Americans Raid Hankow

Northern Advocate, 24 August 1943, Page 3

Americans Raid Hankow

(Rec 11 a.m.t CHUNGKING, August 23.. Liberators, Mitchells and fighters which; took part in the raid on Hankow on Saturday destroyed 39 .planes in the air ! probably destroyed 13 more and damaged; two in a series of battles, says a corre- i spondent of the Associated Press at United) States headquarters in China. ] Liberators alone shot down o 5 Zeros,) Drobably destroyed nine and damaged two When they were attacked by about a fifth of the Japanese fighters in Central China.; They made a run up the west bank of the, Yangtse, strewing heavy explosives along; a four-mile warehouse area. Despite Jap-; aneso interference, Liberators laid their. bombs among big supply installations in I the “Chicago of China,” from which the: Japanese equip their forces in the Central; and Uonor Yangtse areas. About 45 minutes after the Liberators; struck. Mitchells attacked Hankow aero-; drome and warehouses with fragmentation j bombs, and, it is believed, destroyed a) number of planes on the ground. Thirty: large fires were later observed burning; fiercely in Hankow. Japs. Over Chungking ; Twenty-seven Japanese bombers, with | small fighter escort, appeared over Chung- j king today, but Chinese fighters and; anti-aircraft fire prevented raiders from) bombing the city. Bombs fell in the; [suburbs. Simultaneously 27 bombers raided: Wanshien, 150 miles further east. The previous raid on Chungking was; on August 31, 1941. when Chungking’s! 80J.000 of a population calmly took) irefuge in dugouts, sirens having given) inearly two hours’ warning. Stronghold Falls Chinese troops have occupied an enemy; [stronghold at Hsipachcn, south of Wukan.j in Chekiang Province, and have seized a) ;big quantity of military supplies, says a; Chinese communique. The Chinese re-) pulsed an enemy attack on Hsusung-! iehwang, south of Tungshu, killing many) .Japanese, including a battalion com-; Inlander. More Aid for China j More aid for China will follow the! appointment of Major-General Strafe-1 imeyer as air officer commanding the; [China, Burma and India theatres, saysj the New Delhi correspondent of the! British United Press. Major-General Stratemeyer, in a speech; at Delhi, said: “President Roosevelt has! .seen fit to reinforce this theatre. Many! [others will follow' me. There will be; j great reinforcements and equipment for! j troops. My job is to co-ordinate army) [and air force duties in carrying out; !President Roosevelt’s pledge of increased! [assistance to China.”

Major-General Stratemeyer revealed that he had a long conference with General Stilwell, Marshal Chiang' Kai-shek and General Chennault, also high R.A.F. officials. The British United Press adds that Major-General Stratemeyer’s appointment appears to indicate new moves in Asia. Apparently his tasks are not only to push air strength to General Chennault, but to increase the activities of the United States Tenth Air Force over Burma, Thailand and the Bay of Bengal.