Order of battle at Beiping-Tianjin
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Peiking Tientsin Operation (July-August 1937)[1] from the Battle of Beiping-Tianjin in the Second Sino-Japanese War.
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[edit] Japan:
Garrison Forces Peiking Railway
China Garrison Army ( became Japanese First Army 26 August 1937)
- Lt. General Kanichiro Tashiro (1 May 1936 - 12 Jul 1937)
- Lt. General Kiyoshi Katsuki (12 Jul 1937 - 26 Aug 1937)*
- China Stationed Army - Lt. Gen. Kanichiro Tashiro [PWf]
- China Stationed Infantry Brigade (Kawabe Brigade ) - Major Gen. Masakazu Kawabe
- 1st China Stationed Infantry Regiment
- 2nd China Stationed Infantry Regiment
- China Stationed Cavalry Unit
- China Stationed Artillery Regiment
- China Stationed Engineer Unit
- China Stationed Tank Unit (17 tanks?)
- China Stationed Signal Unit
- Army Hospital
- China Stationed Infantry Brigade (Kawabe Brigade ) - Major Gen. Masakazu Kawabe
- IJA 5th Division (Motorized Square Division) - Gen. Seishiro Itagaki
- 9th Infantry Brigade
- 11th Infantry Regiment
- 41st Infantry Regiment
- 21st Infantry Brigade
- 21st Infantry Regiment
- 42nd Infantry Regiment
- 5th Mountain Artillery Regiment
- 5th Cavalry Regiment
- 5th Engineer Regiment
- 5th Transport Regiment
- 9th Infantry Brigade
- IJA 20th Division (Square Division) - Lieutenant-General Bunsaburo Kawakishi
- 39th Infantry Brigade
- 77th Infantry Regiment
- 78th Infantry Regiment
- 40th Infantry Brigade
- 79th Infantry Regiment
- 80th Infantry Regiment
- 26th Field Artillery Regiment
- 28th Cavalry Regiment
- 20th Engineer Regiment
- 20th Transport Regiment
- 39th Infantry Brigade
- Sakai Brigade (IJA 1st Independent Mixed Brigade)- Lt. Gen Sakai Koji +,***
- 4th Tank Battalion
- 12 Type 89 Medium Tanks
- 13 Type 95 Light Tanks
- 12 Type 94 Tankettes
- 4 Armored Engineer Vehicles
- 1st Independent Infantry Regiment
- 1st Independent Artillery Battalion
- 1st Independent Engineer Company
- 4th Tank Battalion
- Suzuki Brigade (IJA 11th Independent Mixed Brigade)- Gen. Suzuki +
- 11th Independent Infantry Regiment
- 12th Independent Infantry Regiment
- 11th Independent Cavalry Company
- 11th Independent Field Artillery Regiment
- 12th Independent Mountain Gun Regiment
- 11th Independent Engineer Company
- 11th Independent Transport Company
- Main Force of East Hopei Army (Chinese Puppet forces) **[2]
- 1st Corps “Tungchow’” 4,000 men
- 2nd Corps ‘Tsunhua” 4,000 men
- 3rd Corps “Tungchow’” 4,000 men
- 4th Corps ‘Tsunhua” 4,000 men
- Training Corps “Tungchow’” 2,000 men
- Chugoku-Homen Rinji Hikoshidan (Division Temporary Aviation in Chine). General Yoshitoshi Tokugawa. [4],[6],[PWf]
- 1st Army Air Force Battalion (reconnaissance aircraft) Ki-4, Ki-5
- 2nd Army Air Force Battalion (fighter aircraft) Ki-10
- 3rd Army Air Force Battalion (long range reconnaissance aircraft)
- 5th Army Air Force Battalion (light bomber) Ki-2
- 6th Army Air Force Battalion (large bomber) Ki-2
- 8th Army Air Force Battalion (fighter aircraft) Ki-10
- 9th Army Air Force Battalion (light bomber) Ki-1
- Dokuritsu Hiko Dai 3 Chutai (3rd Independent Company). Type 93 Army Heavy Bomber Mitsubishi Ki-1
- 4th independent squadron (reconnaissance aircraft)
- 6th independent squadron (reconnaissance aircraft)
- 9th independent squadron (fighter aircraft) Ki-10
- 1st, 2nd Airfield companies
- 8th, 9th Signal platoons
- 1st Truck Transport Co.
- 3rd Field aircraft depot
Navy: IJN Second Fleet
- 2nd Fleet Admiral Zengo Yoshida [M144]
- IJN Mutsu
Third Fleet was assigned for over-all operations in China. Second Fleet was assigned to escort army transports and was involved in landings of IJA 5th Division at Tanggu. With the dispatch of troops to the Tsingtao area, the Second Fleet assumed responsibility for operations in North China waters, while the Third Fleet operated in Central and South China waters. These areas of operation were divided by the Lung-Hai railroad, starting from Hai-chou, and included the area of North China Operations.
[edit] Notes:
- * replaced Gen. Koichiro after his death from a heart attack.
- + Sakai and Suzuki Brigades, from Kwangtung Army were temporarily attached. 11th IMB, the Suzuki Brigade later became IJA 26th Division. [PWf]
- ** E. Hopei Army consisted of these units in May 1937: [2]
- *** Sakai Brigade armour 12 Type 89 Medium Tanks, 13 Type 95 Light Tanks, 12 Type 94 Tankettes, 4 Armored Engineer Vehicles. This was the strength of the 4th Tank Battalion. The 3rd Tank Battalion equipped with Type 94 Tankettes and Type 95 Light Tanks that was to have been assigned to Sakai Brigade remained behind in Manchukuo. [T]
[edit] China:
29th Route Army [1,5]
- Commander: Sung Che-yuan
- Deputy: Tung Lin-keh
- 37th Division * (15750 men) - Feng Chih-an
- Special Operations Regiment
- 109th Brigade
- 110th Brigade
- 111th Brigade
- Independent 35th Brigade
- 38th Division * (15400 men) - Chang Tse-chung
- Special Operations Regiment,
- 112th Brigade
- 113rd Brigade
- 114th Brigade
- Independent 26th Brigade
- 132nd Division *(15000 men) - Chao Teng-yu
- Special Operations Regiment,
- 1st Brigade
- 2nd Brigade
- Independent 27th Brigade
- Independent 28th Brigade
- 143rd Division (in Chahar province) (15100 men)* - Liu Ju-ming
- Special Operations Regiment
- 1st Brigade
- 2nd Brigade
- Independent 29th Brigade
- Independent 31st Brigade
- Security Brigade
- 9th Cavalry Division (3000 men) - ?
- 1st Brigade
- 2nd Brigade
- Independent 13th Cavalry Brigade (1500 men)
- Hopei Peace Preservation force (Pei-wan, 2500 men)
- Independent 39th Brigade (3500 men)
- Independent 40th Brigade (3400 men)
53rd Corps - Wan Fulin
- 1 Brigade
Notes:
- Each Chinese Division in 29th Corps had 3 Infantry Brigades and had an attached independent brigade.
- 1 Brigade of 53rd Corps took part in the attack on Feng-tai.
[edit] Sources:
- [1] Hsu Long-hsuen and Chang Ming-kai, History of The Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) 2nd Ed. ,1971. Translated by Wen Ha-hsiung , Chung Wu Publishing; 33, 140th Lane, Tung-hwa Street, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China. Pg. 175-180 Map 2
- [2] Jowett, Phillip S. , Rays of The Rising Sun, Armed Forces of Japan’s Asian Allies 1931-45, Volume I: China & Manchuria, 2004. Helion & Co. Ltd., 26 Willow Rd., Solihul, West Midlands, England.
- [3] Madej, W. Victor, Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 [2 vols] Allentown, PA: 1981
- [4] Sino-Japanese Air War 1937-45
- [5] China Defense Forum: Organization of the 29th Army
Organization of the 29th Army:
- 37th D - spec op regiment, 109th B, 110th B, 111th B, Independent 35th B (15750 men)
- 38th D - spec op regiment, 112th B, 113th B, 114th B, Independent 26th B (15400 men)
- 132th D - spec op regiment, 1st B, 2nd B, Independent 27th B, Independent 28th B (15000 men)
- 143th D - spec op regiment, 1st B, 2nd B, Independent 29th B, Independent 31st B, Security B (15100 men)
- 9th Cavalry D- 1st B, 2nd B (3000 men)
- Independent 39th B (3500 men)
- Independent 40th B (3400 men)
- Independent 13th Cavalry Brigade (1500 men)
- Hopei Peace Preservation force (2500 men)
The Chinese name of the spec op regiment is 特務團. The "spec op" regiments are often used by the army HQ as final reserve. It happens many times during the war of resistance that whenever these units are used, it is the beginning of a heroic last stand.
You have to understand that the 29th Army is a very special unit in China. Sung was allowed to maintain 1 army in the whole area he controlled. So what he did is to make this army very huge. Note that each division has 3 brigades, and there are many independent units. This is Sung's way to both increase and conceal his strength.
Sung owns a quasi-independent part of China (part of Hopei and Chahar), controls the tax, the government, the military. The same way Shantung was ruled by Han and Shansi, Shuiyan was ruled by Yan. This is also why the Japanese had advocated the "North China 5 provinces Special Zone"
The OB above comes from: 劉鳳翰, <抗日戰史論集 >, 1987. translated as: Liu, Feng-han, Collected Works on the History of the War of Resistance against Japan, 1987
