Battle of Shanggao

Battle of Shanggao Part of Second Sino-Japanese war Retaking a lost bridge. Date 14 March – 9 April 1941 Location Shanggao, Jiangxi Result Chinese victory Japanese offensive repelled Belligerents  China, National Revolutionary Army  Japan, Imperial Japanese Army, Central China Area Army Commanders and leaders Luo Zhuoying Korechika Anami Strength 100,000 troops in 11 divisions 65,000 troops in 3 divisions and 1 independent regiment 40 armoured cars 150 planes[1] Casualties and losses 20,533 [1] Chinese estimate: 16,000 killed[2] 6,000 wounded Total: 22,000 killed and wounded[1] Japanese estimate: ~5,500 troops[3]

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 Shanggao (simplified Chinese: 上高会战; traditional Chinese: 上高會戰; pinyin: Shànggāo Huìzhàn) was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Battle

On March 14, 1941, the Japanese 11th army attacked the headquarters of the Chinese 19th army. Fierce fighting broke out, and a series of bloody see-saw battles continued as both sides contested the position. On March 15, after the base was lost to the Japanese, a Chinese air strike destroyed Japanese food and ammo reserves, demoralizing the Japanese and stalling their attack on the Chinese troops, who used this opportunity to dig new defensive positions. The Chinese positions now contained some 100,000 troops, in three main defensive lines of trenches and concrete-supported bunkers. Even though the Japanese still clung on to the Chinese headquarters, the Japanese commanders were determined to achieve total victory by destroying or capturing all Chinese units, and to do this, it was necessary to breach the Chinese lines.

On the 17th, the Japanese attacked the first of the three Chinese defensive lines, but were repeatedly turned back by the dug-in troops and their heavy machine-gun fire. The Japanese suffered heavy casualties that day, and the next day they advanced behind a smoke screen. The Japanese managed to get to the Chinese lines, and vicious hand-to-hand fighting broke out. Both sides suffered heavy losses, but in the end, the Japanese managed to breach the Chinese first line of defense. After capturing the first Chinese line of defense, there was a lull in the fighting as both sides tended to their wounded. The Japanese called in more reinforcements, while the Chinese rushed in troops from the third line to the second line of trenches to bolster their defense.

On March 22, the Japanese launched an air strike on the Chinese defensive line, resulting in some 100-200 Chinese dead or wounded. Then, they advanced with tanks and armored cars, followed by infantry. However, the Chinese managed to destroy approximately half of the tanks and killed the infantry behind them with small-arms fire. The Japanese were forced to retreat, and then launched a poison-gas attack. Unfortunately for the Japanese, the Chinese had already expected this move, and had abandoned the second line of trenches and fallen back to the third line of trenches, minimizing the casualties taken from the gas attack.

On March 24, the Japanese launched an all-out assault on the Chinese, by throwing in all of their remaining planes, tanks, and infantry. The Chinese responded with mortar attacks and machine-gun fire, plus their own planes to combat the Japanese planes. The losses on both sides were heavy, with experts thinking that both sides suffered the most casualties on that day. The Japanese had a number of advantages, including tanks, better training for their troops, and better weapons. However, the Chinese greatly outnumbered the Japanese, due to the Chinese general, Zhu Xiang, rushing in troops at the last moment. At the end of the day, the Chinese lines were still in Chinese hands, and the Japanese attack had been repelled. After reevaluating the situation, Japanese tacticians concluded that they could not afford to suffer any more losses from what was considered to be an inconclusive battle about the trivial matter of a Chinese headquarters, and on 1 April, they began to withdraw. In haste, the Japanese left behind many of their weapons and wounded troops. They would soon be captured by the Chinese. By 19 April the withdrawal was complete, and both sides now occupied their original positions.

In conclusion, the battle ended with a decisive victory for the Chinese forces, who were able to capture substantial amounts of military equipment and supplies, and boost the morale of the Chinese people.

References

External links

• http://www.huaxia.com/js/zzhg/2008/00744727.html

Coordinates: 28°11′00″N 114°52′59″E / 28.1833°N 114.8830°E / 28.1833; 114.8830