RAIDS REPULSED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 220, 17 August 1937, Page 8

RAIDS REPULSED

’PLANES ATTACK NANKING

CHINESE CLAIM SUCCESS,

(United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received August 17, 12.30 p.m. NANKING, Aug. 16. Chinese fighting ’planes repulsed five Japanese aerial raids, only two .Japanese ’planes getting through, bombing the city and effecting slight damage. General Chiang Kai-shek declares that eight Japanese ’planes were brought down and one Chinese ’plane damaged. The Chinese people’s gift of 100 ’planes to General Cliiang Kai-shek on the occasion of his fiftieth birthday last November played a prominent part in tho defence.

’PLANES SHOT DOWN

BATTLE OVER HANGCHOW. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Aug. 17. The Chinese Consul has received a telegram from Nanking stating that 20 heavy Japanese bombers from Formosa attempted ft second raid on Hangchow this morning, four of which were shot down. The aerial battle is still progressing. Eleven two-motored Japanese bombers participated in the first raid yesterday, three being shot down in the vicinity of Hangchow and five being badly damaged and forced to land in various places in Chekiang, only three returning. Severe fighting continued at Shanghai throughout the night with the Jnpanes© warships shelling Chapei and tho Chinese making determined attacks in tho Yangtse-poo district, where additional Japanese reinforcements sought to effect a landing. Another division of Japanese regulars is expected to arrive at Shanghai today. The Japanese attacks at Nankow have lasted three days and so far have proved abortive. Official reports placed the Chinese casualties at 500 and the Japanese casualties at almost double that figure. Extreme tension prevails in Tsingtao as a result of an incident yesterday in which one Japanese was injured. According to Chinese eye-witnesses, the fracas was between two Japanese seamen and one Japanese civilian .in European clothes, but the Japanese Consul insisted that the victim was shot by Chinese. It is ’feared that the Japanese are going to use the incident as a pretext to start hostilities at Shangtung.