BOMBARDMENT AT SHANGHAI

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 198, 7 September 1937, Page 7

BOMBARDMENT AT SHANGHAI

-Press Press Association-

Chinese Holding Tenaciously to Their Positions PARTIAL RETIREMENT ADMITTED

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— Copyright).

(Received 7, 10.40 a.m.) SHANGHAI, Sept. 6. Supported by heavy artillery and by warships and planes, , which mercilessly bombarded Hongkew and Yangtse-poo, the Japanese began their mneh-heralded push at dawn. * The Chinese artillery at Kiangwan replied energetically. A seven-hour lull rudely ended at 2.30 a.m., opposing forces on all sectors exchanging artillery and machine-gun fire. The Japanese flagship Idzumo moved to a new position at Jukong wharf and led the bombardment, the remaining Japanese warships at Woosung raking the Chinese lines. By 5.30 a.m. the Chinese batteries at Kiangwan and the Japanese at Yangtse-poo were engaged in the fiercest of duels, tfie reverberations shaking the. city. The Japanese objective appears to be the cleaning np of the Woosung peninsular. The Chinese, preponderating in man-power, are hanging. on tenaciously. Japanese aeroplanes dropped 100 bombs on the civic centre. The present operations are direeted at China's weakest link at Yangtsepoo, from which troops have been withdrawn to strengthen the Lotien and Woosung sectors. The Chinese Official News Agency at I 'p.m, admitted a partial retirement for the purpose of defending tlie University-Woosung sector and to prevent the Japanese forces from joining. Chinese snipers wounded the Idzumo 's commander, engineer and captain. The Chinese admit the loss of the walled city of Paoshan, but elaim to have encircled the Japanese at Woosung. The Shanghai correspondent of The Times says that undoubtedly the original Japanese objective, which was either to cut off the Chinese main forces centred on Kiangwan or to force a retirement westward has failed. The Japanese have now landed many more men and batteries, but there are still long gaps in their line between Woosung and Yangtse-poo and Woosung and Lotien. While the Chinese are not reducing the pressure, 50 Japanese transports filled with men and supplies lying at Yangtse sliow that the Japanese realise that a largely-inereased force is necessary. Later: The Chinese, though they have withdrawn slightly from the Yangtse-poo sector, have maintained the integrity of their defences on all other fronts despite the fact that tlie Japanese positions from Yangtse-poo to Woosung have been erupting volloys from machine-guns, trench mortars and light and heavy artillery. The Chinese frustrated fresh Japanese attempts to land at Liuho, Yangtse-poo and Hongkew.