Bombing of Chongqing: Difference between revisions

The Japanese warned foreign delegations in Chongqing to avoid being hit as [[collateral damage]] in the massed attacks by moving to pre-defined "secure areas" which would be exempt from bombing; a large [[Nazi flag]] was emblazoned on the roof of the German embassy in Chongqing, but was still hit by a Japanese air raid.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Matt|first=P. E.|date=2015-08-07|title=Operation 101: Chungking, the Underground City |url=https://pacificeagles.net/operation-101-chungking-the-underground-city/|access-date=2020-11-13|website=Pacific Eagles |language=en-US|quote=<!-- The Japanese issued warnings to the foreign embassies and consulates, demanding that they be moved to a defined ‘secure area’ which would be exempt from bombing.-->}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Zhang|first=Yangxin|date=2020-06-16|title=The Chongqing Bombing and the foreign embassies in Chongqing during wartime|url=http://www.galileiinstitute.it/the-mass-booming-in-chongqing-and-embassies-of-foreign-countries-in-chongqing-during-wartime/|access-date=2021-03-29|website=Galileo Galilei Italian Institute|language=en-US|quote=From May 1939 to August 1941 was the period when the Japanese bombing at the most intensive stage and the residents of Chongqing suffered the most. Under the continuous and indiscriminate bombing from the Japanese military, 4,889 buildings were destroyed to varying degrees, including the British, French and other foreign embassies and institutions in China. Even the German Embassy hanging the Nazi flag was not spared.}}</ref>

 

 

On 10, 12 and 16 June 1940, the Japanese raided Chongqing with 129, 154 and 114 bombers on these days respectively, while the Chinese I-15 and I-16 fighter squadrons engaged these attacks shooting down 13 of the raiders, perhaps more importantly, forcing bombers to miss their targets, although these disrupted flights of bombers may have evaded the Chinese fighters from their primary targets, and diverted out to drop bombs on secondary targets, including other large population and industrial areas such as [[Ziliujing District|Ziliujing]] and [[Lu County|Luxian]]. The Chinese would be dealt with a serious blow a few weeks later in July 1940 when the British yielded to Japanese diplomatic pressure and closed the [[Burma Road]], which was China's primary lifeline for material and fuel needed in the defense of Chongqing and Chengdu.<ref>Lorraine Glennon. ''Our Times: An Illustrated History of the 20th Century''. October 1995. {{ISBN|9781878685582}} p.299</ref>