JAPANESE RAID

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 101, 2 May 1938, Page 7

JAPANESE RAID

ON EMPEROR’S BIRTHDAY SUBURB OS HANKOW BOMBED 20 ’PLANES LOST IBy Telegraph- Prese Association—CopyrixhtJ HANKOW, April 29. Nearly a thousand were killed and wounded in Hanyang, a suburb of Hankow, in a Japanese air raid, which was staged to mark the Japanese Emperor's birthday. The Chinese anticipated the raid which culminated in a spectaculii air battle between 50 Chinese and 39 Japanese ’planes. The Chines? lost three ’planes and the Japanese 20. The air raiders’ objective was Hanyang Arsenal, the oiggest in China, but it entirely escaped damage. The populace cheered ’he fall of flaming Japanese ’planes, but owing to the release of a chain of bombs right across the city, a half-mile section full of dead and wounded is a scene of mourning. Houses collapsed like cards, burying the occupants under tons of debris. Thirty charred and unidentifiable bodies were recovered from a single shop. HEAVY FIGHTING CHINESE COUNTER-ATTACK Received Mav 1. 7.20 p.m. HANKOW, May 1. The Chinese claim that in a terrific counter-attack they recaptured Tancheng and arrested the Japanese drive Io Lunghai. They also repulsed the Japanese in a counter-attack on Yihsien. TANGCHEN RECAPTI RED Received May 1. 8.20 p.m. HANKOW, May 1. The Japanese recaptured Tangchen. which has changed hands twice in twelve hours. The Chinese twice raided the Japanese aerodrome at Whuhu and claim to have destroyed 21 ’planes. AMNESTY IN JAPAN 319 PRISONERS BENEFIT TOKIO. April 29. In celebration of his thirty-seventh birthday, the Emperor reduced or cancelled the sentences on 319 prisoners, including a judge and an army surgeon who were involved in the attempted coup in 1936. This is in addition to the general amnesty of February 11 in celelfation of the jubilee of the Constitution. ARRIVAL AT TOKIO TWO PLANES FROM BERLIN TOKIO, April 29. Two Heinkel monoplanes piloted byJapanese are reported to have arrived from Berlin. CAPTURES BY CHINESE WELLINGTON, April 30. The following cablegram was received by the Chinese Consul f!om Hankow this morning. In the south of Shantung there was no material change in the situation yesterday. There was severe fighting all day yesterday at the following important points:—East of Taierchawng, north of Pihsein, and west of Tancheng. According to a military report, during the first half of April, and in the whole of China, we killed over 30,000 Japanese troops, took about 1500 prisoners, and captured over 200 machine-guns, 4700 rifles, and large quantities of war material. In East Shansi we recaptured Yichhen on April 26.