793.94/9772: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 29—2:48 p.m.]
600. Military situation. Fighting around Shanghai began on August 13. For the first few days Chinese forces held air supremacy and on the 18th land forces all but succeeded in driving a strong wedge into Japanese sector. Japanese tanks, armored cars, and strong support from war vessels probably determining factor. Inability of Chinese air force to hit Japanese war vessels and Japanese barracks near Hongkew park, all heavily protected with anti-aircraft guns, and Chinese lack of artillery doubtless enabled Japanese to hold out until Army reenforcements arrived on the 23rd, prior to which time Chinese probably had about 80,000 men in the field, Japanese naval landing party not more than 12,000. From 18th Japanese air superiority, due to the number of planes available, has been increasingly apparent and they are now bombing Chinese positions several times daily at will dropping up to 14 bombs at once. Chinese air activities at Shanghai now confined to night raids.
Rough estimates of the forces in the field in this area at the present time are Chinese 100,000 and Japanese 30,000. The line of fighting according to foreign military observer runs from a point somewhat north of Liuho; slightly west of Liuho and Lotien to Kiangwan, thence west through the North Station in Chapei along the north bank Soochow Creek around the Settlement beyond the Hangchow-Ningpo Railway line to the Whangpoo near Kiangnan arsenal. Farther south, Japanese troops are reported at Chuansha and Nanhui.
Fighting in the Lotien area has been especially severe. In almost all sectors the Japanese are greatly assisted by their naval guns and [Page 494] bombers. No reports have been received of prisoners taken by either side.
Foreign physicians comment that the vast majority of cases of Chinese soldiers being received at their hospitals in Shanghai are ambulatory cases indicating that the more severely wounded are largely without assistance. Estimates of Chinese casualties in the fighting thus far run as high as 50,000 and must in fact be very large. Sixteen temporary hospitals in the Settlement are reported to have nearly 4,000 soldiers wounded. Reliable information concerning Japanese casualties is totally lacking. A large Japanese hospital ship is in the harbor.
It is reported that the Japanese treatment of the noncombatant Chinese population in the Hongkew and Yangtzepoo area was most inhuman but the proof in support of such reports has yet to be forthcoming. It is to be remarked that Japanese air force bombing operations and machine gun firing from planes has been directed not only at troops and military positions but at noncombatant Chinese. For example, the bombs dropped at the South Station near Nantao, Shanghai, yesterday noon killed several hundred Chinese refugees awaiting train transportation out of Shanghai and wounded many hundred more.
Foreign military observers are of the opinion that the Chinese forces will by choice or necessity soon retreat to their next line positions which would remove the fighting from the immediate vicinity of Shanghai to the Taitsang-Anting-Tsinpu line.
Sent to the Department. Repeated to Nanking and Peiping.