Grand Han Righteous Army
Encyclopedia
The Grand Han Righteous Army (大汉义军) was a collaborationist Chinese army cooperating with the Empire of Japan
in campaigns in northern China
and Inner Mongolia
immediately prior to the official start of hostilities of the Second Sino-Japanese War
.
and commander of the Chahar People's Anti-Japanese Army
Wang Ying
after his defeat by the Imperial Japanese Army
in what now part of Inner Mongolia
in 1936.
Wan defected to the Kwantung Army, and persuaded the Japanese to permit him to recruit unemployed Chinese soldiers
in Chahar Province to form a mercenary army with Japanese advisors. He managed to recruit approximately 6,000 men, who were then trained by the Japanese and organized into four infantry
brigades in Japanese-occupied northern Chahar. The troops were armed with weapons seized from Northeastern Army
armories and warehouses in northern China. This force was attached another Japanese proxy army, the Inner Mongolian Army
, under the overall command of Mongol Prince Teh Wang.
During the Invasion of Suiyuan
the Inner Mongolian Army attacked Hongort
on November 15, 1936. After several days of fighting the attackers failed to capture the town. On November 17 a Chinese counterattack surprised the invaders and led to a disorganized retreat. Taking advantage of the disorder among the Mongolian forces, Chinese General Fu Tso-yi made a flanking movement to the west of the Mongolian headquarters at Pai-ling-miao
and attacked, capturing it and routing the defenders. The Japanese transported Wang and his Grand Han Righteous Army by trucks into a location near Pai-ling-miao and launched a counterattack, which failed dismally on December 19. With the bulk of its men captured or killed, the Grand Han Righteous Army ceased to exist as an effective combat force, and the Japanese disbanded the remnants.
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...
in campaigns in northern China
North China
thumb|250px|Northern [[People's Republic of China]] region.Northern China or North China is a geographical region of China. The heartland of North China is the North China Plain....
and Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
immediately prior to the official start of hostilities of the Second Sino-Japanese War
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...
.
History
The Grand Han Righteous Army was formed by minor warlordWarlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
and commander of the 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...
Wang Ying
Wang Ying (hanjian)
Wang Ying A Chinese bandit and minor Japanese puppet warlord from western Suiyuan. Wang was involved in the Chahar People's Anti-Japanese Army in 1933, commanding a formation called the 1st Route...
after his defeat by the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
in what now part of Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
in 1936.
Wan defected to the Kwantung Army, and persuaded the Japanese to permit him to recruit unemployed Chinese soldiers
National Revolutionary Army
The National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...
in Chahar Province to form a mercenary army with Japanese advisors. He managed to recruit approximately 6,000 men, who were then trained by the Japanese and organized into four infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
brigades in Japanese-occupied northern Chahar. The troops were armed with weapons seized from Northeastern Army
Northeastern Army
The Northeastern Army , was the Chinese army of the Fengtien clique until the unification of China in 1928. From 1931 to 1933 it faced the Japanese forces in Manchuria, Jehol and Hebei, in the early years of the Second Sino-Japanese War.Zhang Xueliang commanded this army after the assassination of...
armories and warehouses in northern China. This force was attached another Japanese proxy army, the Inner Mongolian Army
Inner Mongolian Army
The Inner Mongolian Army was first formed by Prince Demchugdongrub with his personal bodyguard of 900 men in 1929.Although only armed with rifles and a couple of field guns from the Mukden arsenal, a gift of the Young Marshal in 1929. His force became very efficient with the assistance of...
, under the overall command of Mongol Prince Teh Wang.
During the Invasion of Suiyuan
Suiyuan Campaign (1936)
The Suiyuan Campaign was an engagement between the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China and the Japanese-trained Inner Mongolian/Grand Han Righteous Armies before the outbreak of official hostilities during the Second Sino-Japanese War....
the Inner Mongolian Army attacked Hongort
Hongort
Hongort is a town of the Chahar Right Back Banner, which in turn is part of Ulanqab prefecture-level city in Inner Mongolia, China. It is located about 30 km northwest of Shangdu county. In 2000, when it was still classified as township , it had 11860 inhabitants. In 1936, Hongort was the site...
on November 15, 1936. After several days of fighting the attackers failed to capture the town. On November 17 a Chinese counterattack surprised the invaders and led to a disorganized retreat. Taking advantage of the disorder among the Mongolian forces, Chinese General Fu Tso-yi made a flanking movement to the west of the Mongolian headquarters at Pai-ling-miao
Bail Miao
Bailingmiao is a small settlement of 705 people in Inner Mongolia, China. It is located in the Darhan Muminggan United Banner, about northeast of Baotou. From 1934 to 1936 it served as the seat of the Mongol Local Autonomy Political Affairs Committee...
and attacked, capturing it and routing the defenders. The Japanese transported Wang and his Grand Han Righteous Army by trucks into a location near Pai-ling-miao and launched a counterattack, which failed dismally on December 19. With the bulk of its men captured or killed, the Grand Han Righteous Army ceased to exist as an effective combat force, and the Japanese disbanded the remnants.
Sources
- 中国抗日战争正面战场作战记 (China's Anti-Japanese War Combat Operations)
- Guo Rugui, editor-in-chief Huang Yuzhang
- Jiangsu People's Publishing House
- Date published : 2005-7-1
- ISBN:7214030349
- Online in Chinese: http://www.xiaoshuo.com/readindex/index_00163571.html
- 日本侵绥的战备企图和中日 Japanese invasion of Suiyuan to prepare their planned union of China and Japan