Canton (Guangzhou; 113.239E 23.125N), located on the estuary of the Pearl River, is one of the most important and most ancient port cities of China. Arab merchants were trading through this port as early as the 2nd century, and the Portuguese first arrived in 1516. Canton was the first of the treaty ports, and maintained a monopoly on the South China trade until the rise of Hong Kong ca. 1880. It was the terminus of the southern China rail system after 1936 and a center of river traffic. Vessels of up to 2000 tons could navigate 200 miles upstream to Wuchow. Because of silting, large oceangoing vessels docked at Whampoa, 10 miles downstream from Canton.
At the time war broke out, Canton Special Base Force
garrisoned the city, and the airfield
at Tien Flo based 44 Air Regiment with 24 Ki-51 Sonia and 11 C5M Babs;
45 AIr Regiment with 36 Ki-36 Ida; 47 Squadron with 9
preproduction Ki-61 Tony; and 82 Light Squadron with 12 Ki-48 Lily.
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia (c) 2007-2008 by Kent G. Budge. Index