Chungking, May 19.
A severe aerial engagement took place above Chengtu, capital of Szechuen, last night, when Japanese aircraft in three groups bombed the outskirts of the city.
Details of the air battle are not yet available here, but damage caused by Japanese bombing of the western and Southern outskirts is reported to be slight.
A fourth group of Japanese bombers is reported to have attacked Liangshan, north-east of Chungking.
Although the raiders never approached the limits of Chungking city, the populace of China's wartime capita] practically spent the night in dugouts, the alarm being in effect from 645 pin. till 145 this morning.
A Chinese dispatch from Chengtu fled this morning states that the first batch of nine Japanese bombers appeared over Chengtu at 830 pin. and dropped bombs on the western outskirts of the city.
The second group of raiders came an hour later at 9.30, and received a warm reception from both Chinese anti-aircraft batteries and Chinese fighters.
As searchlights spotted the raiders, Chinese anti-aircraft batteries opened heavy fire. At the same time Chinese fighters, cruising above the city, made several attacks on the Japanese planes, which dropped bombs on the southern outskirts of Chengtu.
The third batch, comprising 18 bombers, "cruised ' aimlessly over Szechuen, departing shortly after one o'clock this morning."
Information obtained in Chungking reveals that all three groups of Japanese aircraft bombed Chengtu, and that a fourth group bombed Liangshan.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.