Treaties, Laws and Speeches

The Situation in China

I —Advance of the Imperial Army—

Bureau of Information, War Department

Following the occupation of the three Wuhan cities, Hankow, Wuchang and Hanyang, Japanese forces entered Hunan Province, pushing south along the Canton-Hankow Railway and took Yochow, a strategically important town on Tungting Lake.

Meanwhile, organized campaigns were successfully conducted against the remnants of Chinese troops and guerilla bands in North, Central and South China.

The actual situation prevailing in the Japanese occupied territory is reflected in the organization of peace maintenance commissions by Chinese citizens at Hankow, Canton and other cities in an effort to cooperate with Japan in building up a new order in East Asia.

CENTRAL CHINA

The Front North of the Yangtze River

The campaign against the remnants of Chinese troops in the areas both west and east of the Peking-Hankow Railway still continues. In the region west of the railway, the Japanese forces are driving further west in pursuit of the enemy. One detachment took Tsaoshih, about 24 kilometres west of Yingcheng, on November 4th. The following day, this detachment occupied Sunghochen, about 40 kilometres west of Tean (Anlu) and also Suihsien north of Sunghochen.

The Lotien Sector

While the pincer movement against Hankow was in full swing, the Chinese troops under General Liao Lei which had taken up positions in the mountainous region between Lotien and Yingshan, north of Kwangtsi escaped the Japanese attack. With the occupation of Hankow, however, the Japanese forces turned their attention to those Chinese troops. On November 17th, they took Lotien and on November 19th reduced Yingshan, crushing the flower of General Liao's forces, which consisted of the 138th, 149th, 150th, 170th and 174th divisions.

The Wushih Sector

The military operations in the area north of Wushih developed smoothly with the result that the enemy left 52 dead and 15 rifles, while about 8,000

Chinese soldiers under General Ting Wan, operating on the southeastern shore of Lake Tai formally surrendered to the Japanese on November 15th.

The detachment which had been eliminating remnants of Chinese troops near Wuchen and Sinshihchen south of Lake Tai returned to its original base on November 14th. In this sector, the enemy left 900 dead in addition to 90 who were taken prisoner up to November 15th, while the Japanese casualties were 1 killed and 3 injured. The Japanese capture included 5 trench-mortars, 2 heavy machine-guns and 120 rifles.

It was ascertained that the Chinese casualties during the battle for Hankow included 195,000 killed, while the Japanese spoils of war included about 300 field-guns and some 2,000 machine-guns. A peace maintenance commission was organized in the three Wuhan cities by leading citizens on November 25th.

The Front South of the Yangtze River

A Japanese military detachment which had been sailing up the Yangtze River, leaving Hankow on November 7th, succeeded in landing on both banks of the Yangtze near Linhsiang, about 30 kilometres northeast of Yochow, in face of the enemy on November 10th. Another powerful body of troops landed near Chenglingchih, 8 kilometres below Yochow, on the morning of November 11th. These two detachments in concert with the forces which had been driving south along the Canton-Hankow Railway started a joint attack on Yochow.

The Japanese troops which had been pushing south along the Canton-Hankow Railway and also along the highway from Tungshan to Tungcheng via Tsungyan east of the railway carried everything before them and approached Yochow.

On November 7th, the Japanese forces driving south along the Canton-Hankow Railway broke through the enemy positions on the river bank opposite Sintienchen. These forces, on November 9th, reached Yunki, about 20 kilometres northeast of Yochow and, keeping up their southern drive, occupied Yochow on the afternoon of November 11th.

Part of the forces which successfully reduced Yochow followed up their victory and advanced on Sinkaitang, southeast of Yochow. Another Japanese force, which was pushing south in the area east of Sinkaitang reduced Tsungyang on November 6th and Tungcheng on November 9th.

Chinese guerilla soldiers are still active near the Japanese first line on the front south of the Yangtze, but the majority of the Chinese regular forces have already withdrawn to Nanchang, Changsha and Hengyang. These regular forces are estimated to have lost some 80 per cent of their fighting strength.

The Front West of the Peking-Hankow Railway

The Japanese troops near Chekiangshih, west of the Peking-Hankow Railway, were counter-attacked on the night of November 12th and on the

following day, but successfully repulsed the attackers, dealing them heavy losses.

Part of the Japanese troops at dawn on November 13th advanced to the areas northwest and south of Chekiangshih, by going round the base of Mount Maan (Saddle Mountain) to engage the enemy on the right bank of the Hsiaoche River.

SOUTH CHINA

The Chinese troops which fled from Canton and its neighbourhood have withdrawn north of the line between Sunfeng and Tsingyun, about 120 kilometres northeast of Canton, where they are now busily engaged in the construction of defence works. In the West River district, there are some troops at Szewui and Shiuhing (Chaoching), while remnants of the Chinese troops infest Waichow from time to time.

The Canton Front

Generally speaking, Canton and its surrounding district are quiet. On the evening of November 6th, Japanese troops started operations against the Chinese who had been active in the area northeast of Canton. The Japanese crossed the Liuchishui River in face of the enemy and on the following day succeeded in trapping many Chinese troops. Making a further northern drive, they occupied Fahsien. In the engagements, the enemy left some 800 dead, while the Japanese casualties were 5 killed and 4 injured, and the capture included bridge building materials enough for two companies of engineers, 2,000 cases of gasoline and a large number of machine-guns and rifles.

The Canton-Kowloon Railway Front

A clean-up campaign against the remnants of Chinese troops in the triangular area between the East River and the British leased territory at Kowloon was started on the morning of November 19th and successfully concluded on November 26th.

A Chinese force, about 1,000 strong, armed with trench-mortars and heavy machine-guns was defeated near Siakowao, south of Sheklung, on the morning of November 19th. After defeating some 500 Chinese soldiers who held the area south of Pankiao, the Japanese force occupied Tungkun at 9:30 o'clock, the same morning. In the engagements, the Japanese suffered 3 killed and 8 injured. The enemy casualties are still under investigation, but are estimated to have reached large figures.

The Japanese forces formed four columns to drive on the border between Kwangtung Province and the British leased territory at Kowloon in an effort to eliminate the remnants of Chinese troops. In the Tungkun, Sheklung, Yashan and Lungkang areas, they encountered and defeated many groups of 200 to 300 Chinese soldiers and reached the line connecting Howkai, Talanghu, Changmutow and Pingshanhu on the evening of November 23rd. The Japanese net was tightened further on

November 25th when troops reached the line between Wushihyen and Wongkonghu. The enemy was attacked from west and east in the area north of Shumchun, a town on the border between Kwangtung Province and the British leased territory at Kowloon, with the result that a large number of Chinese soldiers crossed the border and fled into the British territory. The Chinese forces thus cleared from the triangular area consisted of the 193rd and 197th regiments of the 457th brigade of the 153rd division and guards of the Bocca Tigris Fort.

The Samshui Front

A Japanese force cleared the Samshui area from the remnants of Chinese troops, by routing about 400 Chinese soldiers near Yangmeihu on the western shore of Lake Talongwo on November 23rd. Samshui stands at the junction of the North and West Rivers.

The Tsengshing Front

The force that had been operating against the remnants of Chinese troops in the area north of Tsengshing routed a Chinese force about 700 strong on November 25th. The enemy left some 250 dead and as many as 150 rifles, some mountain and machine-guns and a large quantity of ammunition.

The organizing committee for the proposed Peace Maintenance Commission was formed by leading Chinese citizens at Canton on the afternoon of November 27th.

NORTH CHINA

Following the Japanese occupation of Mount Wutai, the Buddhist sacred mountain in northern Shansi Province where the Chinese Communist Army had set up headquarters, and also Yuanku in southern Shansi Province on the northern bank of the Yellow River, the activities of the Communist troops in Shansi have decreased remarkably, although the Chinese guerillas and bandits in the Hopeh plain are claiming allegiance to Communism.

The Chinese troops in the Luan plain in southeastern Shansi Province and along the Taokowchinghwa Railway in northern Honan province are still active, falling back on the assistance extended by the forces on the southern bank of the Yellow River. Peace and order are gradually returning in other parts of North China.

The Wutai Front

The garrison troops at Wutai made a surprise attack on about 500 Chinese soldiers near Pehkaohung, 25 kilometres east of Wutai, on November 3rd and virtually wiped them out. In the engagement, 70 Chinese soldiers were taken prisoner and 2 trench-mortars captured. On the way back to Wutai the next morning, the Japanese were surrounded by some 5,000 Chinese soldiers near Sitienho, but succeeded in breaking

through the enemy line and returned to their garrison headquarters the same evening. On November 6th, these troops again left Wutai for Sitienho, where they succeeded in dealing the enemy a crushing blow.

The Ningwu Front

The Chinese Communist troops and the force under General Fu Tso-i which had taken up positions near Ningwu in central Shansi Province were attacked early in November. Japanese detachments left Taihsien and Yuanpingchen on November 6th and 7th respectively for Ningwu. After defeating several hundred Chinese soldiers near Lungkung and Yangwu, they took Hsienkang on November 8th. The next day they reduced Ningwu. The enemy left 120 dead. A Chinese force of 2,000 belonging to the 115th division was also routed near Hsiapuchen. The Japanese troops reached Twikiuyu on November 6th.

In concert with the drive on Ningwu, the Senda detachment pushed south from Shohhsien and on November 10th dislodged the enemy from Yangfang, north of Ningwu. During October, this detachment engaged Chinese troops 14 times. The capture included 74 rifles and machine-guns. The casualties of the detachment were 7 killed and 25 injured.

The Peking-Paotow Railway Front

The troops operating near Sangyuan, halfway between Peking and Kalgan, routed some 500 Chinese soldiers on November 3rd.

Another Chinese band [w]as wiped out near Kwangling on October 28th, while a large force was defeated near Tatan on November 4th.

The 1st, 5th and 6th divisions of the Chinese Communist Army are still active near the Great Wall southwest of Hwailai with their base established at Tungchitang, apparently watching for an opportunity to advance northward. Part of the 120th division of the Communist Army is also engaged in guerilla warfare in the mountainous area near the Inner Great Wall, northeast of Wutai.

On November 11th, the Tanaka and other detachments dealt the Chinese guerillas belonging to the 120th division a crushing blow at points south of Kwangling and Lingkiu.

These detachments during October engaged Chinese troops 24 times, aggregating 5,830 in numerical strength. The enemy left 508 dead in addition to 20 who were taken prisoner. The Japanese captured 116 rifles and 4 light machine-guns, and suffered 19 killed and 56 injured.

The Southern Shansi Front

The detachment which was standing by at Lingkow left Yicheng on November 4th, after eliminating the remnants of Chinese troops in the neighbourhood. Conducting clean-up operations on the way, this detachment reached Mengchengchen. After clearing the eastern zone of the railway from Chinese troops, the detachment reached Linfen on November 6th.

A Chinese force, about 400 strong, was attacked in the mountainous region south of Chiehhsien which lies west of Yuncheng. The enemy left some 80 dead, while 500 other Chinese soldiers were wiped out near Chaoichen, east of Puchow, on November 5th. The following day, the enemy in the mountainous district north of Juicheng was liquidated. The Japanese garrison at Lintsin on November 30th routed about 300 bandits at a point 12 kilometres northeast of Lintsin.

The Peking-Hankow Railway Front

A Chinese force of about 400 men was routed at Hsiaoticheng, northeast of Paoting, on October 31st, while the Japanese garrison at Tungchangshou on the Peking-Hankow Railway wiped out some 200 Chinese soldiers at a point 8 kilometres north of Tungchangshan.

An infantry company of the garrison at Pingting encountered Chinese troops near Kungtaokow on November 5th, while escorting a baggage corps from Hsiyang to Pingting, and drove them eastward. The enemy left 62 dead.

The garrison at Taochuan on the Shihchiachwang-Taiyuan Railway, about 20 kilometres west of Shihchiachwang, engaged about 400 Chinese at a point southwest of Taochuan on November 4th and sent them southwest.

A Japanese detachment engaged and dispersed Chinese troops at Pehmen, northeast of Taming, and Hsintien, north of Changte, on November 2nd and wiped them out, while 500 others were repulsed near Nanwu, west of Wuan, the same day.

At 3:30 a. m., November 7th, some Chinese troops attacked the garrison at Wanghuapu, 10 kilometres north of Hantan, which, however, repulsed them after a 40-minute fight.

On October 30th, the enemy at Nanyuan and Liumatai, east of Yentsin, were attacked and dealt a crushing blow by Japanese forces, while the area south of Shiuwu was cleared of Chinese troops on November 2nd.

The Peking and Tientsin Front

A Chinese force about 500 strong was routed by a Japanese expeditionary force near Kwanyinshe, some 20 kilometres southwest of Tangshan, on November 6th. Other Chinese soldiers were dispersed at a point north of Iuanhsien.

In the Tientsin area, a clean-up campaign was conducted near Hsiaochan, south of Tientsin, by the garrison troops for four days starting November 6th. About 800 Chinese were engaged near Tuisungchen, southwest of Paoti, on November 1st and 125 of them were disarmed, while the Japanese garrison at Tangkwantun routed 400 Chinese soldiers at a point southwest of Tsinghsien on November 9th.

The garrison troops encountered some 2,000 Chinese soldiers near Chentzechen, north of Tangshan, on November 12th and routed them. The enemy left 400 dead in addition to 180 rifles.

The Shantung Front

A systematic clean-up campaign was launched in Shantung Province. Shangho, Linyi and their neighbourhood were combed for remnants of Chinese troops on November 1st. In the Tsingchow area, the Japanese wiped out 700 Chinese soldiers on November 1st, while in the Lantsun area, 250 Chinese soldiers were liquidated on November 2nd.

A clean-up campaign was started in northern Shantung Province on November 8th. Simultaneously, the Japanese forces launched an attack on the Chinese troops under General Shih Yu-san which had taken up positions near Szehsien and Lingpi, southeast of Hsuchow. The Japanese troops occupied Szehsien on November 9th. A clean-up campaign was also conducted in the Tsaochwan, Chiachwan, Aihu and Wangchwan areas northeast of Hsuchow.

The force that had been clearing remnants of Chinese troops from the Tungchang area west of Tsinan defeated some 1,000 Chinese soldiers on November 15th. The Japanese booty included 800 rifles, several trench-mortars, 9 machine-guns of Czech manufacture and a large amount of ammunition.

A clean-up campaign along the valley of the Tze River east of Tsinan and north of Tsingchow was successfully conducted from November 12th to November 14th. The enemy left 165 dead in addition to 18 rifles.

ACTIVITIES OF THE MILITARY AIR FORCE

Japanese military air units raided Hengyang, 160 kilometres south of Changsha, on November 7th and attacked the airfield there. The raiders bombed and destroyed 16 Chinese planes on the ground, without being challenged by a single Chinese plane. They all returned to their base safely.

At dawn, November 15th, the Harada air detachment made a surprise attack on Lanchow, capital of Kansu Province, and bombed the airfield there. In the ensuing air combat, the Japanese shot down two Chinese planes.

THE SITUATION IN CHINA

II —Forces of the Imperial Navy in Action—

Publicity Bureau, Navy Department

During the month following the capture of Canton and Hankow, Japanese naval forces in China continued their general operations.

Waterways in the upper courses of the Yangtze River and the Pearl River have been re-opened; mines have been swept and remnants of Chinese troops along the banks of both rivers have been suppressed.

Naval landing parties have cooperated with military and air forces in launching attacks on Chinese troops near Weihaiwei, Chefoo, Lienyunkang and Tsingtao. The bombing activities of the naval air force in practically all parts of China have resulted in making it impossible for the Chinese air force to reorganize itself. It is estimated that General Chiang Kai-shek now has less than 200 aeroplanes at his command.

Sea warfare may be decided by a single battle. Conversely, land warfare may be continued as long as reserve forces are available to be thrown into the field. Aerial warfare probably lies between these two extremes. While it is possible for air forces to be reorganized after fighting has begun, there may be insurmountable difficulties attending the attempts of a vanquished air force to reorganize itself in a short space of time by producing the necessary planes and by training the needed pilots. At the beginning of the current hostilities, the Japanese Naval Air Force, aided by Japan's command of the seas, succeeded in dealing the Chinese air forces a crushing blow and has subsequently subjected them to incessant attacks.

The number of Chinese aeroplanes either shot down in air combats or destroyed on the ground has exceeded 1,400. Without adequate facilities for producing planes, China has depended upon foreign countries for their replenishment and for pilots. As in Spain, China has become a testing ground for the aeroplanes of various foreign powers, inasmuch as the Chinese air force has been composed largely of sample planes sent from the Soviet Union, Great Britain, the United States, France, Italy and other countries. Thus the Japanese air force has been given fine opportunities to test foreign makes of planes. It has found, for example, that Soviet planes of the I-15 type do not meet high standards in aerial warfare.

Achievements of the Japanese Naval Air Force in China, as announced by the Navy section of the Imperial Headquarters on November 9th, are tabulated below.

RESULTS OF MAJOR AIR COMBATS

COMPARATIVE SINO-JAPANESE LOSSES OF AEROPLANES

Operations by Japanese naval planes during the month of November, 1938 were extensive. Bombing expeditions were conducted in the provinces of Kiangsi, Hupeh, Szechuan, Hunan and Kwantung. The air field and military establishments at Ichang in Hupeh Province were bombed many times, while repeated visits were paid to Nanning in Kiangsi Province, Chungking, Liangshan and Chengtu in Szechuan Province, Hengyang in Hunan Province and various points along the Chekiang-Kiangsi and Canton-Hankow Railways. Chinese troop concentrations at Mienyang, 100 kilometres southwest of Hankow, were also attacked.

River Warfare

In Central China, the Japanese naval force continued its drive up the Yangtze during November, sweeping mines and removing booms. After re-opening the waterway at Shuikow, the naval force reached Sangchiashih, 12 miles above Yaowan, on November 5th. Paotachow was reached the following day.

On November 7th, the naval force pushed further upstream and reached Chihpi, 90 miles above Hankow. One large Chinese junk which was laying mines near Chihpi was bombarded and sunk. Some 150 mines were discovered and disposed of during the day. By November 9th, Japanese vessels were within striking distance of Yochow.

By breaking through the mine-field at Leikushan, the vanguard of the naval force on the Yangtze entered Yochow at 3 p.m., November 13th. Thus, the waterway between this town and Hankow, a distance of some 130 miles, was re-opened to traffic. On November 15th, the Chinese gunboat Kiangchen, 550 tons, was captured as was the gunboat Minsheng, on the following day. Both were near Yochow.

In South China, Japanese naval forces were active in their operations along the Pearl River. By November 24th, remnants of Chinese troops were routed from Erhhutao (Bill Passage).

Activities of Landing Parties

In North China, a Japanese landing party, in cooperation with naval forces, that had been eliminating remnants of Chinese troops from Lienyunkang in Kiangsu Province, started an attack on other enemy forces in the mountainous region southeast of Mount Pehyuntai on November 26th. The Chinese left some 700 dead in addition to 53 prisoners. The Japanese capture included 1 trench-mortar, 3 heavy machine-guns, 84 rifles and 10 mines.

At Hankow, the Japanese landing party has undertaken the duty of maintaining peace and order in that city since November 2nd.