From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Battle of Taiyuan |
| Part of the Second Sino-Japanese War |
|
|
| Combatants |
| Republic of China, 2nd Military Region |
Japan, North China Area Army |
| Commanders |
| Yan Xishan, Wei Lihuang, Zhu De, Fu Zuoyi |
Isogai Rensuke, Itagaki Seishiro |
| Strength |
| 6 Army Groups, ~580,000 men |
5 divisions, ~140,000 men |
| Casualties |
| about 100,000 |
near 30,000 |
The Japanese offensive called 太原作戦 or the Battle of Taiyuan (Traditional Chinese: 太原會戰; Hanyu Pinyin: Tàiyuán Huìzhàn; Wade-Giles: T'ai-yüan Hui-tsan) was a major battle fought between China and Japan near Taiyuan (the capital of Shanxi province), which lies in the 2nd China Theater. This battle concluded in loss for the NRA, including their most modern arsenal at Taiyuan and effectively ended large-scale regular resistance in the North China Plain area. With these territories occupied, the Japanese obtained the coal supply in nearby Datong, but it also exposed them to attacks by the guerilla forces of the Nationalist army including the Eighth Route Army, tying down a large number of Japanese troops.
Order of Battle Battle of Taiyuan
[edit] Chronology
In September 1937, Hideki Tojo sent the Japanese army stationed in Chahar to invade Shanxi in order to exploit its resources. Soon the city of Datong fell, and the NRA was forced to go on the defense, and concentrated their troops along the Great Wall, in Niangziguan and Pingxingguan. Yan Xishan also sent troops to reinforce Shijiangzhuang, but that caused a lack of personnel to defend the North China Plain area, allowing the Japanese army to break through in early October. Fighting continued intermittently until November.
