les bombardements de Chongqing : la ville oubliée

Quelle est la ville à avoir subi le plus de bombardements pendant la seconde guerre mondiale ? Londres, Berlin, Tokyo ?  non la réponse est Chongqing la capitale provisoire du gouvernement de Chiang Kaï Chek. De février 1938 à août 1943 la ville subit les raids de terreur de l'armée japonaise qui cibla volontairement les civils. Les pertes civiles sont terribles et se comptent en dizaine milliers. Le décompte est difficile compte tenu du désordre au sein de l'administration de la Chine nationaliste et du nombre de réfugiés. Mais quelques évènements soulignent l'ampleur des pertes civiles

• deux jours de raids en mai 1939 tuent 5 000 civils
• 5 juin 1941, 20 raids successifs. 4 000 civils meurent asphyxiés dans les abris 

Pour le Japon cette stratégie est un signe de l'essoufflement très tôt de l'offensive en Chine. Malgré les prises de Pékin, Shanghaï, Nankin, Wuhan, la destruction de l'élite de l'armée nationaliste, Jiang Jeshi résiste utilisant l'énorme profondeur stratégique de son pays. Ne pouvant s'étendre davantage vers l'intérieur de la Chine sans fragiliser ses axes de ravitaillement et disperser ses troupes pour lutter contre la guérilla, le haut Commandement japonais a choisi la guerre psychologique. Associer à la constitution de gouvernements collaborationnistes, il espère voir le pouvoir de Jiang s'effondrer de l'intérieur. Encore eût-il fallu que l'armée impériale ne commette pas des atrocités en masse pour espérer susciter l'adhésion de la population... L'armée de l'air est donc investi d'une des premières missions de terreur aérienne qui va inaugurer la triste liste des villes martyres. Et encore les quantités de bombes lâchées par les Japonais sont modestes : 3000 tonnes. Par comparaison  la ville de Dresde reçut en trois de raids 3 900 tonnes bombes. Les Japonais ne possédaient pas en effet de bombardiers lourds comme les anglo-saxons. Mais ils larguèrent tout de même 11 000 bombes dont les sinistres bombes incendièrent qui ravagèrent la ville : 17.600 bâtiments détruits. La faiblesse de la chasse et de la DCA nationaliste, malgré le soutien de Tigres  Volants facilitèrent l'action des pilotes japonais. L'impréparation et la désorganisation du gouvernement nationaliste fragilisèrent le sort des civils : la mauvaise aération des abris, la faiblesses des services de secours, la priorité donnée aux installations militaires ont marqué les esprits des témoins. A noter que la ville accueillait des milliers de réfugiés des zones occupées par les Japonais.  Une nouvelle fois ce sont les populations chinoises qui subirent les coups de l'impérialisme japonais et de la stratégie courageuse de Jiang Jeshi mais fort coûteuse. Il faudra attendre 1943 pour que l'armée de l'air japonaise cesse ces attaques  et transfert une partie de ces effectifs face aux Américains. L'opération a été un échec comme toute les opérations menées par les pays en guerre contre les villes : loin de briser le moral des populations, elles les ont soudées davantage à leur chef. En Mars 2006, 40 Chinois qui ont été blessés ou ont perdu des membres de la famille pendant les bombardements ont poursuivi le gouvernement japonais réclamant des indemnités et des excuses. Démarche louable mais qui a peu de chance d'aboutir car elle créerait un précédent. Toutes les villes bombardées sans objectifs militaire pourraient alors entamé des poursuites, y compris des villes allemandes, italiennes et japonaises !!!!

Ci-joint un excellent document en anglais listant les raids japonais sur les principales villes chinoises

14 Aug 1937	18 Type 96 G3M bombers of the Japanese Kanoya Air Group took off from the Matsuyama Airfield (now Songshan Airport) in Taihoku (now Taipei), Taiwan to bomb Jianqiao Airfield at Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province and Guangde Airfield in Anhui Province in China. Fighters of the Chinese 4th Pursuit Group, led by Captain Gao Zhihang, rose to intercept from Jianqiao and shot down 3 bombers without any losses. Cheng Xiaoyu's 22nd Squadron, also of the Chinese 4th Pursuit Group, rose to meet the other group attacking Guangde Airfield, shooting down another. Anti-aircraft crews claimed a further two bombers destroyed. Air Force Day was declared as an instrument to raise morale.
15 Aug 1937	Japanese bombers conducted a raid on the Chinese capital city of Nanjing; it was the very first time this city was subjected to aerial bombing.
26 Aug 1937	Japanese aircraft attacked a vehicle carrying the ambassador of United Kingdom during an air raid on Shanghai, China.
31 Aug 1937	The Japanese Navy Kanoya Air Group, based in Taiwan, launched 9 Type 96 G3M2 bombers to attack Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. 8 Hawk III fighters of Chinese 29th Independent Pursuit Squadron were scrambled to intercept; one G3M bomber was shot down, two Hawk III fighters were damaged.
25 Sep 1937	Japanese bombers flew 95 sorties over Nanjing, China between 0930 and 1630 hours, dropping 500 bombs which caused more than 600 mostly civilian casualties. The National Central Hospital, which had a large red cross painted on the roof, was also damaged by bombs.
18 Feb 1938	Japanese Army and Navy aircraft began a 6-month-long aerial bombardment campaign against the Chinese temporary capital city of Chongqing.
28 May 1938	Japanese bombers attacked Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, killing 750 and wounding 1,350.
4 Jun 1938	30 to 40 Japanese bombers attacked Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, causing an estimated 2,000 casualties (700 deaths).
8 Jun 1938	US Ambassador to Tokyo Joseph Grew issued a protest to the Japanese government for the bombing of Lingnan University in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; the French government also issued a protest for recent attacks on a French hospital in Guangzhou. In Shanghai, China, Rear Admiral Noda Kiyoshi, who was in charge of Japanese Navy's public relations, announced that "our aviators are doing their best to avoid hitting non-combatants."
18 Aug 1938	3 Chinese Hawk 75 and 7 Chinese I-15 fighters intercepted 27 Japanese bombers over Hengyang, Hunan, China, shooting down 1 Japanese bomber and damaging another but losing 1 Hawk 75 fighter. The remaining two Hawk 75 fighters crashed while landing.
26 Dec 1938	Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China during the day; this was the first time the temporary capital was bombed during the daylight hours.
7 Jan 1939	Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China during the day.
10 Jan 1939	Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China during the day.
20 Feb 1939	40 Soviet volunteer and Chinese Air Force fighters intercepted 30 Japanese bombers near Lanzhou, Gansu, China, shooting down 9 Japanese bombers.
23 Feb 1939	A group of fighters flown by Soviet volunteers intercepted 57 Japanese bombers near Lanzhou, Gansu, China, shooting down 6 Japanese bombers and turning back the rest of the formation.
3 May 1939	Fighters of the Chinese 4th Air Group intercepted 54 Japanese bombers en route to attack Chongqing, China, shooting down 7 Japanese bombers.
4 May 1939	27 Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China in the evening.
25 May 1939	26 Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China in the evening; six Chinese fighters intercepted them over the junction of Jialing River and Yangtze River and claimed two bombers shot down.
5 Jun 1939	Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China for three hours during the day; 4,400 people died of asphyxiation in a collapsed air raid tunnel during this bombing.
11 Jul 1939	27 Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China; eight Chinese I-15bis fighters rose to intercept.
24 Jul 1939	Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China; one of the I-15bis fighters of Chinese 21st Pursuit Squadron which rose to intercept claimed one bomber shot down.
8 Feb 1940	3 Hawk 75 fighters of the Chinese 18th Squadron intercepted 27 Japanese aircraft en route to Mengzi, Yunnan, China at 1505 hours. One of the Chinese fighters was heavily damaged and was forced to crash land, injuring pilot Yang Tzu-fan.
13 Feb 1940	3 Hawk 75 fighters of the Chinese 18th Squadron intercepted 27 Japanese bombers en route to bomb the bridge on the Xi River near Xiaolongtan, Yunnan, China. One bomber was claimed to be destroyed.
20 May 1940	24 Japanese bombers, en route for Chongqing, China, were intercepted by eight I-16 fighters of Chinese 24th Pursuit Squadron; the Chinese claimed three bombers and one reconnaissance aircraft shot down.
22 May 1940	Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China.
27 May 1940	Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China in three waves.
28 May 1940	Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China in multiple waves.
6 Jun 1940	Japanese Army aircraft attacked Baishi Yi airfield near Chongqing, China; one of the I-15bis fighters of Chinese 21st Pursuit Squadron claimed one Japanese Ki-21 bomber shot down.
10 Jun 1940	Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China at 1300 hours; Chinese fighters claimed 5 Japanese aircraft shot down in Bishan County west of the temporary capital, including one G3M bomber.
12 Jun 1940	154 Japanese aircraft attacked Chongqing, China at 1200 hours; Chinese fighters claimed 5 Japanese aircraft shot down.
16 Jun 1940	114 Japanese aircraft attacked Chongqing, China after sundown; four I-16 fighters of Chinese 24th Pursuit Squadron rose to intercept, shooting down one bomber near Fuling County near the city, with one fighter shot down by the Japanese.
4 Jul 1940	Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China in multiple waves.
16 Jul 1940	54 Japanese aircraft based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China attacked Chongqing, China in two waves; 31 Chinese fighters (I-15bis, I-16, and Hawk III models) rose to intercept, claiming damage on several bombers.
28 Jul 1940	More than 100 Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China in five waves; 16 fighters from Chinese 4th Pursuit Group and 5th Pursuit Group rose to intercept, claiming one bomber shot down.
15 Sep 1940	B5N bombers of Japanese 12th Naval Air Group based in Yichang, Hubei Province, China attacked Chongqing, China.
4 Oct 1940	6 Hawk 75 fighters of the Chinese 18th Squadron were in transit when they came across 27 Japanese G3M bombers escorted by 8 A6M Zero fighters, en route to attack Chengdu, Sichuan, China. The Zero fighters shot down 1 and forcing 2 to crash land.
26 Oct 1940	Japanese aircraft raided the CAMCO factory at Loiwing (Leiyun), China, destroying recently arrived kits of CW-21 fighters.
21 May 1941	8 I-15 fighters of the Chinese 29th Squadron intercepted 27 Japanese G3M bombers over Lanzhou, Gansu, China, shooting down one and damaging another.
22 May 1941	7 I-16 fighters of the Chinese 24th Pursuit Squadron and 1 SB bomber of the Chinese 9th Bomb Squadron were ordered to intercept the incoming 25 Japanese G3M bombers at Lanzhou, Gansu, China. Bad weather forced the Chinese aircraft to land at Chung Chuan Chun Airfield, but upon sighting the Japanese bombers overhead the Chinese fighters were able to takeoff and shoot down one bomber and damaging another.
5 Jun 1941	Japanese aircraft flew more than 20 sorties against Chongqing, China over a 3-hour period, dropping bombs on civilian sections of the city. In the Jiaochangkou air raid shelter tunnel, more than 1,000 Chinese died from asphyxiation.
15 Jun 1941	US government criticized the Japanese raids on civilian sections of Chongqing, China. Meanwhile, unrelated to the US complaint, the Japanese air raid on Chongqing damaged the US embassy.
24 Jun 1941	Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China, damaging the British Consulate among other buildings.
29 Jun 1941	Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China; among the property damaged were the British Embassy in the city and American gunboat USS Tutuila at Lungmenhao lagoon.
20 Dec 1941	Fighters of the 1st and 2nd Squadrons of the American Volunteer Group intercepted 10 Japanese bombers over Kunming, Yunnan, China, shooting down 9 bombers while losing 1 P-40 fighter.
6 Jun 1943	8 Japanese light bombers escorted by 14 fighters attacked Liangshan Airfield in Chongqing, China, destroying 12 P-40 fighters and 1 other aircraft on the ground. Captain Chow Chin-kai, who had just landed in a P-40 fighters, commandeered a P-66 Vanguard fighter parked nearby and shot down 3 bombers. Chow was later awarded the Order of Blue Sky and White Sun for this action.
23 Aug 1943	21 Japanese bombers escorted by 17 fighters took off from Hankou, Hubei, China to attack Chongqing in Sichuan Province, China; the formation was met with an additional 14 fighters en route. 10 P-40, 8 P-43, and 11 P-66 fighters of the Chinese Air Force rose to intercept. The Chinese lost one P-40 fighter, one P-43 fighter, and two P-66 fighters in the engagement while the Japanese lost one bomber and several damaged. This would become the final major aerial attack on Chongqing.