Hard Fighting at Suzhou Creek

The situation at Suzhou Creek looks grim. The strength of the Chinese forces is little compared to the Japanese forces. Many divisions are depleted to only one or two regiments.

Chiang Kai-shek came to the battlefield and seemed to boost morale for a short period.

Dachang falls

Dachang has finally fallen to the Japanese. It was the last suburban town lying between the Japanese forces and the Chinese fortified within Shanghai.

The two sides engaged in many seesaw battles over the past few weeks. The frontline of the battle has only managed to move 5 Kilometers with the Japanese making the gains. The Chinese have so far, never been able to capitalize 0n Japanese vulnerabilities.

The fighting has been so intense that the rate of casualties an hour for the Chinese has reportedly been in the thousands. Some divisions have been wiped out in a matter of days.

On October 25th, however, Dachang fell to the Japanese. In the course of last night, the Chinese began to withdraw from Shanghai, particularly its downtown which they've held for the better part of three months.

US President calls for Quarantine

The President of the United States of America, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, gave a speech in Chicago yesterday. In it, he proposed a "quarantine of the aggressor nations" such as Japan and Italy.

The prevailing political thought right now in the United States is one of neutrality and isolationism. The Neutrality Act, signed on August 31, 1935, forbid the US from shipping arms of ammunition to Italy or Abyssinia, though that crisis has ended.

Mr. Roosevelt seems to be suggesting economic measures be taken against aggressor nations rather than reacting to aggression with aggression. In other words, put water on the fire, not more fire!

The Chinese withdraw to keep Dachang

Since the fall of Luodian, the frontline of the battle has moved southward to the town of Dachang (大場). There the Chinese hope to maintain some sort of continued communication between themselves the the troops in downtown Shanghai.

The Japanese have increased their numbers to 200,000 given the intensity they faced from 300,000 Chinese at Luodian. Chiang Kai-shek mobilized whatever troops he could scrape up for the defense of Dachang.

After invading the town of Liuhang, the Japanese have managed to push the frontline back further to the Yunzaobin River (蘊藻濱).

Luodian falls

Despite numerical supremacy, the outgunned Chinese have proven to be no match for the Japanese Navy and the firepower the Japanese forces have employed thus far.

The fighting at Luodian has been intense. The Chinese seemed to refuse to change their tactics despite the technological superiority of the Japanese.

There are few Chinese left. It is estimated that over 50% of the Chinese troops sent there to hold the Japanese back have perished. The Chinese have been forced to withdraw from Luodian.

It has been reported that Luodian is now being call the grinding mill of flesh and blood.