Chinese veterans recall fierce fighting in WWII
Updated: 2015-07-07 06:57
(Xinhua)
|
|||||||||
"In order not to delay the withdrawal of the majority of the troops, more than 1,000 injured or sick soldiers asked for gasoline to self-immolate. They would rather die than be taken prisoners of war," remembered Liu, 95, who now lives in east China's Anhui Province.
More than 10,000 were killed in Japanese airstrikes in Baoshan City, Yunnan, on May 4, 1942. Almost half of the city's population died on that one day.
"So many students were killed or injured. Their sobs and wails filled the air," said Geng Deming, 81, who lost his 5-year-old sister on that ill-fated day.
"I rushed home from school, past rivers running red and bodies piled up under bridges," recalled Geng, who is also a war historian.
More than 35 million Chinese troops and civilians were killed or injured in the anti-Japanese war, official statistics show.
The main force of the Japanese army was in China during World War II, said Tan Huwa, a researcher with Yan'an University in Yan'an, a revolutionary base in Shaanxi Province, northwest China.
China's fierce resistance prevented Japan from attacking the Soviet Union or sending more forces to the Pacific battlefield, disrupting Japan's war plan, he said.
His opinion is echoed in "China's War with Japan, 1937-1945: The Struggle for Survival" , written by Rana Mitter, a professor of history at the Oxford University, the United Kingdom.
Mitter highlights the vital part China's resistance against Japan played in WWII.
- Injured ROK tourists in intensive care
- 36 dead, 26 missing after banca capsized in C. Philippines
- Thai navy plans to buy three Chinese subs
- Mass casualties in Indonesian military plane crash
- Japan's LDP lawmaker denounces Abe's security policies
- More than 100 feared dead in Indonesian military plane crash
- Ten photos you don't wanna miss - weekend special
- US beat Japan 5-2 to win Women's World Cup
- Veterans of World War II honored
- The world in photos: June 29 - July 5
- Top 10 most expensive cities in the world
- Italian designer tailors success in China
- People take part in Independence Day parade in Washington
- Unusual heat wave sweeps across Europe
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Seventh China-US strategic dialogue |
Premier Li embarks on Latin America visit |
What do we know about AIIB |
Full coverage of Boao Forum for Asia |
Annual legislative and political advisory sessions |
Spring Festival trends reflect a changing China |
Today's Top News
China measured in response to Clinton hacking claims
Chinese stocks struggle to maintain rally in afternoon
Greece enters uncharted territory after referendum 'no' vote
Chinese embassy warns travelers to be careful in Turkey
China nominates Jin Liqun AIIB's president-designate
For PetroChina, move to Houston pays off
China-France ties 'benefit all'
Concern over US military strategy
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |