60 Bombers Made Attacks

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 69, 14 December 1937, Page 5

60 Bombers Made Attacks

— Pre»3 Assn

AIRMEN CONTRITE Japanese Prepared to Punish Offenders SHIPS TAKEN FOR CHINESE

(By Telegraph

Copyright.1

(Eeceived 14, 11.50 a.m.) ; ' SHANGHAI, Dec. 13. The Japanese naval authorities here aimoun.ce that they are prepared. to punish those responsible for the bombing of the Panay. The Japanese army •pokesman says that the airmen concerned in the bombings reported that they had hit Chinese warships. When they learned that .the ships were American they were estremely contrite. It ia reported that four flights of bombers, each consisting of 15 planes, participated in the bombings. The planes made four attacks at intervals of five minutea. The Japanese have agreed to regard Hoshien as a- neutral zone during the presence there of the Panay survivors. A Japanese minesweeper is gpeeding to Hoshien to aid the j&iay survivors. The Oahu, sistership oi* the Panay, ia on her way to Hoshien. H.M.S. Bee arrived there and found the launeh from the Panay stuck in the mnd half a mile from the Meian, which was.beached. The Meissia was burning at the Kaiyuan wharf. There was no trace of the Ohinese crews. The Standard Oil Co. on December 10 notified the Japanese of a concentration of 17 of their ships near Wuhu and asked that steps should be taken to ensure their safety. The Meihsia, Meiping and Meian each carried 27 Chinese and also Tefugees. It is feared that the loss of life was heavy. Mx D. S. Doldie, British superintendent of the oil company 's installation at Wuhu, was aboard the Meissia, and two American offieials were aboard the Meiping. Their fate is unknown. All the crew of the Panay are safe escept a seaman, who was killed. Eighteen of the 45 survivors of the Panay were wounded, some seriously, and 18 are missing and are believed to have been drowned or killed by the bombing. The Bee picked up four members of the Panay 's personnel on the bank of the Yangtse-kiang. They said that others were along the bank hoping to be picked up by foreign vessels.