- The Nanjing Massacre -
When the Japanese forces invaded Nanjing, most of those left behind in the city hid in the safety zone [for details on the safety zone, see Chapters XI and XII]. Some people remained behind in order to care for their shops and businesses, while others wanted to guard their houses and property. Thus, very few people were seen wandering the streets. But routed soldiers from the front lines, injured and sick troops, and refugees from many areas accompanied by their families were all driven to flight by the destructive force of the Japanese army and came gushing into the city through Zhongshan and Zhonghua Gates. After these people fled into Nanjing the sounds of enemy artillery and gunfire drew closer and closer. Panic was spreading and everyone hoped to find solace in the refugee hostels located in the safety zone. But all were being turned away from the safety zone. Finally, some of these people planned to storm out of the city gates and cross the Yangtze River. Thus, one group of people rushed to North Zhongshan Road, which leads to the banks of the Yangtze River, and prepared to force their way out of Yijiang Gate. After passing through the gate they would flee to Zhongshan Wharf at Xiaguan where they would cross the Yangtze. Another group beat a hasty retreat to Central Road and prepared to force its way through Peace Gate and traverse the river from Swallow Cliff.
While the crowds of refugees were making their way along North Zhongshan and Central Roads, the last of the Kuomintang government troops fleeing from Nanjing were gathering like ants on the banks of the [Yangtze] River. The soldiers had not yet been able to escape across the river and feared that the swarms of refugees would impede their escape. Thus, to ensure their successful flight across the river and to save their own lives, they locked Yijiang and Peace Gates tightly behind them.
The fleeing crowds, chased by Japanese gunfire from behind and blocked by the locked city gates ahead, cried, cursed, and let out great howls and angry screams which resounded all along the two roads by which they were attempting to escape. These crowds were mostly comprised of injured and sick soldiers along with elderly and weak men and women who had had to endure hunger and freezing cold temperatures for an extended period of time. Trapped in a situation in which neither advance nor retreat was possible, some people attempted to escape by fleeing in various directions while others stayed put. In both cases, thereafter, they lost control of their own fates.
On the afternoon of December 13th, 1937, the Japanese forces brought their
invasion into the city along three roads leading to Yuhua, Guanghua, and
Zhonghua Gates. That same day, the Japanese forces under the command of
Tani Hisao 
[1882-1947] entered the city. After entering the city, a
group of these brutal soldiers immediately occupied each level of the Nanjing
government, in addition to banks and warehouses, while another group, like
wild animals, searched out and massacred opponents. The crowds of refugees
in the streets, especially those along North Zhongshan and Central Roads
and the surrounding alleys, became battle targets. Using machine guns,
rifles, and revolvers, the Japanese soldiers indiscriminately shot at these
people. In this way the Nanjing massacre began to unfold.
The people in one assembled group -- including groups of the elderly, women and children, and wounded and sick soldiers -- were toppled over in succession in the wake of echoing gunfire. The vast majority of these people died on the spot, though some survived and were left screaming and moaning on the ground. Suddenly, the roads and alleyways were awash with blood and flesh, and corpses were strewn throughout the streets. Devoid of all humanity, the Japanese forces continued to shoot and kill the unarmed people in the crowd. That day marked the beginning of the massacre.
In the early morning of December 14th, with the Japanese tank battalions leading the way, artillery battalions and all kinds of vehicles poured into Nanjing. The Japanese forces came in great numbers and brutally and viciously continued to massacre people who had fled into the streets and alleyways. The sounds of gunfire rang out and the din of exploding grenades lasted the entire day, not ceasing for even one moment. The slaughter continued until not a soul could be found on the streets. At that point, Yijiang and Peace Gates were thrown open and the massacre was extended to the outskirts of the city.
After the two day massacre on the 13th and 14th of December, South and North Zhongshan Road, Central Road, along with the adjacent streets and alleyways, all became hellish paths awash with blood.
