Heavy Casualties in Raid on War-Time Capital Air Force in Action Against Raiders Believed Revealed; Franco-
Polish Pact Menaced Chungking, Jan. 15.
ing the area within the city limits for the first time in the 20 Japanese planes today appeared over Chungking, raid-history of China's present seat of Government. Meeting with heavy anti-aircraft fire on their arrival here early this afternoon, the Japanese raiders were also engaged by Chinese pursuit "planes, who swooped down upon them, and engaged them in combat.
According to one report, which could not be conürmed, one Jepanese bomber was damaged py arti-fire from Chines batteries, which blazed away furiously when the attacking aircraft appeared overhead. The report stated that smoke was seen by watchers below in Chungking to be pouring from the tail of one of the bombers. Other eye-witnesses of the raid also claim thet they saw one Japanese plane damaged by anti-aircraft fire.
There were many casualties in today's raid, which was directed at the north-eastern portion of the city; and at points along both banks of the Chialing River, which joins the Yangtze at Chungking.
While Chinese pursuit "plangs pow-lived on the formations of Japanese bombers, and machine-guns roared away high up in the sky, the crest conde audible to excited watchers below, ambulance workers began their grim task of carrying off the wounded to hospitals on stretchers. Many of the wounded had their hands, arms or legs blown of by fragments of exploding bombs.
The air raid alarm was sounded here at 180 pin. when more than 30 planes were sighted on their way up river, flying along the south bank of the Yangtze. An urgent warning was given when the raiders passed Fuchow, to the south-east of Chungking. Only six Japanese bombers, in two flights of three each, could be seen from the ground.
A group of ten Japanese "planes raided Chengtu today, and after bombing a point situated to the south-east of the city, made off in an easterly direction. The aid raid alarm was sounded at 220 p.m.
Japanese planes today bombed Ichang twice, flying extremely low, and subjecting the river-front to intensive bombardment.
There were 150 casualties in yesterday's bombardment of Wanhsien by Japanese planes, according to detailed reports received here today. Six Japanese planes it is stated, dropped 20 bombs on the town. Reuter.
Japanese Claim 5 Machines Downed Hankow, Jan. 15.
Five Chinese planes were shot down in flames in a furious fight with Japanese Army raiders over Chungking today, the headquarters of the Japanese Expeditionary Force in Central China claimed in an official communique issued here tonight.
It was the sixth raid by Japanese Army aircraft on the present capital of the Nationalist regime and the first aerial combat which has taken place this year.
The Chinese planes, all of Soviet make, weré"shot down five minutes after the combat commenced, while eight others fled. Several important military establishments were damaged by direct hits scored by the Japanese bombers, the communique said.—Domei.
Many Killed at Wharf It is understood that the Mingsen Company's wharf at Chiaotienmen was bombed, and that many wharf coolies were killed or wounded.
An intensive aerial bombardment of Chungking city would result in an appalling catastrophe, as the city is densely populated, without any open spaces for refugees in case of fire. It is understood that no bombs landed on the Chungking Aerodrome.
The casualties on the north bank of the Chialing River, opposite Chungking, must have been hich, it is estimated by the authorities here, as most of the bombs landed in this area. Six bombs landed on the south bank, causing, it is estimated, 40 casualties, including twelve killed and 20 injured.
A few bombs were dropped over a wide area in the western suburbs of the city, where some of the Government offices are located, but they landed either in open fields, or in the middle of roads, so that there were few casualties in this section of the city.
Later this evening, wounded, including many women, were stilt being carried off to the Canadian Hospital. Outside the hospital, hundreds of relatives and friends waited anxiously.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.