The day's noise and excitement for spectators on The Bund was by no means over. At 6.40 p.m. with not the- slightest warning Chinese shells from Pootung landed somewhere in the Wayside area. First to reply were small Japanese river gunboats lined along the Pootung bank opposite the Wayside wharf area and further downriver. The red flashes from their guns raised some question whether they were not Chinese shells or trench-mortar missiles, but this was quickly disproved as, one by one, every Japanese warship and transport, from Pootung Point to Point Island, and apparently more and bigger guns farther down the river, opened up on Pootung.
Perhaps two miles from The Bund and nearly a mile inshore, though in the darkness this was the roughest of estimates, Chinese batteries kept up an intermittent fire, the flashes from their gun-mouths occasionally piercing the blackness of the area. They drew a swift and terrible reply as Japanese projectiles were poured on them. It could not be learned whether this fire silenced the Chinese guns last night, but at 730 p.m. the firing slowly died away and the night's quiet descended of last on the Central District.
The Kawamura detachment, col-elaborating with these three detachments, north of the Creek, launched a series of attacks throughout the day upon the Chinese positions at Tsungmingtang, Tsaochai and other points from the direction of Yanghang.
"The enemy positions" the communique claimed, were severely battered."
Closely ce-operating with the infantry, Japanese naval planes yesterday bombed Chinese batteries at Tangchao, south-east of Yanghang, and entrenchments in Chapei, a naval communique said, "Attacks Unsuccessful"
Marking the beginning of what was believed to be the fourth "big push," Japanese forces launched several Qnsuccessful attacks along the Lotien-Liuhang line while Japanese aeroplanes, artillery and naval guns kept up a heavy bombardment, in several sectors throughout the day, a Chinese military spokesman said at a press conference yesterday, The Chinese line remained intact, while little.damage was done to military emplacements. In the Pootung area, 22 villagers were killed and ten others wounded. Several hoses were demolished. Dazang, several miles behind the Chinese front, was also subjected to heavy aerial and artillery bombardment, the spokesman said.
The attack on the Lotien-Liuhang line was launched on Tuesday afternoon and up to night time no fewer than six successive assaults were made, but every time the enemy forces were repulsed with very heavy losses, according to the spokesman, Fighting was especially fierce at a point about midway between Lotien and Liuhang, approximately 1,000 metres east of the Lotien-Liuhang highway. According to the spokesman, it was evident that the Japanese aim was to push their spear-head through the Chinese line on a narrow front from Changchiache to Tsaichiache, but their efforts were unsuccessful as the Chinese tenaciously held their positions in spite of heavy Japamese artillery shelling and aerial bombing.
In the Lotien sector, the Japanese were reported to be busily digging in at Yangkiufang. Several attacks were launched not so much as to engage the Chinese troops, but to prevent the latter from coming too close and endangering their defences. According to the spokesman, Chinese artillery was used to great advantage however.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.