Feng Zhanhai
Encyclopedia
Feng Zhanhai or Feng Chan-hai, 冯占海,(1899–1963), was one of the leaders of the volunteer armies resisting the Japanese
and the puppet state of Manchukuo
in Manchuria
. Feng was born on November 6, 1899. At eighteen he joined the Dongbei Army, and later entered a military school graduating in 1921. After he graduated, he was successively a platoon leader, company commander, and battalion commander. At the time of the Mukden Incident
and invasion of Manchuria he was a colonel commanding a regiment of the Kirin Guards Division.
After the Mukden Incident
, he opposed the Northeast border defense headquarters surrender to the Japanese forces, and commanded his troops on September 19 to withdraw from the Kirin provincial capital, and sent his troops during October to oppose the Japanese, fighting near Binxian
.
In at the end of January, 1932, Feng joined Ting Chao
, Li Du
, Xing Zhanqing, Zhao Yi to form the Jilin Self-Defence Army
, and was chosen for assistant deputy commander and commanded troops in the defense of Harbin
. After Ting's beaten forces retired from Harbin
to the northeast down the Sungari River, to join the Lower Sungari garrison of Gen. Li Du.
Feng Zhanhai withdrew his forces to Shan-Ho-Tun, a village in the Wuchang District
. He then called for volunteers, and the Public Safety Bureaus in the local districts turned over to them their police and militia, and established Feng as the General in command of a force, the Northeastern Loyal and Brave Army
, of 15,000 men in the hills with the capital of Kirin City
to his south and the metropolis of Harbin to his north. There he was able to wreak havoc on the Japanese rail communications on the Chinese Eastern Railway running through his area of control.
In response the Japanese and Manchukoans launched two campaigns to clear Feng's force out of the countryside. From June to July 1932 the Feng Chan-hai Subjugation Operation cleared the districts of Shuangcheng
, Acheng, Yushu
, Wuchang
, and Shulan
of Feng's Anti-Japanese forces. This forced Feng to retreat to the west. In September 1932 during the Second Feng Chan-hai Subjugation Operation a force of 7,000 Manchukuoans cornered the now 10,000 men Volunteer force "bandits" of Feng retreating from the previous attack. Although surrounded, over half the guerrillas were able to slip through the encirclement and make good their escape to Jehol
.
Later Feng's force joined in opposing the invasion of Jehol, and was forced to draw back into the area inside the Great Wall. Subsequently he participated in Feng Yuxiang
's Chahar People's Anti-Japanese Army
, as its Fourth Route Army commander in chief, against Japan and their Manchukuoan allied forces in the Dolonor area of Chahar
. Following the dispersal of that force by Chiang Kai-shek
, his force was formed into the 91st Division which Feng commanded until July 1938 when the Division suffered heavy casualties during the battle of Wuhan
. He later left the army and went to Hong Kong to engage in business. In 1949 he returned to China assuming directorship of the Jilin Provincial Sports Committee. He also served in various government offices. Feng died on September 14, 1963.
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
and the puppet state of Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
in Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
. Feng was born on November 6, 1899. At eighteen he joined the Dongbei Army, and later entered a military school graduating in 1921. After he graduated, he was successively a platoon leader, company commander, and battalion commander. At the time of the Mukden Incident
Mukden Incident
The Mukden Incident, also known as the Manchurian Incident, was a staged event that was engineered by Japanese military personnel as a pretext for invading the northern part of China known as Manchuria in 1931....
and invasion of Manchuria he was a colonel commanding a regiment of the Kirin Guards Division.
After the Mukden Incident
Mukden Incident
The Mukden Incident, also known as the Manchurian Incident, was a staged event that was engineered by Japanese military personnel as a pretext for invading the northern part of China known as Manchuria in 1931....
, he opposed the Northeast border defense headquarters surrender to the Japanese forces, and commanded his troops on September 19 to withdraw from the Kirin provincial capital, and sent his troops during October to oppose the Japanese, fighting near Binxian
Bin County
Bin County may refer to the following locations in China:*Bin County, Heilongjiang , of Harbin, Heilongjiang*Bin County, Shaanxi , of Xianyang, Shaanxi...
.
In at the end of January, 1932, Feng joined Ting Chao
Ting Chao
Ting Chao or Ding Chao was a Chinese General, known for his defense of Harbin during the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and 1932....
, Li Du
Li Du
Li Du or Li Tu , was one of the leaders of the Kirin Self-Defence Army, one of the volunteer armies resisting the Japanese and the puppet state of Manchukuo in Manchuria in 1932....
, Xing Zhanqing, Zhao Yi to form the Jilin Self-Defence Army
Jilin Self-Defence Army
The Jilin Self-Defence Army was formed in late January 1932, as the Manchukuoan and Japanese troops closed in on Harbin. General Ting Chao, Li Du, Feng Zhanhai, Xing Zhanqing, and Zhao Yi organised the Jilin Self-Defence Army in order to prevent the fall and occupation of the city. This brought...
, and was chosen for assistant deputy commander and commanded troops in the defense of Harbin
Defense of Harbin
The Defense of Harbin occurred during the early Second Sino-Japanese War, as part of the campaign of the Invasion of Manchuria by forces of the Empire of Japan from 25 January to 4 February 1932.-Background:...
. After Ting's beaten forces retired from Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
to the northeast down the Sungari River, to join the Lower Sungari garrison of Gen. Li Du.
Feng Zhanhai withdrew his forces to Shan-Ho-Tun, a village in the Wuchang District
Wuchang, Heilongjiang
Wuchang is a city in the Harbin metropolitan area in Heilongjiang province of the People's Republic of China.The name "Wuchang" has been in use since 1855. At that time people began to reclaim wasteland, and built five noble lodges. It was changed to Wuchang Bureau in 1882, and changed to Wuchang...
. He then called for volunteers, and the Public Safety Bureaus in the local districts turned over to them their police and militia, and established Feng as the General in command of a force, the Northeastern Loyal and Brave Army
Northeastern Loyal and Brave Army
Following the defeat of the forces of Ting Chao at Harbin in February 1932, Feng Zhanhai withdrew his forces to Shan-Ho-Tun, a village in the Wuchang District...
, of 15,000 men in the hills with the capital of Kirin City
Jilin City
Jilin City is the second largest city of Jilin province in Northeast China. At the 2010 census, 4,414,681 people resided within its administrative area of and 1,975,803 in its built up area...
to his south and the metropolis of Harbin to his north. There he was able to wreak havoc on the Japanese rail communications on the Chinese Eastern Railway running through his area of control.
In response the Japanese and Manchukoans launched two campaigns to clear Feng's force out of the countryside. From June to July 1932 the Feng Chan-hai Subjugation Operation cleared the districts of Shuangcheng
Shuangcheng
Shuangcheng is the south of Heilongjiang province in Northeast China and is administratively a county-level city under the administration of Harbin. It sits approximately south-southwest of downtown Harbin....
, Acheng, Yushu
Yushu, Jilin
Yushu is a city in the northern Jilin province of Northeast China. It is a county-level city under the administration of Changchun , more than to the southwest, and around south of Harbin...
, Wuchang
Wuchang, Heilongjiang
Wuchang is a city in the Harbin metropolitan area in Heilongjiang province of the People's Republic of China.The name "Wuchang" has been in use since 1855. At that time people began to reclaim wasteland, and built five noble lodges. It was changed to Wuchang Bureau in 1882, and changed to Wuchang...
, and Shulan
Shulan
Shulan is a city in northern Jilin province, Northeast China. It falls under the administration of Jilin City, to the south-southwest.-History:...
of Feng's Anti-Japanese forces. This forced Feng to retreat to the west. In September 1932 during the Second Feng Chan-hai Subjugation Operation a force of 7,000 Manchukuoans cornered the now 10,000 men Volunteer force "bandits" of Feng retreating from the previous attack. Although surrounded, over half the guerrillas were able to slip through the encirclement and make good their escape to Jehol
Jehol
Jehol could mean either a province or a city:* Jehol Province, former province in northeastern China* Chengde, the capital of above provinceNamed after the province:* Jehol Biota* Jeholodens* Jeholopterus* Jeholornis* Jeholosaurus...
.
Later Feng's force joined in opposing the invasion of Jehol, and was forced to draw back into the area inside the Great Wall. Subsequently he participated in Feng Yuxiang
Feng Yuxiang
Feng Yuxiang was a warlord and leader in Republican China. He was also known as the Christian General for his zeal to convert his troops and the Betrayal General for his penchant to break with the establishment. In 1911, he was an officer in the ranks of Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Army but joined...
's Chahar People's Anti-Japanese Army
Chahar People's Anti-Japanese Army
The Chahar People's Anti-Japanese Army consisted mostly of former Northwestern Army units under Feng Yuxiang, troops from Fang Zhenwu's Resisting Japan and Saving China Army, remnants of the provincial forces from Jehol, Anti-Japanese volunteers from Manchuria and local forces from Chahar and Suiyuan...
, as its Fourth Route Army commander in chief, against Japan and their Manchukuoan allied forces in the Dolonor area of Chahar
Chahar (province)
Chahar , also known as Chaha'er, Chakhar, or Qahar, was a province of China in existence from 1912 to 1936, mostly covering territory in what is part of eastern Inner Mongolia. It was named after the Chahar Mongolians....
. Following the dispersal of that force by 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....
, his force was formed into the 91st Division which Feng commanded until July 1938 when the Division suffered heavy casualties during the battle of Wuhan
Battle of Wuhan
The Battle of Wuhan, popularly known to the Chinese as the Defence of Wuhan, and to the Japanese as the Capture of Wuhan, was a large-scale battle of the Second Sino-Japanese War...
. He later left the army and went to Hong Kong to engage in business. In 1949 he returned to China assuming directorship of the Jilin Provincial Sports Committee. He also served in various government offices. Feng died on September 14, 1963.
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.
- 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.