Hankow, Sept. 26.
Without any warning, Chinese antisireraft guns suddenly' opened up at 10 o'clock this morning, when a lone Japanese scouting aeroplane appected above Hankow after cluding the Chinese observation posts. The plane, which had come for the purpose of reconnoitring, quickly disappeared, 'Thirty' minutes later, when the alarm was sounded, other Japanese planes were sighted heading for Han-Kew. They tumed further south, however, and raided Puchi, on the Canton-Hankow Railway, and Kiayu, on the Yangtze River.
'AL 3.0 this afternoon, approximately 20 Japanese machines, flying in two groups, raided the Hanicow aerodrome and were likewise met by Yunnan province, since the start of hostilities shot down six out of more than a dozen Chinese craft which engaged them in battle, and de~ molished fourteen more on the ground on September 28, official reports reaching Tokyo claimed last night.
Eight of the grounded planes destroyed caught fire, the reports said, and the air field' was blanketed with smoke. "More than a dozen' buildings on the air field were re~ duced to ashes, the messages continued. A military cadets' school and fan arsenal also were bombed and set on fire, the reports asserted.
One Japanese plane piloted by! Warrant OMicer One succeeded in shooting down one Chinese craft but, }was disabled by bullets.—Dom heavy anti-aircraft fire.
Several of the planes power-dived and, flying low, bombed and machine-gunned the south-eastern corner of the acrodrome.—Reuler, Planes Bomb Mankow Aerodrome Foreigners Bombed In Train Shanghai, Sept. 27.
Japanese Army aircraft at 230 o'clock yesterday afternoon launched 2 surprise bombardment on five large and eight small Chinese planes in the Hankow aerodrome, ac~ cording to a communique issued by the headquarters of the Japanese Expeditionary Force in Central China yesterday evening.
Tu the face of intense antivaircratt fre the Japanese planes showered bombs and scored nine direct hits and put out of commission twelve Chinese planes, the communqué said, One of the Japanese craft was slightly damaged by anti-aircraft fire but all the planes returned to their: bases safely, the statement concluded.
'A. report from an undisclosed Army alr base yesterday said that more than 100 Japanese Army planes: took part in the raid, By skilful manguvring the Japanese aircraft sped through dense sprays of anti-aircraft shells and the aerodrome, the report said.
This report claimed that thirteen grounded Chinese planes were smashed to pieces and heavy damage was done to military establishments.
Not a single Chinese plane took to the air and the Wuhan district war ly under the control of the the report said, for First Time Shanghai, Sept. 27.
For the first time in history, Japan ese aeroplanes on Sunday "raided Kweiyang, capital of Kweichow provines, in south-western China, According to a communique issued by the Japanese China Seas Fleet command at noon yesterday naval bombers attacked "with success" the aerodrome and military establishments: at Kweiyang, All aircraft engaged in. this operation returned to their respective bases safely, the announcement said.
Hankow. Sept. 27 Several British and French passengers, who were on board a through train "bound for Kowloon had thrilling experience when Japanese planes yesterday afternoon bombed and machine-gunned the train. between here and Changsha. The train Felurned to Hankow, arriving this morning.
'Among the passengers were about a Jdozen French' sailors with a tri-color lover their coach. The train was not hit and no casualties were reported. out a bomb fell beside the track within twenty yards of the engine.
Mr. ILE. Davies, of the International "Export Company, who_ is from Sideup, Kent, told Reuter, "The rain left Hankow' on Sunday' night and the first bit of excitement occur red at 7 am, on Monday, when the Jair raid alarm sounded and the train stopped, second alarm was sounded at oon, and this time we saw eighteen planes overhead on their way Yochow, which was believed to have been bombed.
"A big thrift occurred shortly after 230 pam, when five more planes were sighted on their way back from Yor Jchow. Bombs dropped around us with deafening roars, hitting either side of the track. One bomb landed actually twenty yards from our engine.
"The five planes then departed and thought the worst was over, but machines returned and machinegunned us."
Besides Mr. Davies, the other British passengers were as follows Mrs, E.G. Byrne, Mr. H. E- Ramsay, Messrs. C: E: Pinel and Ronald Ress, The train and passengers are leaving for Kowloon again at 4 pin.
In carrying out this raid, the planes passed through heavy cloud banks and overcome serious difficul-in the form of high mountain ranges.
Tt was recalled that Japanese aircraft penetrated Kweichow for the first time on September 21 when they visited Hsinyl, near the Kwangsi border, without dropping any bombs.
Sanshunhsien, about 90 kin. south: West of the provincial capital, and Tsenheng, 130 kin. south of Anshun, also were raided, according to information from Hongkong. No report was received as to the extent of the} damage done,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.