SEVERE aerial battle was Hankow, June 26. fought late this morning above Nanchang and, according to an urgent telephone message received by Chinese aviation headquarters, was still going on at noon.
Forty Japanese aeroplanes, in several groups, raided the Chirése aerodrome at Nanchang, the message declared. Chinese pürsuit craft went up to engage the raiders, When the telephone Message was received at about 11.30 a.m. the aerial battle was still in progress, but aviation headquarters announced that two Japanese planes had already been shot down.
Later, it was reported that five Japanese machines had been shot down in the Course of the combat, Although forty Japanese planes raided the aerodrome, it is estimated that only twenty actually took part in the engagement with the Chinese aircraft.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.