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1938 Canton (Guangzhou) China bombing...
1938 Canton (Guangzhou) China bombing...
Item # 719039
June 06, 1938
NEW YORK WORLD-TELEGRAM, June 6, 1938
* Guangzhou (Canton), China bombing
* Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
The top of the front page has a one column heading: "New Raid Kills 500 Cantonese; City in Ruins" with subhead. (see images)
Complete with all 26 pages, light toning, a little margin wear, mainly along the spine, generally in good condition.
AI notes: In 1938, during the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese military launched a sustained and devastating aerial bombing campaign against the southern Chinese city of Canton (now Guangzhou), aiming to cripple Chinese defenses, disrupt supply lines, and break civilian morale. Beginning in earnest in the spring and intensifying through the summer and fall, the bombings targeted not only military installations and infrastructure but also civilian neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, and cultural sites, causing widespread destruction and the deaths of thousands of non-combatants. The relentless attacks triggered a massive exodus of refugees, overwhelmed the city’s limited medical and relief resources, and shocked foreign observers, many of whom documented the raids in reports that stirred international outrage. Despite the lack of significant anti-aircraft defenses, Canton held out until October 21, 1938, when Japanese forces captured the city, marking a major strategic victory and consolidating Japan’s control over the vital Pearl River Delta. The bombing of Canton stood as an early example of the brutal effectiveness of modern air power against urban centers and foreshadowed the widespread civilian suffering that would become a hallmark of World War II.
Category: The 20th Century
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