SDHF Newsletter No.203 The Nanjing Incident-Japanese eyewiness 8

The Nanjing Incident: Japanese Eyewitness Accounts
-Testimony from 48 Japanese Who Were There-
By Ara Ken’ichi
No. 8: Chapter 2 Nanjing, as Observed by Japanese Soldiers
1. The Navy, 29～32

March 9, 2018

We present No. 6 in this series, which contains Chapter 2: Nanjing, as Observed by Japanese Soldiers, 1. The Navy, 29 – 32.
At the time, the Navy was responsible for the security of the central China area. The Third Fleet was deployed there–Naval Headquarters and the Naval Landing Force were based in Shanghai. On August 13, 1937, a force of 30,000 Chinese regular army soldiers, secretly and illegally infiltrated a designated neutral zone, suddenly attacked the Naval Landing Force, numbering 4,500, which was responsible for protecting the 30,000 Japanese civilians living in the Japanese concession in Shanghai. This was the start of the Shanghai Incident. The battle of Nanjing was an extension of the fighting in Shanghai. Consequently, the Navy, air force, gunboats and mine sweepers joined in the battle of Nanjing.
China closed the Yangtze by sinking ships and laying underwater mines. The gunboats Seta and Hira advanced to Nanjing, fighting against small-arms fire and shelling from both side of the Yangtze River and clearing obstructions. As they neared Nanjing, they encountered numerous Chinese soldiers on junks and rafts, their numbers gradually increasing in time. The Chinese soldiers were probably headed towards Pukou but it was occupied by the Japanese army. So, they headed downriver to escape. Japanese gunboats attacked them as a matter of course. This would not be a violation of international law, so this cannot be considered, by any measure, a “massacre”.
The Hira landed at Pagoda Bridge Town near Xiaguan. Six-thousand to 7,000 refugees were gathered there. Commander Doi, captain of Hira, saw that rebuilding the town was absolutely necessary and initiated reconstruction with the cooperation of Chen Hansen, the head of the Nanjing Branch of the International Red Swastika Society. A letter of thanks to Commander Doi from Mr. Chen Hansen remains as evidence of his and the peoples’ gratitude. The copy can be seen here: ｐ12-13.

URL: https://www.sdh-fact.com/book-article/1136/

PDF: https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Ara-Nanjing-8-.pdf

Questions are welcome.

MOTEKI Hiromichi, Acting Chairman
for KASE Hideaki, Chairman
Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact