Battle of Zaoyang–Yichang

Battle of Zaoyang–Yichang Part of Second Sino-Japanese War Japanese troops in the battle of Zaoyang-Yichang. Date 1 May – 18 June 1940 Location Vicinities of Zaoyang and Yichang, Hubei Result Chinese victory[1][2][3][4] Belligerents  Republic of China  Empire of Japan Commanders and leaders Li Zongren Zhang Zizhong † Waichiro Sonobe Strength 350,000 men[5] 1 Army (Corps)[6] Casualties and losses 60,000+ killed and wounded 81 artillery pieces, 727 automatic weapons, 12,557 rifles captured[7] 2,700 killed 7,800 wounded[8] Tens of Thousands(According to Japanese confidential files)[9]

Second Sino-Japanese War Major engagements in bold Began in 1931–37 Mukden Manchuria Jiangqiao Nenjiang Bridge Jinzhou Harbin Shanghai (1932) Pacification of Manchukuo Rehe Great Wall Inner Mongolia Suiyuan Began in 1937–39 Marco Polo Bridge Beiping-Tianjin Chahar Shanghai (1937) Sihang Warehouse Beiping-Hankou Railway Tianjin-Pukou Railway Taiyuan Pingxingguan Xinkou Nanjing Xuzhou Taierzhuang N.-E.Henan Lanfeng Amoy Chongqing Wuhan Wanjialing Canton Hainan Nanchang Xiushui River Suixian-Zaoyang Swatow 1st Changsha S.Guangxi Kunlun Pass Winter Offensive West Suiyuan Wuyuan Began in 1940–42 Zaoyang-Yichang Hundred Regiments N. Vietnam C. Hubei S.Henan W. Hebei Shanggao S.Shanxi 2nd Changsha 3rd Changsha Yunnan-Burma Road Tachiao Oktwin Toungoo Yenangyaung Zhejiang-Jiangxi Sichuan invasion Began in 1943–45 W.Hubei N.Burma-W.Yunnan Changde Ichi-Go C.Henan 4th Changsha Hengyang Guilin-Liuzhou Mt. Song W.Henan-N.Hubei W.Hunan 2nd Guangxi Others Aerial engagements

The Battle of Zaoyang–Yichang (simplified Chinese: 枣宜会战; traditional Chinese: 棗宜會戰; pinyin: Zǎoyí Huìzhàn), also known as the Battle of Zaoyi, was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Background

The Japanese were seeking a quicker solution to achieve a Chinese surrender. The Japanese contemplated moving directly down the Yangtze to the relocated Chinese capital, Chongqing. To do so, they would need to capture a critical town in western Hubei province, Yichang.

The Japanese attack did not commit many troops or materiel, which enabled the main Chinese commander, Li Zongren, who had frustrated the Japanese before, to repel the Japanese.

Battle

On first May, the Japanese forces began a drive towards Zaoyang. They pushed towards the 5th warzone's strongholds in the Tongbaishan and Dahongshan mountains, attempting to draw the Chinese forces into a battle and destroy them with a pincer movement. The Chinese strategy aimed to let the Japanese forces run low on supplies, and then destroy them.

Aftermath

The Japanese casualties were 2,700 troops killed and 7,800 wounded. The occupation of Ichang gave the Japanese an advantageous base for air attacks against Chongqing. Furthermore, it dealt a considerable blow to the morale and fighting capacity of the Chinese as no large-scale offensive was mounted after this operation.^[10]

References

Sources

• 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. Page 334-339, Map 20, 21
• van de Ven, Hans. War and Nationalism in China: 1925-1945,

External links

• "Occupation of Shashi", Nippon News, No. 3. in the official website of NHK.
• "Occupation of Yichang", Nippon News, No. 4. in the official website of NHK.

Coordinates: 32°07′31″N 112°45′04″E / 32.1252°N 112.7510°E / 32.1252; 112.7510