1937-12-13 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 13, 1937-

DELIBERATE RAIDS ON BRITISH SHIPPING

Attacks Continue After Official Protest

BRITISH- PROTEST

TO JAPAN

Shanghai, To-day.

The British authorities have protested to the Japanese author- ities against the shelling and ma- chine-gunming from the shore and air attacks on British gunboats and merchantmen at Wuhn and near Nanking yesterday, in which one naval rating was killed, and several wounded-Reuter

400-YARDS' RANGE FIRE DESCRIBED

"ORDERS TO ATTACK ALL SHIPS IN YANGTSZE"

GUNBOATS BOMBED "DEPLORABLE

AND REPLY WITH

3-INCH GUNS

Hankow, To-day.

British gunboats and merchant-ships at Nanking

IMPRESSION" IN LONDON

London, To-day.

yesterday were subjected to repeated aerial Yesterday's attacks on British bombing and machine-gunning by Japanese warships in the Yangtse have creat- planes.

ed a deplorable impression in Lon- don, says Reuter's diplomatic cor-

Official circles at present have tacks, and are awaiting details of

only brief confirmation of the at-

First attack was made at 1.30 p.m. when three Jap-respondent.

anese machines power-dived and loosed eight bombs on H.MS. Cricket and H.M.S. Scarab, both of which opened fire with Lewis guns. The planes then attacked the concentration of Bri-

tish shipping two miles above Hsiakwan and close study immediately they are

the whole circumstances of the in- cidents.

The details will be subjected to

AS MISTAKE! dropped several bombs, which fell perilously received. Reuter

Hankow, To-day.

close to several vessels, The gunboats again opened Admitting that the firing on Bri-fire with Lewis guns, whereupon tish gunboats was a mistake, Col. a further batch of planes turned their attention to the gunboats, Hashimoto, at present senior Japan-loosing six more medium-sized ese officer in the Wuhu area, to-bombs without scoring any hits.

The gunboats then brought day said that Japanese troops had

their 3-inch guns and pompoms orders to fire on every ship in the into play, and the planes dis-

Yangtse.

appeared.

SECOND ATTACK The concentration of British

The statement was made in reply to representations by the British Consul at Nanking, Mr. shipping was bombed a second time at 2.30, and the gunboats H. I. Prideaux-Brune, following again opened fire with 3-inch yesterday's incidents at Wuhu.

It appears that Mr Prideaux guns and pompoms. Neither the British gunboats nor the British vessels Brune, together with the

were hit. Military Attache, Lt-Col Lovat- Fraser, and Flag-Capt. G. E. M O'Donnell, arrived at Wuhu at 7.30 yesterday morning on board the tug "Tsingtah," owned by the British Lumber Company, and not by B. and S., as previously reported.

MACHINE GUN FİRE

The Senior Naval Officer, Nanking, Capt. Ashby, of H.M.S. Cricket, made repre- sentations to the Japanese authorities after the first at-

RANGE OF 400 YARDS An hour after firing ceased, After they had embarked in the HMS. Bee arrived at Wuhu, and river gunboat HMS. Ladybird, was also fired on by Japanese field- which was lying in midstream alguns, at one time from a range of little way above Wuhu, Japanese only 400 yards but on hits were re- troops on shore opened up with magistered

Damage to the "Tsingtah" and chine-guns on the Tsingtan, which immediately steamed down river. “Suiwo" has not yet been ascertain- The firing was kept up until the ed

Later, Mr. Prideanx-Brune, Col. tug was out of range-Beuter.

HMS. Ladybird got up steam in Lovat-Fraser and Flag-Capt. O'Don- order to proceed alongside and pronell, went ashore to protest to COL Hashimoto, who stated he had been test against the incident.

Just when she was weighing an ordered to fire on every ship in the chor, Japanese field batteries, which river, although he admitted that fir- were clearly visible on the shore, ing on British gunboats was a mis- opened up on the merchant-ships take."-Reuter. concentrated above the A.P.C. in- - stallation

FOUR HITS

S.BA's FUNERAL

The naval rating killed yesterday in the attack on H.M.S. Ladybird

Bay At

The firing was kept up until and HMS. Bee, was HMS Ladybird was abreast of tendant Lonergan. Wahu General Hospital. The gun-

The funeral took

WIHUA

boat sustained four direct hits, kill at 9 am to-day

SBA IN Lonergan, serious- wounding another seaman, and

wounding several others,

Flag-Capt O'Donnell

was also suffered b

river steam

fying astern

Was

tack, and also requested the Semier Naval Officer, Shang- hai, urgently to protest to Admiral Hasegawa and ask for

safety British shipping

for

conc

ration:

all British gunbo

THIRD ATTACK

A third attack concentration the aftern machines,

open fire on all HMS. rephed thenever ships

were again issued and Ley

Don't be vague

ON. THE TRADE

FOR THE “HONE

HAG&

the shipping made later in ree Japanese eight bombs. S Scarab pompoms

ask for Haig

NO FINER WHISK

GOES INTO ANY BOTTLE

The Butterfie

by

planes

four bomb

GANDE PRICE & CO. LTD.

George's B

ONG