Battle of Taierzhuang
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Tai'erzhuang was a battle of the Second Sino-Japanese War
in 1938, between armies of Chinese
Kuomintang
and Japan
, and is sometimes considered as a part of Battle of Xuzhou
.
Tai'erzhuang is located on the eastern bank of the Grand Canal of China
and was a frontier garrison northeast of Xuzhou
. It was also the terminus of a local branch railway from Lincheng. Xuzhou itself was the junction of the Jinpu Railway
(Tianjin
-Pukou
) and the Longhai Railway (Lanzhou
-Lianyungang
) and the headquarters
of the KMT's 5th War Zone
.
, Shandong
and Henan
. These provinces were the area of operations of the KMT 5th War Area. The Japanese planned to fight through the Jinpu Railway
from the north and south, regrouping at Xuzhou
. From there, they would attack Wuhan and force the KMT into surrender. At this time, the Japanese armies were very powerful, so this operation should have been done with relative ease. As a result, the commanders did not deploy their full forces to complete the task.
But unexpectedly, from January to March, Shunroku Hata's Ogisu division (13th division)
met stiff resistance from the forces of KMT commanders Wei Yunsong and Yu Xuezhong
during its attack along the southern section of the railway. Eventually, KMT general Liao Lei
's forces arrived, and the bloody battle became tightly entangled. The Japanese were forced onto the southern bank of the Huai River
, unable to escape. As a result, it was unable to launch the planned pincer attack on Xuzhou
with the Isogai division (10th division)
.
In the northeast, the Itagaki division (5th division)
was also advancing towards Xuzhou. However, it was halted at Linyi
by KMT generals Pang Bingxun
and Zhang Zizhong
and their Northwestern Army
. Although insufficiently trained and not very well equipped, the Chinese troops inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese, who retreated. This engagement not only broke the myth of Imperial Japanese invincibility, but also humiliated Japanese commander Seishirō Itagaki. Even the Tokyo headquarters were shocked. Although the 5th division picked itself back up and tried again, it had already lost the element of surprise. As a result, the Chinese victory at Linyi would later have a big impact on the actual battle in Tai'erzhuang.
Of the three Japanese divisions driving into the 5th War Area, the Isogai division (10th division)
was the most successful. This division came from Hebei
, crossing the Yellow River
and moving southwards along the Jinpu Railway
. Because of KMT general Han Fuju
's desertion, the division occupied Zhoucun
and moved into Jinan
without meeting any resistance at all. From there, they arrived at Tai'an
. Here, they were faced with fierce resistance from the forces of KMT generals Sun Tongxuan
and Sun Zhen
. Although the Japanese did suffer losses, the Chinese were very poorly equipped. As a result, the Chinese soldiers could only form line after line of defense in a desperate attempt to fight off the Japanese, who were backed up by planes, tanks and heavy artillery. When one line was wiped out, they would move onto the next line. Step by step, the Chinese fell back. By mid-March, the 10th division had fought its way to Yixuan
.
At this time, KMT commanders Sun Lianzhong
and Tang Enbo arrived in the region with their forces. Although Sun's second group army consisted of 2 armies, it had taken heavy casualties during the defense of Niangzi Pass in 1937 and had not recovered yet. As a result, its actual strength was only 3 divisions. These three divisions were Zhang Jinzhao's 30th division, Chi Fengcheng's 31st division and Huang Qiaosong's 27th division. The 30th and 31st divisions made up up the 30th army (under command of Tian Zhennan), while the 27th division made up the 42nd army (under command of Feng Anbang). 5th War Area commander Li Zongren
gave the responsibility of defending Tai'erzhuang to Sun Lianzhong
, who stationed Chi Fengcheng's 31st division inside the district.
On the other hand, Tang Enbo brought 4 full-strength divisions. They were Zheng Dongguo's 2nd division, Zhang Yaoming's 25th division, Chen Daqing's 4th division, and Zhang Xuezhong's 89th division. The 2nd and 25th divisions made up the 52nd army, while the 4th and 89th divisions made up the 85th army. All of these divisions were reorganized according to the German model and had German advisors attached. As soon as Tang's troops arrived at the battlefield, they began engaging the Japanese north of the Tai'erzhuang area. However Li Zongren
thought that there was too big of a risk losing the Central Army's elite divisions. His plan was to open up a route for the Japanese to drive southwards into Tai'erzhuang. Then, as long as Chi Fengcheng could hold onto the district, Tang Enbo's forces could drive around the back of the Japanese forces to encircle them and give the Chinese the upper hand.
On the Japanese side, Rensuke Isogai
's 10th division
was not supposed to drive deep into enemy territory alone and attack Tai'erzhuang. It was supposed to have waited for Shunroku Hata's Ogisu division (13th division)
to close in on Xuzhou
and Itagaki Seishiro
's 5th Division
to pass Linyi
for additional safety.
However, Isogai
was confident enough in his forces. His plan was to take out Tai'erzhuang in a single swift blow to complete objective of clearing the Jinpu Railway
. At this time Tang Enbo ordered Chi Fengcheng to send out a small force to the north and attack the Japanese 10th division. His aim to lure the Japanese into Tai'erzhuang was successful. Isogai deployed 40 thousand troops and around 80 tanks to attack Tai'erzhuang from the north. From the 21st of March onwards, the Japanese Air Force launched an extensive bombing operation on the Chinese positions, causing the civilians to flee in terror. On the 23rd, the district was razed by artillery fire. On the 24th, KMT generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek
flew to the front lines to inspect the defences. He also left general Bai Chongxi
there to help Li Zongren
. The Battle of Tai'erzhuang had begun.
, a major city in the East. However, the Japanese failed to consider the plans of generals Li Zongren
and Bai Chongxi
, who planned to encircle the Japanese in the town of Tai'erzhuang. The Japanese operation started on 24 March. Overconfidence led the Japanese commanders to overlook the thousands of inconspicuous "farmers" in the area, who were affiliated with Li Zongren and cut communication lines and supplies, diverted streams, and ruined rail lines. By late March, supplies and fuels were being dropped from airplanes to Japanese troops, but the quantities were insufficient.
On 29 March 1938, a small band of Japanese soldiers tunneled under Tai'erzhuang's walls in an attempt to take the city from within. They were caught by the Nationalist defenders and killed. Over the next week, both sides claimed to hold parts of the city and surrounding area, and many were killed in small arms battles.
Finally, the Japanese attacked frontally, failing to consider the greater Chinese numbers. A major encirclement on 6 April, with Chinese reinforcements, preceded a major Japanese defeat and retreat, which the Chinese failed to capitalize upon fully through pursuit due to a lack of mobility.
The Chinese captured 719 Japanese soldiers and large quantities of military supplies, including 31 pieces of artillery, 11 armored cars, 8 armored fighting vehicles, 1000 machine guns and 10000 rifles.
Amid the celebrations of the victory in Hankow and other Chinese cities, Japan tried to deny and ridiculed the reports of the battle for days. It was reported in the world's newspapers, however, and by mid-April had provoked a Cabinet crisis in Tokyo.
The Chinese scored a major victory, the first of the Nationalist alliance in the war. The battle broke the myth of Japanese military invincibility and resulted in an incalculable benefit to Chinese morale
.
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
in 1938, between armies of Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and is sometimes considered as a part of Battle of Xuzhou
Battle of Xuzhou
The Battle of Xuzhou was fought between Japanese and Chinese forces in May 1938 during Second Sino-Japanese War. In contemporary accounts in English, the event was usually referred to as the "Battle of Hsuchow", using the Chinese Postal Map Romanization....
.
Tai'erzhuang is located on the eastern bank of the Grand Canal of China
Grand Canal of China
The Grand Canal in China, also known as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the longest canal or artificial river in the world. Starting at Beijing, it passes through Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the city of Hangzhou...
and was a frontier garrison northeast of Xuzhou
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
. It was also the terminus of a local branch railway from Lincheng. Xuzhou itself was the junction of the Jinpu Railway
Jinpu railway
The Tianjin–Pukou or Jinpu Railway runs from Tianjin to Pukou outside Nanjing in Jiangsu province.In September 1898 at a conference in London, British and German capitalists decided to build a railway from Tianjin to Zhenjiang. In May 1899, the Qing government agreed to the financing of the...
(Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
-Pukou
Pukou District
Pukou , Jiangsu, China a district in the City of Nanjing which lies northwest across the Yangtze River from downtown Nanjing.The district was formerly the southern terminus of the Tianjin-Pukou Railway; railcars had to be ferried across the river until it was bridged in 1968.-Geography:Pukou...
) and the Longhai Railway (Lanzhou
Lanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....
-Lianyungang
Lianyungang
Lianyungang is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. It borders Yancheng to its southeast, Huai'an and Suqian to its south, Xuzhou to its southwest, and the province of Shandong to its north...
) and the headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
of the KMT's 5th War Zone
NRA Military Region
Military Regions , or War Areas, were 76 northern military districts and the largest formations of the National Revolutionary Army, under the National Military Council, chaired by Chiang Kai Shek during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II...
.
Events Leading up to the Battle
In January 1938, the Japanese army disregarded the Tokyo headquarter's policy for a one year truce and pursued the Chinese army retreating from the Shanghai-Nanjing theater, driving northwards into the three provinces of JiangsuJiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
and Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
. These provinces were the area of operations of the KMT 5th War Area. The Japanese planned to fight through the Jinpu Railway
Jinpu railway
The Tianjin–Pukou or Jinpu Railway runs from Tianjin to Pukou outside Nanjing in Jiangsu province.In September 1898 at a conference in London, British and German capitalists decided to build a railway from Tianjin to Zhenjiang. In May 1899, the Qing government agreed to the financing of the...
from the north and south, regrouping at Xuzhou
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
. From there, they would attack Wuhan and force the KMT into surrender. At this time, the Japanese armies were very powerful, so this operation should have been done with relative ease. As a result, the commanders did not deploy their full forces to complete the task.
But unexpectedly, from January to March, Shunroku Hata's Ogisu division (13th division)
13th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call-sign was the .-History:The 13th Infantry Division was formed in Sendai on 1 April 1905, as one of the four new divisions created during the closing stages of the Russo-Japanese War. It was given the independent assignment of occupying...
met stiff resistance from the forces of KMT commanders Wei Yunsong and Yu Xuezhong
Yu Xuezhong
Yu Xuezhong was a KMT general from Shandong....
during its attack along the southern section of the railway. Eventually, KMT general Liao Lei
Liao Lei
Liao Lei was a KMT general from Guangxi. He participated in the Battle of Wuhan and the Battle of Xuzhou....
's forces arrived, and the bloody battle became tightly entangled. The Japanese were forced onto the southern bank of the Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
, unable to escape. As a result, it was unable to launch the planned pincer attack on Xuzhou
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
with the Isogai division (10th division)
10th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the .-History:The 10th Infantry Division was formed on 1 October 1898, as one of the six new reserve divisions created after the First Sino-Japanese War. It consisted of troops from the Himeiji region, namely the three...
.
In the northeast, the Itagaki division (5th division)
5th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call-sign was the .-History:The 5th Division was formed in Hiroshima in January 1871 as the , one of six regional commands created in the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army. The Hiroshima Garrison had responsibility for western region...
was also advancing towards Xuzhou. However, it was halted at Linyi
Linyi
Linyi is a prefecture-level city in the south of Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The largest prefecture-level city in Shandong both by area and total population, Linyi borders Rizhao to the east, Weifang to the northeast, Zibo to the north, Tai'an to the northwest, Jining to the...
by KMT generals Pang Bingxun
Pang Bingxun
Pang Bingxun was a high-ranking nationalist commander who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army and Chinese Communist Army...
and Zhang Zizhong
Zhang Zizhong
Zhāng Zìzhōng was a Chinese general of the National Revolutionary Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Born in Linqing in Shandong province, he was the highest-ranked officer and the only Army group commander of the NRA to die in the war...
and their Northwestern Army
Guominjun
The Guominjun , a.k.a Nationalist Army, KMC, or Northwest Army , refers to the military faction founded by Feng Yuxiang, Hu Jingyi and Sun Yue during China's Warlord Era. It was formed when Feng betrayed the Zhili clique during the Second Zhili-Fengtian War with the Fengtian clique in 1924...
. Although insufficiently trained and not very well equipped, the Chinese troops inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese, who retreated. This engagement not only broke the myth of Imperial Japanese invincibility, but also humiliated Japanese commander Seishirō Itagaki. Even the Tokyo headquarters were shocked. Although the 5th division picked itself back up and tried again, it had already lost the element of surprise. As a result, the Chinese victory at Linyi would later have a big impact on the actual battle in Tai'erzhuang.
Of the three Japanese divisions driving into the 5th War Area, the Isogai division (10th division)
10th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the .-History:The 10th Infantry Division was formed on 1 October 1898, as one of the six new reserve divisions created after the First Sino-Japanese War. It consisted of troops from the Himeiji region, namely the three...
was the most successful. This division came from Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
, crossing the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
and moving southwards along the Jinpu Railway
Jinpu railway
The Tianjin–Pukou or Jinpu Railway runs from Tianjin to Pukou outside Nanjing in Jiangsu province.In September 1898 at a conference in London, British and German capitalists decided to build a railway from Tianjin to Zhenjiang. In May 1899, the Qing government agreed to the financing of the...
. Because of KMT general Han Fuju
Han Fuju
Han Fuju or Han Fu-chü was a Kuomintang general in the early 20th century. He rose up the ranks of the Guominjun clique in the Warlord era but then went over to the Kuomintang, and held the position of military governor of Shandong from 1930 to 1938...
's desertion, the division occupied Zhoucun
Zhoucun District
Zhoucun district is a town and district of agricultural land inside Zibo city. Its main industry is textiles and furniture manufacture. The centre of the commercial district has a recently rebuilt and refurbished area with traditional buildings.Some of the filming for Zhang Yimou's film To Live...
and moved into Jinan
Jinan
Jinan is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub...
without meeting any resistance at all. From there, they arrived at Tai'an
Tai'an
Tai'an is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China.Centered around Mount Tai, the city borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Laiwu to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng to the extreme west and Jining to the south...
. Here, they were faced with fierce resistance from the forces of KMT generals Sun Tongxuan
Sun Tongxuan
Sun Tongxuan was a Kuomintang general.-External links:*...
and Sun Zhen
Sun Zhen
Sun Zhen was a General of the National Revolutionary Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.-Biography:In 1933 he was made a General commanding the Garrison of Sichuan's Northwestern District...
. Although the Japanese did suffer losses, the Chinese were very poorly equipped. As a result, the Chinese soldiers could only form line after line of defense in a desperate attempt to fight off the Japanese, who were backed up by planes, tanks and heavy artillery. When one line was wiped out, they would move onto the next line. Step by step, the Chinese fell back. By mid-March, the 10th division had fought its way to Yixuan
Yicheng District, Zaozhuang
Yicheng District is a district of Zaozhuang, Shandong, China. It has an area of and around 360,200 inhabitants. - External links :*...
.
At this time, KMT commanders Sun Lianzhong
Sun Lianzhong
Sun Lianzhong Sun Lianzhong Sun Lianzhong (Traditional Chinese: 孫連仲 ; Simplified Chinese: 孙连仲 ; pinyin: Sun Lianzhong; Wade-Giles: Sun Lian-chung (1893–1990) General during the Warlord Era, Second Sino-Japanese War and Chinese Civil War...
and Tang Enbo arrived in the region with their forces. Although Sun's second group army consisted of 2 armies, it had taken heavy casualties during the defense of Niangzi Pass in 1937 and had not recovered yet. As a result, its actual strength was only 3 divisions. These three divisions were Zhang Jinzhao's 30th division, Chi Fengcheng's 31st division and Huang Qiaosong's 27th division. The 30th and 31st divisions made up up the 30th army (under command of Tian Zhennan), while the 27th division made up the 42nd army (under command of Feng Anbang). 5th War Area commander Li Zongren
Li Zongren
Li Zongren or Li Tsung-jen , courtesy name Delin , was a prominent Guangxi warlord and Kuomintang military commander during the Northern Expedition, Second Sino-Japanese War and Chinese Civil War...
gave the responsibility of defending Tai'erzhuang to Sun Lianzhong
Sun Lianzhong
Sun Lianzhong Sun Lianzhong Sun Lianzhong (Traditional Chinese: 孫連仲 ; Simplified Chinese: 孙连仲 ; pinyin: Sun Lianzhong; Wade-Giles: Sun Lian-chung (1893–1990) General during the Warlord Era, Second Sino-Japanese War and Chinese Civil War...
, who stationed Chi Fengcheng's 31st division inside the district.
On the other hand, Tang Enbo brought 4 full-strength divisions. They were Zheng Dongguo's 2nd division, Zhang Yaoming's 25th division, Chen Daqing's 4th division, and Zhang Xuezhong's 89th division. The 2nd and 25th divisions made up the 52nd army, while the 4th and 89th divisions made up the 85th army. All of these divisions were reorganized according to the German model and had German advisors attached. As soon as Tang's troops arrived at the battlefield, they began engaging the Japanese north of the Tai'erzhuang area. However Li Zongren
Li Zongren
Li Zongren or Li Tsung-jen , courtesy name Delin , was a prominent Guangxi warlord and Kuomintang military commander during the Northern Expedition, Second Sino-Japanese War and Chinese Civil War...
thought that there was too big of a risk losing the Central Army's elite divisions. His plan was to open up a route for the Japanese to drive southwards into Tai'erzhuang. Then, as long as Chi Fengcheng could hold onto the district, Tang Enbo's forces could drive around the back of the Japanese forces to encircle them and give the Chinese the upper hand.
On the Japanese side, Rensuke Isogai
Rensuke Isogai
-External links:...
's 10th division
10th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the .-History:The 10th Infantry Division was formed on 1 October 1898, as one of the six new reserve divisions created after the First Sino-Japanese War. It consisted of troops from the Himeiji region, namely the three...
was not supposed to drive deep into enemy territory alone and attack Tai'erzhuang. It was supposed to have waited for Shunroku Hata's Ogisu division (13th division)
13th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call-sign was the .-History:The 13th Infantry Division was formed in Sendai on 1 April 1905, as one of the four new divisions created during the closing stages of the Russo-Japanese War. It was given the independent assignment of occupying...
to close in on Xuzhou
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
and Itagaki Seishiro
Itagaki Seishiro
was a General in the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II and a War Minister.-Overview:Itagaki was born in Morioka city, Iwate prefecture into a samurai class family formerly serving the Nanbu clan of Morioka Domain. He graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1904...
's 5th Division
5th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call-sign was the .-History:The 5th Division was formed in Hiroshima in January 1871 as the , one of six regional commands created in the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army. The Hiroshima Garrison had responsibility for western region...
to pass Linyi
Linyi
Linyi is a prefecture-level city in the south of Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The largest prefecture-level city in Shandong both by area and total population, Linyi borders Rizhao to the east, Weifang to the northeast, Zibo to the north, Tai'an to the northwest, Jining to the...
for additional safety.
However, Isogai
Rensuke Isogai
-External links:...
was confident enough in his forces. His plan was to take out Tai'erzhuang in a single swift blow to complete objective of clearing the Jinpu Railway
Jinpu railway
The Tianjin–Pukou or Jinpu Railway runs from Tianjin to Pukou outside Nanjing in Jiangsu province.In September 1898 at a conference in London, British and German capitalists decided to build a railway from Tianjin to Zhenjiang. In May 1899, the Qing government agreed to the financing of the...
. At this time Tang Enbo ordered Chi Fengcheng to send out a small force to the north and attack the Japanese 10th division. His aim to lure the Japanese into Tai'erzhuang was successful. Isogai deployed 40 thousand troops and around 80 tanks to attack Tai'erzhuang from the north. From the 21st of March onwards, the Japanese Air Force launched an extensive bombing operation on the Chinese positions, causing the civilians to flee in terror. On the 23rd, the district was razed by artillery fire. On the 24th, KMT generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
flew to the front lines to inspect the defences. He also left general Bai Chongxi
Bai Chongxi
Bai Chongxi , , also spelled Pai Chung-hsi, was a Chinese general in the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China and a prominent Chinese Nationalist Muslim leader. He was of Hui ethnicity and of the Muslim faith...
there to help Li Zongren
Li Zongren
Li Zongren or Li Tsung-jen , courtesy name Delin , was a prominent Guangxi warlord and Kuomintang military commander during the Northern Expedition, Second Sino-Japanese War and Chinese Civil War...
. The Battle of Tai'erzhuang had begun.
The Battle of Tai'erzhuang
The battle involved a Japanese plan to conquer XuzhouBattle of Xuzhou
The Battle of Xuzhou was fought between Japanese and Chinese forces in May 1938 during Second Sino-Japanese War. In contemporary accounts in English, the event was usually referred to as the "Battle of Hsuchow", using the Chinese Postal Map Romanization....
, a major city in the East. However, the Japanese failed to consider the plans of generals Li Zongren
Li Zongren
Li Zongren or Li Tsung-jen , courtesy name Delin , was a prominent Guangxi warlord and Kuomintang military commander during the Northern Expedition, Second Sino-Japanese War and Chinese Civil War...
and Bai Chongxi
Bai Chongxi
Bai Chongxi , , also spelled Pai Chung-hsi, was a Chinese general in the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China and a prominent Chinese Nationalist Muslim leader. He was of Hui ethnicity and of the Muslim faith...
, who planned to encircle the Japanese in the town of Tai'erzhuang. The Japanese operation started on 24 March. Overconfidence led the Japanese commanders to overlook the thousands of inconspicuous "farmers" in the area, who were affiliated with Li Zongren and cut communication lines and supplies, diverted streams, and ruined rail lines. By late March, supplies and fuels were being dropped from airplanes to Japanese troops, but the quantities were insufficient.
On 29 March 1938, a small band of Japanese soldiers tunneled under Tai'erzhuang's walls in an attempt to take the city from within. They were caught by the Nationalist defenders and killed. Over the next week, both sides claimed to hold parts of the city and surrounding area, and many were killed in small arms battles.
Finally, the Japanese attacked frontally, failing to consider the greater Chinese numbers. A major encirclement on 6 April, with Chinese reinforcements, preceded a major Japanese defeat and retreat, which the Chinese failed to capitalize upon fully through pursuit due to a lack of mobility.
The Chinese captured 719 Japanese soldiers and large quantities of military supplies, including 31 pieces of artillery, 11 armored cars, 8 armored fighting vehicles, 1000 machine guns and 10000 rifles.
Amid the celebrations of the victory in Hankow and other Chinese cities, Japan tried to deny and ridiculed the reports of the battle for days. It was reported in the world's newspapers, however, and by mid-April had provoked a Cabinet crisis in Tokyo.
The Chinese scored a major victory, the first of the Nationalist alliance in the war. The battle broke the myth of Japanese military invincibility and resulted in an incalculable benefit to Chinese morale
Morale
Morale, also known as esprit de corps when discussing the morale of a group, is an intangible term used to describe the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others...
.
External links
- Memorial museum of the Battle of Tai'erzhuang (in Chinese)
- 台儿庄战役 Map of Tai'erzhuang Campaign in Chinese. (slow to load)
- Axis History Forum Index » WW2 in the Pacific & Asia » The Sino-Japanese War(Campaigns in detail) See Pg. 1-2 for narrative, maps, order of battle and discussion of this battle.
- Taierzhuang Campaign