After the Japanese army’s land, sea, and air forces launched waves of attacks, they gained no advantage. The Japanese navy, in particular, suffered a catastrophic defeat: twelve warships were dragged to the bottom of the river, and all twenty thousand sailors aboard perished in the depths.
The air force lost sixty to seventy aircraft. Even the pilots who managed to bail out were shot and killed by the Kuomintang Army, who destroyed their parachutes in mid-air. Such staggering losses were more than the Japanese could bear.
The army suffered the fewest casualties, losing only a few dozen tanks, but their artillery regiment devastated the Kuomintang’s artillery units, marking the only victory of the Jiangcheng offensive. For the time being, the Japanese Second and Eleventh Armies ceased their advance, waiting for reinforcements from their navy and air force.
Chapter 98