Bombers Collide in Smoke Pall

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 184, 21 August 1937, Page 5

Bombers Collide in Smoke Pall

Press Association—

FIGHT TO SAVE COMMUNICATION SHELL HITS AMERICAN FLAGSHIP

(By Telegrapk — Per

-Copyright).

^Received 31, &50 a.m.) SHANGHAI, Aug. 20. Buildings on tbe Bund rocked when the Chinese shelled tbe ijapanese warship Idzumo, many shells passing over foreign warfhips and sending their sailors below decks. Following the most intenaive air-raids yet, hand-to-hand fighting in raging in tbe east district. The Japanese are in a tigbt coroer and are desperately battling to saye their oommunicationa. Incendiary bombs have set fire to many more buildings, a blazing oil factory at Pootung lighting up the night sky. Foreign buildings at Hongkew and Yafigtse-poo are also ablaze. Amid the flames and dense smoke hand"to-hand fighting qontinues. The bullet-swept Bund is closed to pedestrians. Two Japanese bombers fiew into a smoke pall and collided. An anti-aircraft shell of unknown origin landed on the deck of the United States tlagship Augusta, killing one and wounding 18. Ihe Ohinese Bmbassy at Loudon states that the Japanese lines at Shangliai areveasily vulnerable on both ilanks. Japanese atiempting to land again at Pootung, opposite Shanghai, 'were repulsed. News from Shanghai is that, althoiigh the regulars are reinforced by marines, the Japanese are falling back at several points in the eastern portion of the Settlement, while they are barely holding ground elsewhere. Fire is sweeping East Shanghai on a half-mile front. The ChineSe Embassy1 claims notable victories in recovering Shangtu, Ohaiigpeh and other towns. Tokio reports that Japanese Naval Air-Force bombs struck the Kiangwan arsenal in the Naiitao district at Shanghai and also the Lungbwa aerodrome, Lunghwa railway officc, and Kiangwan ironwOrks. A Japanese landing party dispersed Chinese irregulars who had set fire to the Tobacco Company's building in East Broadway. Tokio also announces that Strong Ohinese detachments going north from Chocow launched a large-scale attack 17 miles south of Changsintien on t^e Peiping-Shanghai railway, wliere they are •teadily1 surrounding the Japanese. Lloyds has doubled its war-risk at Shanghai and Yangtse ports tnd has imposed heavy incrcases for other ports, A Washington message states that Fresident Eoosevelt an--nonneed that action regarding the Augusta episode has been delegated to American officials at Shanghai. Hq! added that such an occutrence was almost inevitable in the circumstances.

Earlier reports gtated;-*-The Japanese have cstablished mar* tial law in tlie vicinity of Hongkew, JTorUx fihanghai, where there are mmcroua important British. enterprieas. Awoured care are patrolling th# districtf u if is feared the Chinese are preparing a large-scale offensive there^ aboutr, whilq warships ppened a heavy bombardnxent with the object of dig? lodging the Chinese frojn positionp at Kiapgwan. Chinese planes raided the Japaneso lines, flying darjngly low and destroy- , |ng whole blopks pf buildings. The Japanese placed a boom under the garden bridge at Soochow Creek, bottling np all vessels therein, The PoWers have rejected requeats

by China and Japan to move warships five miles down-stream. The British authoritiea are considering sending trOops from India to Shanghai, Huge lires, the biggest since the fighting began, are raging in the eastern part of the Internationa} Settlement. Warehouses^ cabarets and clubs are ablaze near the waterfrpnt. At least 70 per cent. pf British' capital in Shanghai i§ located jn this area. Japanese bombers raided Nanking during a thunderstorm, the thunder and lightning flashos increasing the terror and noise of bombs and anti-aircraft guns. The Chinese Air Force announces a direct hit on the Japanese aircraft carrier at Woosung.