The Battle of Wuhan was a battle between China's army and the Japanese invaders in Wuhan during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period. In the 27th year of the Republic of China (1938), from June to October, the troops of the 5th and 9th war zones of China were deployed along the north and south banks of the Yangtze River in the periphery of Wuhan, and the battlefields were all over the vast areas of Anhui, Henan, Jiangxi and Hubei provinces, which was the largest, longest and most enemy-wiped battle in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression's strategic defense stage. The following is the campaign that I compiled for you to destroy the enemy in the war of resistance against Japan, hoping to help you.

most battles to destroy the enemy during the Anti-Japanese War

On July 4, 1938, the Japanese base camp issued an order to change the battle sequence of the Central China Dispatching Army and the Second Army and form a new Eleventh Army. Central China dispatched troops to administer the Second Army, the Eleventh Army, the 3rd, 9th, 18th, 116th Divisions and the 3rd Flying Regiment. The commander of the sending army is Tian Jun's six generals, the commander of the second army is King Chen Yan, and the commander of the eleventh army is Okamura Ningji. At this point, the Japanese attack on Wuhan has been completed.

On the 5th, the Chief of Staff of the Central China Dispatching Command of the Japanese Army, Zhong Zuo, brought back to the base camp about Wuhan's operational points: (1) The operational goal is mainly to capture important places; (2) The main attack force is the 11th Army; (3) The main attack direction is along the Yangtze River; (4) The combat date is early September; (5) The main force of the Aviation Corps (Tokugawa Corps) is under the command of the Central China Dispatching Army; (6) After the Wuhan operation, Guangdong operation will be carried out.

In order to defend Wuhan, the National Government expanded the Wuhan Garrison General Command into nine war zones, with Chen Cheng as the commander and chief, under the jurisdiction of the first and second corps and 27 armies, defending the west of Poyang Lake, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces and southern Hubei, and taking up the operations on the south bank of the Yangtze River; The fifth war zone of Li Zongren has jurisdiction over the third and fourth corps, with 23 armies, defending the areas of western Anhui, northern Anhui, northern Henan and northern Hubei, and serving as the operation north of the Yangtze River. The above ***133 divisions and 13 regiments, including about 8 elite divisions.

Japan's 11th Army, which marched westward along the Yangtze River, divided its troops into two ways, echoed north and south, and climbed into the river. On July 24th, the defenders attacked Jiujiang and fought back, which opened the curtain of Wuhan's defense war.

From June to October, 1938, the Wuhan General Assembly War between Chinese and Japanese armies around Wuhan was the battle with the largest number of troops, the longest front, the longest time and the largest scale during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period, and it was also the battle in which the Japanese army annihilated the largest number of Japanese troops.

campaign background

Wuhan is located in Jianghan plain, which is the intersection of Pinghan and Yuehan railways. In November 1937, after some institutions of the National Government moved from Nanjing to Wuhan, it actually became the military, political and economic center of China, and its strategic position was very important.

Wuhan, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, was the second largest city in China at that time, with a population of over two million. The city was divided into three parts by the Yangtze River and Hanshui River: Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang. Wuchang was the political center, Hankou was the commercial center and Hanyang was the industrial center. After the completion of the Guangdong-Han Railway, it was an important transportation center in China, and it was also a hub for transporting foreign aid from southern ports to the inland. After the Japanese army invaded Nanjing (see Nanjing Defence War), although the National Government moved to Chongqing, most of the government agencies and military headquarters were in Wuhan, which actually became the national military, political and economic center and wartime capital at that time. At that time, China's military forces concentrated on defending Wuhan, and both the Japanese government and the headquarters of the Chinese Expeditionary Force expected that the fall of Wuhan would stop China's resistance.

In order to enhance the command structure and combat capability, the Military Commission of the National Government decided to adjust the operational sequence, and in mid-June, 1938, the 9th Theater was newly established. At the same time, it was decided to defend Wuhan with the troops belonging to the 5 th and 9 th war zones. The troops participating in the Wuhan Defence War, as well as the air force and navy, have a total of 14 group armies and 47 armies, with about 2 combat aircraft and more than 3 ships, with a total strength of nearly 1 million people. Since June, the troops of various corps have used natural barriers such as Poyang Lake and Dabie Mountain to step up their fortifications and prepare for defense.

in order to fight in Wuhan, the Japanese base camp concentrated 14 divisions in central China. Directly participating in Wuhan operations are the forces of 9 divisions of the 2nd and 11th Army * * *, with more than 25, people, as well as the 3rd Fleet of the Navy, the Aviation Corps, etc. * * * has about 12 ships of various types and about 3 aircraft of various types.

in July, 1938, the operational situation of the Japanese army attacking Wuhan was complete. Japan's 11th Army, marching westward along the Yangtze River, divided its forces into two ways, echoed north and south, and climbed up the river. On July 24th, the defenders attacked Jiujiang and fought back, which opened the curtain of Wuhan's defense war.

Battle process

In August 1938, the main force of the 11th Army of the Japanese army attacked along the south bank of the Yangtze River. On August 1th, the Potian detachment landed in the northeast of Ruichang and was stopped by the 3rd Army of the defenders. On the 2th, the 9th Division of the Japanese Army went into battle and cooperated with the Potian detachment to attack Ruichang. The defenders were unable to fight, and Ruichang fell on the 24th. On September 24th, the Japanese army occupied the wharf and Fuchikou successively. As the defenders deployed four more troops to strengthen their defense, the two sides confronted each other in Daye and Yangxin areas. On October 5th, the 27th Division of the Japanese Army attacked after a month, occupied Ruoxi and invaded Xianning. The 11st Division crossed Poyang Lake and attacked the 1st Corps in De 'an area. The two sides were in a stalemate. In early October, the 1st Corps dispatched three armies to counterattack in Wanjialing, northwest of De 'an, and wiped out about four Japanese regiments in one fell swoop, which was the triumph of Wanjialing that shocked China and foreign countries.

The 6th Division of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army attacked along the north bank of the Yangtze River, and continued westward after capturing Huangmei on August 2, 1938. In mid-September, after Japanese troops occupied Guangji and Wuxue, they besieged Tianjia Town Fortress. In the 4th Corps, one army stuck to the fortress, and three armies fought in the periphery, fighting for more than ten days, with heavy casualties. On the 29th, the fortress fell. On October 19, 1938, the Japanese army captured Xishui, which was almost equal to Wuhan.

The 2nd Army of the Japanese Army attacked along the northern foot of Dabie Mountain. It set out from Hefei in late August, occupied Lu 'an and Huoshan respectively, and then attacked Gushi and Yejiaji (now Yeji). After the mall fell on September 16, 1938, the defenders retreated to the major passes of Dabie Mountain, and the two sides fought fiercely for more than a month. After the 1th Japanese Division captured Gushi, it was stubbornly resisted by the 59th Army in Chunheji and Huangchuan, and blocked by the 1st Army in the east of Xinyang. After that, it was reinforced by the 3rd Division, which occupied Xinyang on October 12th, and went south along Pinghan Railway to attack Wuhan in collaboration with the 11th Army.

On October 25th, 1938, the Japanese Potian detachment occupied gedian and prepared to attack Wuchang. On October 27th, the 9th Japanese Division captured Heshengqiao and cut off the Guangdong-Han line. The 27th Division of the Japanese Army cooperated with the 9th Division to advance to the Guangdong-Han line, and occupied Taolin Town on 27th.

at this point, Wuhan has been surrounded by Japanese troops from east, south and north. In order to save the military strength for the long-term anti-Japanese war, the Military Commission of the National Government ordered the abandonment of Wuhan and the withdrawal of troops in Wuhan on October 24th. The Japanese 6th Division occupied Hankou on 26th. Potian detachment occupied Wuchang on the same day. On the 27th, the Japanese 116th Division and the 6th Division each occupied Hanyang.

at this point, the Japanese army captured the three towns in Wuhan, and the defense of Wuhan came to an end.

Battle result

In order to defend Wuhan, the National Government re-divided the war zone, formulated the strategic defense deployment, and focused on the periphery of Wuhan. From June to the end of October, it launched a series of heroic defense operations with the Japanese army, which made the enemy pay a heavy price on the way forward. On the north bank of the Yangtze River, the Japanese army "killed 287 people (7 internal officers) and injured 866 people (15 internal officers) in the offensive and defensive battle of Tianjiazhen fortress, totaling 1,15 people, which is expected to increase". On the south bank of the Yangtze River, in the fortress of Matou Town, Jiangxi Province, the defenders of China fought fiercely with the enemy for 8 days and nights, killing a lot of them.

In Fuchikou Fortress, I fought a bloody battle with the Japanese for nearly 1 days, repelling Japanese attacks many times, and finally, the shameless Japanese aggressors actually used poison gas to occupy the China army. In the north and south of Lushan Mountain, China's army fought fiercely with the enemy and won a great victory in Wanjialing, killing 3, people, injuring more, capturing more than 3 people, and seizing more than 5 light and heavy machine guns, more than 1, rifles and more than 1 military horses. In Dabie Mountain area, China troops stubbornly stopped the Japanese army in Fujinshan Highland, which was badly hit by the enemy and wiped out more than 1, people. As a result, the average number of Japanese companies was reduced to 4, and there were many casualties among officers at the battalion commander level. At the same time, China's army used the steep terrain of Dabie Mountain to cleverly stop the Japanese army, and fought fiercely for more than a month, which caused the Japanese army to pay the price of killing 1, people and injuring about 3,4 people. In Xinyang, Henan Province, China troops continued to stop the Japanese army and wiped out 2,6 people.

in the defending battle of Wuhan, China Air Force, with the cooperation of the Soviet Volunteer Air Force, fought fiercely with the enemy and achieved great results. * * * shot down 62 Japanese planes, blew up 16 Japanese planes and sank 23 Japanese ships, which strongly supported the ground forces. China's navy also fought fiercely on the Yangtze River, laying mines in the fortress along the river, setting up coastal guns, and sinking many Japanese ships, which effectively delayed the Japanese ships' attack along the river.

Due to the tenacious and persistent blocking by China's army, the Japanese troops from all walks of life did not complete the three-sided encirclement of Wuhan from east, south and north until the end of October after paying a heavy price. However, from the strategic point of view of the protracted war of resistance, China's army did not fight the enemy, but retreated from Wuhan, thus preserving its effective strength.

Historical evaluation

The battle of defending Wuhan lasted for four and a half months, from the time when the Japanese army captured Anqing to the time when Wuhan fell, and nearly 14, people were killed and injured. This battle is of great significance. It greatly consumed the effective strength of the Japanese army, broke the Japanese plan to force China to yield and end the war at an early date, and became an important turning point in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, China. Marked by the end of the Wuhan Battle, China and War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression began to enter the stage of strategic stalemate.