The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-08-21
Chinese, Japanese h
 Hand To Hand Fight
tcontnueo trom Page D

Hongkew section on one side of the river and the Pootung section on the other. Airplane bombs, artillery shells, anti-aircraft shells burst con- tinually into the Japanese lines on the Hongkew side and the Chinese lines in Pootung. The Japanese po- sition at the moment was one of ur- gent danger, 1t was plain. All night long, at point after point at the northern edge of the Hongkew area, Chinese troops had smashed into the Japanese lines at the bayonet point.
 Tanks, Armored Cars
 Tanks and armored cars were brought into play for the first time on the Chinese side here, and they nosed their way into the Japanese section to be repelled and to smash in again.
 Strong squadrons of Chinese planes, big numbering bombers sup ported by wasp like fighting planes, swept over the Japanese lines time and again, raining down bombs, div ing close to the ground with their machine guns splitting fire, and, sweeping through the swirling, choking smoke from the great fires that ragged through the area, mak- ing of to avoid the fire of anti aircraft guns from the Japanese warships strung along the river.
 Fifty of the most prominent for eign clergymen, missionaries and physicians in China, most of them Americans, sent a letter to Chinese and Japanese authorities this after noon earnestly appealing to them to agree to an immediate peace confer- ence.
 The Rev. E. H. Ballou, American Congregationalist representing the American board of commissioners for foreign missions; Dr. J. M. Me- Cracken. dean of St. Johns Univer- sity Medical school, representing the American Church Mission, and the Right Rev. John Curtis, Church of England bishop of Chekiang Prov ince, representing the British church Missionary Society, headed the signatories.
 Fell Near Hospital
 Ill aimed Chinese airplane bombs. intended for a Japanese artillery battery, fell 200 yards away into the compound of the Sacred Heart Hospital in the Yangtzepoo section, at the eastern extremity of Hong- kew.
 French authorities decided at once to remove the 33 Franciscan mis. sionary sisters, one Chinese Nun. three Silesian fathers who were re- fuges and 400 patients - many of them already wounded-who were in the hospital.
 The American owned Sherwin Williams Paint Go. building was one Of those in the Hongkew area that burst into flames early this morn ing.
 Promptly at dawn, six big North rup bombers of the Chinese air force, protected by four fighting planes swept over and began to kew. -'e
 Next Japanese planes raided deep With their anti-aircraft guns. Jap- anese asserted that two of the planes were downed.
 Next Japanese plans raidd deep into the Chinese lins across the river in Pootung.
 - DIX more Chinese planes went over Hongkew again, splitting death.
 First Actual Fight
 The first actual fight between Chnese and Japanese planes oc- cured then. A single Chinese plane detached itself from a squadron of seven and darted over Hongkew to attack lone Japanese seaplane. | The planes dived, rose, maneuyered TOT advantage and fought for 10 | minutes. A second Japanese plane | lsceo up and shot down the Chinese | plane, which crashed into the Chin- | ese lines.
 Japanese reported that a>Chiness airplane bomb set fire to the Asiatic Petroleum plant in the Yangtzepoo section and that the spreadine | flames endangered the Standard Oii | company of New York plant.
 Widest rumors began circulatine through the city and correspondents | were kept busy checking them, One. | promptly denied by Japanese, was lnAs AeaneSe planes were dropping | disease germs to wipe out civilians. |