FO371-23514 — Page 63

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Enclosure No.2.

251

REPORT ON THE BOMBING OF BRITISH TERRITORY BY

JAPANESE AEROPLANES ON 21st FEBRUARY, 1939.

(Reference Map: SHAM CHUN River. 1/20,000).

At about 0945 hours on February 21st, 1939, nine Japanese aeroplanes, coming from the direction of West by North, bombed the village of SHAM CHUN (1483) in Chinese

territory about 1500 yards North of the Sham Chun River,

which forms the frontier between China and the New Terri-

tories. After bombing Sham Chun, the whole formation

circled round and appeared to fly over the top of Crest

Hill (1380) in British Territory. One flight of three

then at tacked the Chinese Customs Wireless Station.

About ten bombs were dropped. The attack was made from

the South, and a glance at the map will shew that it is

not possible to attack this target from the South

without flying over British territory.

Another flight then made an attack on the British

Railway Station (1481) about 200 yards inside the

frontier. This attack was made by two machines only,

four and approached the target from the South West:

bombs were dropped, two about 400 yards inside the

frontier due West of the Railway Station between the

railway and the river, and two on the railway about

200 yards South of the bridge.

the mud and did no damage, the second two demolished a

blockhouse and did considerable material damage to

buildings and to rolling stock, besides killing 1 Sikh

policeman and 7 Chinese. One of these two machines

The first two fell in

circled

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