heavy bombers. In the ensuing air encounter, the Japanese brought down 10 Chinese fighting planes and three heavy bombers.
On December 4th, naval fliers visited Lanchow, capital of Kansu province, and bombed and destroyed four large-sized planes and 10 small-sized ones, all of Soviet manufacture. The Japanese raiders shot down two Chinese challengers in the ensuing air combat. This raid conducted so far in the interior of China struck the Chinese military authorities with terror. The same day several Japanese planes raided Chuhsien in Anhui province and effectively bombed 13 Chinese planes. On December 5th, the Japanese Naval Air Force again visited Kunghsien in central Honan province and successfully bombarded the military arsenal there, which is now the only one available for China.
Naval squadrons have also been active at Kufow, Lincheng and other places in North China and along the Canton-Hankow Railway and over Canton itself in South China, in order to deal a crushing blow to the Chinese troops and to cripple China's military activities.