Shanghai, Nov, 24.
Recurrent rumours that Soviet air~ raft soon would dart across China skies received their confirmation yesterday. According to reports "made by Japanese naval tiers following action over Nanking and Chow=, chlakow, Honan, on Monday, Soviet built pursuit ships patterned after the American Boeing model, engaged the Japanese raiders, Domei learned from highly reliable sources.
Similar Russian-built aircraft have been active in Spain.
The machines, capable of high speeds but reported to be unsteady, found their first engagement against the Japanese a dificult assignment.
Of the two Soviet machines that rose to give combat above Nanking, tone was shot down, Contrary 10 reports of Chinese origin, the pilot failed to bail out and crashed with his machine, His nationality could nol be ascertained, Tu the Honan' engagement, the Soviet-built craft fared worse, Domei learned. Ail three, which were sent.
to engage the Japanese, were shot Unconfirmed reports state that about 0 Soviet machines, including, ten bombers, have been' flown to) various" Chinese alr bases across Kansu in recent weeks.
Soviets it Plane Shot Down Tokyo, Nov. 2
Describing an aerial combat over Nanking on November 24, a foreign' leorrespondent said he saw a Chinese ghting plane of Soviet make foreed to land with a machine-gun bullet {from a Japanese plane in its gasoline tank, according to a news dispatch from New. York to-day.
The pilot of the Soviet-built plane was a foreigner, who suffered no Injury' in the engagement, the report Russian words were found in the engine and cockpit of the craft, but the Chinese military authorities refused. to disclose the nationality of the pilot, the correspondent wrote.
The correspondent reported further that dimeulties of fying over, Sinkiang Province are hampering Soviet pilots transporting planes to Lanchow, Kansu Province, from Soviet Russia—Domel.
Tokyo, Nov. 24.
Military quarters here to-day professed Interest in the newly estabished Chinese "air line between Hankow and Hongkong, by way of Tehang, Chungking, Kweiyang, Lung chow and Wuchow. The line itis slated, is operated by the. Sino-American China National Aviation Corporation.—Domel,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.