The Battle of China Reel 3 - The Battle of Shanghai and Japan’s Push to Nanking

Japan’s Bombing Campaign and the Attack on China’s Capital


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Reel 3 of The Battle of China (1944) documents the Battle of Shanghai, a critical early conflict in Japan’s full-scale invasion of China. Animated maps illustrate Shanghai’s strategic location at the mouth of the Yangtze River, followed by harbor and seaport views, aerial footage, and street scenes from the city in 1937. The reel details the Foreign Settlement areas, divided into the French Concession and International Settlement, which housed troops from Great Britain, the United States, France, and Japan. Amid rising tensions, the Chinese Army launched an attack on the Japanese garrison, igniting fierce combat.
In response, Japan executed a two-pronged amphibious assault, landing forces north and south of Shanghai while using naval artillery to bombard the city. The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service, under Prince Narukhiko Higashikuni, began a devastating aerial campaign, slaughtering thousands of civilians. Harrowing footage shows panicked residents fleeing explosions, desperate to find safety within the British, French, and American sectors of the International Settlement. The aftermath reveals smoldering ruins and streets filled with casualties, illustrating the indiscriminate destruction.
The Japanese continued their advance toward Nanking, as animated maps trace their rapid progress. The reel also captures the infamous bombing and sinking of the USS Panay, an American gunboat anchored on the Yangtze River outside Nanking. The footage concludes with Japanese forces launching their brutal assault on Nanking, setting the stage for one of the most infamous atrocities of the war.

Part of this Complete Film

The Battle of China (1944) - WWII Documentary on Japan’s Invasion

License: Royalty-Free