BATTLES IN THE AIR

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 219, 16 August 1937, Page 2

BATTLES IN THE AIR

CHINESE SUCCESSES.

Received August 10, 1.20 p.m. LONDON. Aug. 15. Tlie Daily Telegraph’s Nanking correspondent! says:—

The Chinese claim that 12 Japanese air bombers were shot down in air battles over Nanking to-day and at Hangchow yesterday. The excited populace at Nanking witnessed to-day’s encounter, when 12 Japanese threeengined Heinkel bombers from the aerodrome, at Formosa came in sight and 10 Chinese fighters soared to the attack. The Japanese, after dropping bombs near the aerodrome and the Ming Palace, turned back. The fighters pursued them for 90 minutes, bringing down six machines, two in 'flames. One killed two Chinese women when it fell. Tlie Chinese declare that they did not lose a single man or machine. General Chiang Kai-shek reports that Chinese machines brought down six of the Japanese ’planes raiding the Hangchow aerodrome and drove off the remainder. 'the Japanese ’planes silenced the Chinese artillery concentration on Hongkew before material damage was done to the Japanese settlement. A Tokio message says it is reported that the Japanese troops in North China have launched an offensive on Nnnkow Pass, en route to Inner Mongolia.