21 Aug 1937 | World War II Database

21 Aug 1937

China

Patrolling Japanese E8N floatplanes intercepted six Chinese Gamma 2E light bombers over the suburbs of Shanghai, China. The Japanese succeeded in forcing the Chinese to abandon the planned attack on the Kunda Texile Factory, but failed to shoot down any aircraft (but the Japanese claimed two victories). Lieutenant Yue Yiqin of the 22nd Pursuit Squadron of the Chinese 4th Pursuit Group, flying a Hawk III biplane fighter, shot down the Japanese floatplane flown by Petty Officer First Class Shigeru Yano, who survived the downing. Yano attempted to ram a Chinese aircraft as he went down; he failed to make contact as none of the Chinese fighters reported being rammed, but Yano believed he did. ww2dbase [Second Battle of Shanghai | Yue Yiqin | Shanghai | CPC]
Yuan Baokang, flying a Hawk III fighter, shot down a prototype G3M bomber piloted by Hikosaburo Sato over Hai'an, Jiangsu Province, China. ww2dbase [Yuan Baokang | Hai'an, Jiangsu | CPC]
Takijiro Onishi was on board a prototype G3M bomber as an observer during a raid on Chinese positions in Jiangsu Province, China when the flight was intercepted by Hawk III fighters of Chinese 5th Pursuit Group; the bomber flying two positions behind his aircraft was shot down by Chinese pilot Lieutenant Yuan Baokang, but Onishi's aircraft was able to escape. ww2dbase [Takijiro Onishi | Jiangsu | CPC]
Photographer Harrison Forman boarded USS Augusta in Shanghai, China to document the event in which an errant Chinese anti-aircraft shell killed one American sailor and wounded 18 others. ww2dbase [Harrison Forman | Augusta | Shanghai | CPC]

Germany

F9 was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [F9 | CPC]

Pacific Ocean

Nachi transferred the headquarters company and 1st company of 6th Infantry Regiment of Japanese Army 3rd Division to cruiser Jintsu and eight destroyers off Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China. ww2dbase [Second Battle of Shanghai | Nachi | East China Sea | CPC]