THE SITUATION IN CHINA
I
ACTIVITIES OF THE JAPANESE MILITARY FORCES
Bureau of Information, War Department
The Hunan Campaign
Japanese military operations in China have not been affected by the outbreak of war in Europe, nor have they slackened in view of the campaign for the establishment of a new central government for China. On the contrary, the Japanese Expeditionary Forces in Central China started a large-scale clean-up campaign in Hunan Province in September. Although autumn was far advanced, hot summer weather still prevailed, rendering military operations somewhat difficult.
The Chinese troops engaged in the so-called Ninth War Zone, comprising Hunan and Kiangsi provinces, totalled more than 50 divisions, with a numerical strength of some 400,000. This force included 30 divisions of Central Army troops under the command of General Hsueh Yueh, acting commander-in-chief of the Ninth War Zone, about 12 divisions of Szechwan and Yunnan troops and three divisions comprising remnants of the old Northeastern Army. Following the fall of the three Wuhan cities of Hankow, Wuchang and Hanyang a year, ago these Chinese troops had constructed several strong lines of defence facing the Japanese first line. The mountainous topography of Hunan Province represented a big advantage to the Chinese troops in defending their positions. Developments in the military situation of late have proved that the morale of the Chinese forces is not so high as that manifested in the battle for Hankow, but resistance still is quite stiff, regardless.
The Koan Sector
Toward the middle of September, a Japanese detachment started operations from a line connecting Nanchang, capital of Kiangsi Province and an undisclosed district to the west. On September 19, the Japanese converged on Kaoan (Juichow), some 120 kilometres west of Nanchang. Keeping up their strong attack far into the night, they dealt the main body of the Chinese a crushing blow. In this operation, the Japanese engaged approximately 10 enemy divisions, including the 16th, 18th, 51st, 141st, 182nd, 183rd and 184th divisions. Up to this decisive juncture, the Chinese had left about 10,000 dead on Hunan battlefields and lost an additional 1,000 in prisoners of war, including a large number of officers. The Japanese also captured two mountain guns, three howitzers, 17 heavy machine-guns, 29 Skoda light machine-guns, 1,600 rifles and large quantities of ammunition. The Japanese casualties were listed at 60 killed and 196 wounded.
The Tungting Lake Sector
The Japanese troops in the Yochow sector drove south on September 16 in two columns, one along the Canton-Hankow Railway and the other through the mountainous area east of the railway. On September 19, the Japanese broke through the enemy positions on the north banks of the Sintsiang and Shakang rivers. At dawn, September 23, they made successful crossings of the two rivers, marching southward. At 11 o'clock the same morning, the Japanese right column broke through the Chinese positions on the south bank of the Sintsiang River. This column followed up its victory and reached Shihtangchung, eight kilometres south of the Sintsiang River, just nine hours later.
The left column of the attacking force struck the Chinese positions near Pichiashan on the north bank of the Shakang River, some four kilometres northwest of Yanglinshu, at dawn on the same day. This column immediately started an attack on the Chinese 195th division, which had taken up positions at a height south of Tienchiasun on the south bank of the river. At 11 o'clock that night, the Japanese occupied a salient in the Chinese line. Strengthened by reinforcements brought up from the rear, the Chinese made a desperate stand but were defeated in a night attack.
Another Japanese force, operating in concert with those in the Sintsiang sector, effected a surprise landing near the mouth of the Mi River on the eastern shore of Lake Tungting on the morning of September 23. The following day, this force advanced to Yingtien, pressing hard against the Canton-Hankow Railway and cutting the line at a point west of Kweiyi at 6 p. m., thus facilitating the operations of the main force.
Meanwhile a party of bluejackets effected a landing at the mouth of the Sintsiang River in face of enemy fire. The Japanese bluejackets occupied Chinese positions near Lukio, in concert with the military operations.
After being dislodged from the Sintsiang sector, the defeated Chinese strove to rally their forces in the Mi River region in the south in an attempt to check the Japanese southern drive. Fresh troops also were brought up from the rear for this purpose. Keeping up their southern drive day and night, however, the Japanese frustrated the Chinese attempt by taking Sinshih, a strategically important town on the south bank of the Mi River on September 26. They pushed farther south the next day in an 18-kilometre march from Sinshih. Part of the Japanese forces occupied Pingkiang on the upper reaches of the Mi River, which forms an important outpost of Changsha, capital of Hunan Province, thus cutting off the retreat of the Chinese troops in northern Hunan Province.
The Tungcheng Sector
Another Japanese detachment operating in the Tungcheng sector reduced the Chinese advance positions near Hwakwei, 12 kilometres northeast of Tungcheng, on September 22. The following day this force broke through the enemy positions at Tsilishih, 14 kilometres southeast of Tungcheng, advancing to Mashih the same afternoon. The onslaught made favourable progress as the result of a surprise night attack in which the Chinese troops were pressed back south of the watershed. In this engagement, three
Chinese divisions were encountered. Falling back on the geographical advantage which they derived from the mountainous topography of northern Hunan Province, the Chinese troops put up stubborn resistance. In retreating before the Japanese drives, they systematically destroyed highways to render the Japanese advance more difficult. Undaunted, however, the Japanese started an attack at dawn on September 25 on the enemy positions near Taoshukang, driving four kilometres eastward by 5 o'clock in the afternoon. The next evening, they advanced to a valley near Paochialing. The Chinese troops engaged here belonged to the 134th and 98th divisions. The Japanese casualties from September 21 to September 25, both inclusive, were 152 wounded.
North China
Northern Shantung and Hopeh Provinces: The Chinese troops under General Kao Shu-hsun, which had taken up positions near the Shantung-Hopeh border east of the Tientsin-Pukow Railway, started operations at the end of August and extended their activities to Nanlo, Puyang and Kwancheng in southern Honan Province by the middle of September. The Japanese forces dispersed them in short order, however, with well coordinated simultaneous attacks.
Eastern Honan Province: From about the middle of September, activity was noted on the part of the Chinese 81st Division and several guerilla units on the left bank of the Yellow River in eastern Honan Province. They were mopped up effectively in a short campaign between September 24 and 29, suffering heavy losses.
Southern Shansi Province: The Japanese garrison forces, which started operating against troops of the Chinese 47th Division on the left bank of the Pi River (in the Luan area, on September 29, succeeded in dispersing them the next day.
Central China
Hunan Front: Several columns of Japanese troops operating against the Chinese in the Ninth War Zone in Kiangsi and Hunan provinces succeeded in dealing a crushing blow to the main body of the Chinese forces near the Mi River in Northern Hunan late in September. It has been ascertained that the Chinese, up to October 3, suffered 25,000 killed and lost 2,500 as prisoners.
Grand Canal: The Oba, Ogawa, Kanazawa, Tsuchiya, Marukawa and Torii detachments, which had been standing by near Chinkiang on the Yangtze Estuary to clear the Grand Canal of Chinese troops and guerillas in cooperation with the Japanese northern forces, started a drive north along the waterway from Shaoposhen on the night of October 1. At 7:40 a. m. the next day, these Japanese units landed at Kaoyu, simultaneously with naval units. After capturing the latter point, the Japanese pushed farther north and effected a junction at Paoying on October 3 with the Japanese forces which had driven south from Hwaian. Thus the Grand Canal which connects North and Central China was reopened to traffic.
The Chinese troops in this operation suffered 1,100 casualties and lost
200 prisoners, while the Japanese casualties included seven killed and five wounded. One Japanese aeroplane crashed during the campaign.
Chinese Air Raid on Hankow: Nine Chinese aeroplanes raided Hankow at 2:30 p.m., October 3, marking the first such attack since Hankow fell into Japanese hands in the same month, last year. After dropping nine bombs at an objective northwest of Hankow from an altitude of 6,000 metres, the Chinese raiders beat a hasty retreat. The only damage suffered by the Japanese in this attack was the loss of 26 tins of gasoline.
Anking and Wangkiang: On September 27 and 28, the main body of the Chinese 176th Division, which attacked Japanese positions on the north bank of the Yangtze River, were repulsed by the Japanese garrison troops at Anking and Wangkiang. The Japanese mopping up campaign put in motion here is still in progress. In the operations up to October 5, the Chinese troops in this sector left approximately 1,300 dead, while the Japanese casualties were 35 killed and 40 wounded.
South China
Chinese troops in South China had been planning to launch a September offensive near Tsungfa and Hwahsien. On September 1, however, the Japanese forces stole a march on them and upset their plans completely.
During September, the Japanese forces in South China engaged Chinese troops of an aggregate numerical strength of 43,000. The enemy left 4,421 dead on the battlefield and 288 of their men captured. Japanese casualties were 70 killed and 16 wounded.
THE SITUATION IN CHINA
II
ACTIVITIES OF THE IMPERIAL NAVAL AIR FORCE
Publicity Bureau, Navy Department
An oft-cited matter that scarcely needs repetition here is the fact that the military and political assistance rendered by the Soviet Union and the financial and material aid extended by Great Britain play an important rôle in the continued resistance of the Chiang Kai-shek régime, which transferred its seat of government to Chungking just a year ago, following the fall of the three Wuhan towns of Hankow, Wuchang and Hanyang.
Prompted by the desire to nullify such third Power assistance to the Chiang Kai-shek Government, the Japanese naval air force has been making sustained attacks on Chungking and other military and political bases of the régime.
Meanwhile, war has broken out in Europe as a sequel to the Danzig controversy.
In this connection, the Japanese Government on September 4 issued a statement, enunciating its policy of non-intervention and announcing its decision to concentrate its full effort on the settlement of the China Affair.
Fulfilling its rôle in this regard, the naval air force has redoubled its efforts to wipe out the important remaining military bases of the Chinese Nationalist Government. Between May 3 and October 4, naval fliers carried out 20 raids against Chungking. The first air raid was launched on the first date mentioned, when naval air units commanded by Lieutenant-Commanders Masuda and Irisa visited Chungking and bombed the headquarters of the Chinese Military Council. In the ensuing aerial combat, the Japanese fliers brought down 10 Chinese planes, losing two themselves. A second raid was carried out on the evening of May 4, when the Air-Defence Headquarters and the offices of the Military Council were effectively bombed. This time, all the Japanese aeroplanes participating in the flight returned to the base.
A third raid took place on May 12, when a squadron led by Lieutenant-Commander Irisa droned over Chungking and bombed military barracks and munition factories at Kiayin, on the north bank of the Yangtze River opposite the city. The objectives were destroyed and one Chinese plane was shot down.
Number four was a moonlight raid on the night of May 25. On this occasion, Lieutenant-Commander Yamakami's unit brought down one Chinese plane, but lost one of its own to equalize the score. Another night raid, rendered doubly hazardous by adverse weather conditions, was carried out on June 9. The naval air units, led by Commander Asano, appeared over Chungking after a difficult flight requiring several hours, and
effectively bombed military establishments in and around the city, again including the headquarters of the Military Council as well as anti-aircraft batteries near Central Park and other strategic positions.
In the sixth raid, directed by Lieutenant-Commander Masuda and occurring at 9:20 p. m., June 11, the official residence of General Chiang and several Government buildings were bombed.
A seventh raid took place at dawn, July 6, aided by fine weather following a long spell of rain.
The Japanese naval air force fittingly observed the second anniversary of the outbreak of the China Affair on July 7 by carrying out its eighth raid on Chungking, despite unfavourable weather for the project. It was done at night. Flying under low-hanging clouds, the raiders made two attacks. In the first, they devoted their attention to the northeastern part of the town, bombing the gendarmerie headquarters and Government buildings. In the second attack, the bombing was concentrated on the sections north and west of Central Park.
The ninth of the series was made by a large force of naval bombers on July 24, and the 10th raid was carried out under a full moon one week later under command of Lieutenant-Commander Tanaka.
This was the halfway mark in the period under review. The administrative and military quarters in Chungking had been badly shattered by this time, fires having added to the destruction, and many Government organs had moved out of the city. The régime's resistance continued, however, and so did the bombings.
With the dawn on August 3 came the 11th raid and the second for Commander Asano, at the head of a large force of naval planes. Twenty-four hours later, bombs plunged down from the sky on those military establishments which had escaped the previous attacks, and also on the airfield at Kwangyangpa, a suburb of Chungking.
The Chiang Kai-shek Government had established what appeared to be its last defence positions at Hsiaolungkan, 10 kilometres west of Chungking. On the night of August 23, a flight was again formed by Commander Asano to attack these new and heavily fortified positions. The Japanese fliers fought off five Chinese planes and braved intense anti-aircraft fire to get at their objectives. They nevertheless succeeded in bombing the military establishments and munition factories there, and fires raged in six places as they winged back to their base.
The 14th raid was carried out at midnight, August 28, by a large squadron of naval planes under the joint command of Captain Okuda and Captain Andoh, taking advantage of moonlight visibility. Hsiaolungkan, again was bombed in the course of this attack, with the result that fires were started at nine separate places. To complete their night's work, the raiders dropped more than 100,000 handbills over Chungking on their way back.
On August 30, a naval air-unit again visited Chungking to attack its airfield. At midnight, September 3, another raid was made on Hsiaolungkan. Several Chinese planes offered a challenge, but they did not prevent the Japanese fliers from carrying out their assignment, which was to bomb the military establishments. The same day witnessed the start of the second European war, when Great Britain and France came to the aid of
Poland and declared war against Germany.
Since Japan is staying aloof from the struggle on the western Continent, the outbreak of the European war has not affected the operations of the Japanese naval air force, which, in accordance with the Government's fixed policy with regard to the China Affair, is making persistent attacks on all remaining Chinese military bases in the hinterlands of China. The Chinese air force, which has made repeated attempts to reorganize itself to no purpose, maintains its base in the Kwangyangpa. Such planes as remain manage to preserve themselves only by vanishing in the opposite direction when Japanese naval raiders appear in the sky.
On September 11, Luchow, 140 kilometres south of Chungking on the Yangtze River, was subjected to a Japanese air attack in which military depots and other establishments were bombed, and from which all the participating planes returned safely to their base.
On September 28 and 29, naval aircraft in considerable numbers effected sustained attacks on various key points in the hinterland. At midnight in between, another unit raided the Kwangyangpa airfield in the suburbs, after repulsing several Chinese planes. The planes checked in safely to their base at dawn.
Later the same day, the 18th raid was carried out on the squalid Szechwan city. The Kwangyangpa airfield was bombed again, as was the airfield at Suining, 150 kilometres east of Chengtu, the latter for the first time. At 10 p. m., a squadron, led by Lieutenant Nakamura attacked the Kwangyangpa airfield and bombed it effectively, making the third attack on the Chinese air force base in less than 24 hours. They met with no heavy anti-aircraft fire, bespeaking the effectiveness of the previous raids.
At dawn, October 2, another surprise visit was paid to Chengtu, with perfect autumnal weather prevailing. The visitors dropped their calling cards on the suburban airfield at Hwangshan. A dog-fight developed between the Japanese raiders and Chinese defenders, with the latter supported by heavy anti-aircraft fire. The assignment was executed efficiently despite the distraction, however, and the naval planes flew back to the base although some of them had been hit by machine-gun bullets. These successful raids on Chengtu frustrated Chinese attempts to reorganize their air force with the Hwangshan airfield as their base.
A large force of naval planes under the command of Lieutenant Nakamura raided Chungking at dawn on October 4 and bombed Chinese Government offices in the western suburbs. They flew on to Hsiaolungkan, attacking military establishments there and causing another conflagration in this town.
The 20 air-raids successfully carried out against Chungking by the naval air force since May 3, coupled with the combined attacks made by the Japanese military and naval forces on various key points in the hinterland, have served to further weaken the position of the Chiang Kai-shek régime, which is reported to have moved its administrative offices to points deeper into the interior. Meanwhile, the campaign for the organization of a new central régime in China is sweeping over the length and breadth of the country, portending the imminent birth of a new order of East Asia in the near future.