393.115 President Hoover/29: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 2—11:41 a.m.]
635. Reference my 616, August 31, 3 p.m.38 Under the same promise that my source would be fully protected, two American pilots who have now come to Shanghai have confirmed the information given me by the British pilot.
There were no Japanese men-of-war or merchant vessels or transports within sight of [the Hoover,] any such ships were hull down on the horizon only their smoke being visible. Two Japanese destroyers [Page 479] arrived on the scene near the Hoover not earlier than 30 minutes after the bombing. There were three planes that attacked the Hoover. In addition to bombing they were seen to use their machine guns. The planes made repeated attacks on the ship. The weather at the time was clear and visibility could not have been better.
Sent to the Department. Repeated to Nanking.
- Not printed.↩