The Battle of South Shanxi , also known as the Battle of Jinnan (Chinese: 晉南战役) and Zhongtiao Mountains campaign (Chinese: 中條山會戰) by the Chinese and as the Chungyuan Operation by the Japanese, was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945).
The strategic context of the battle. Chinese cities & conventional armies are shown as red icons; Chinese guerrilla forces are shown as red blobs. Japanese-controlled cities & armies are in black-and-white. Note that north is to the right.
The disastrous losses of the first year of the war (1937-38) meant that the internationally-recognized Chinese government (controlled by the Kuomintang or KMT party) had been forced to abandon its capital and all the industrialized areas of the country. It fought on from a new base in the west, mainly the province of Sichuan and Guanzhong.
The Zhongtiao Mountains held symbolic importance as the largest area of territory north of the Yellow River still under full Chinese control.
They also had some strategic importance as defensive ground on the north bank of the Yellow River. Beyond the south bank lay the railway line connecting the KMT's western base with the Zhongyuan central plain, the 'breadbasket of China'.[2]
The area of the battle was very roughly in the shape of a triangle, with the Yellow River as the base to the south. On the northwest side were Japanese armies that had advanced down the railway line from the north as far as its Yellow River terminus at Fenglingdu. Likewise, the frontline to the northeast side was the territory captured by the Beiping–Hankou Railway Operation.
At the onset of the battle, KMT-CPC relations were at a low point following the still recent New Fourth Army incident in early 1941. As a result, the nearby 8th Route Army refused to assist the surrounded Nationalists. South Shanxi was later remembered in China as one of the worst defeats of the entire war.
Campaignedit
The campaign is extensively discussed in the travel book Two Kinds of Time by the US journalist Graham Peck, based on eyewitness interviews with refugees. Peck reports that the NRA had built a line of fortifications overlooking the major roads through the mountains, which had withstood several earlier Japanese assaults. It was garrisoned by second-line warlord troops. He claims that the Chinese commanders had become complacement and were caught out when the Japanese adopted new, guerrilla-style tactics. They used peasant paths to infiltrate into the mountains and encircled the mountain range by moving along north bank of the Yellow River. Once they realized they were surrounded, the Chinese forces disintegrated before better-quality troops could be brought across the river.[3]
^"Big Japanese drive in Shansi". Hong Kong Daily Press. 13 May 1941. p. 4. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
^Peck, Graham (1950). Two Kinds of Time (Paperback ed.). Seattle & London: University of Washington Press (published 2008). pp. 238–284. ISBN9780295988528.
^Hsu, Long-hsuen; Chang, Ming-kai (1971). History of The Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). Translated by Wen, Ha-hsiung (2nd ed.). Taipei: Chung Wu Publishing.
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The Battle of South Shanxi also known as the Battle of Jinnan Chinese 晉南战役 and Zhongtiao Mountains campaign Chinese 中條山會戰 by the Chinese and as the Chungyuan Operation by the Japanese was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino Japanese War 1937 1945 Battle of South ShanxiPart of the Second Sino Japanese WarA map of the battleDate 1941 05 07 1941 05 27 May 7 27 1941 2 weeks and 6 days LocationSouth Shanxi ChinaResultJapanese victoryBelligerentsNational Revolutionary Army ChinaNorth China Front Army Imperial Japanese Army JapanCommanders and leadersWei Lihuang 1 Hayao TadaStrength180 000 troops in 8 armies100 000 troops in 6 divisions 3 brigadesCasualties and lossesmore than 100 000 troopsmore than 20 000 troops Contents 1 Context 2 Campaign 3 Order of battle 3 1 Chinese 3 2 Japanese 4 ReferencesContext edit nbsp The strategic context of the battle Chinese cities amp conventional armies are shown as red icons Chinese guerrilla forces are shown as red blobs Japanese controlled cities amp armies are in black and white Note that north is to the right The disastrous losses of the first year of the war 1937 38 meant that the internationally recognized Chinese government controlled by the Kuomintang or KMT party had been forced to abandon its capital and all the industrialized areas of the country It fought on from a new base in the west mainly the province of Sichuan and Guanzhong The Zhongtiao Mountains held symbolic importance as the largest area of territory north of the Yellow River still under full Chinese control They also had some strategic importance as defensive ground on the north bank of the Yellow River Beyond the south bank lay the railway line connecting the KMT s western base with the Zhongyuan central plain the breadbasket of China 2 The area of the battle was very roughly in the shape of a triangle with the Yellow River as the base to the south On the northwest side were Japanese armies that had advanced down the railway line from the north as far as its Yellow River terminus at Fenglingdu Likewise the frontline to the northeast side was the territory captured by the Beiping Hankou Railway Operation At the onset of the battle KMT CPC relations were at a low point following the still recent New Fourth Army incident in early 1941 As a result the nearby 8th Route Army refused to assist the surrounded Nationalists South Shanxi was later remembered in China as one of the worst defeats of the entire war Campaign editThe campaign is extensively discussed in the travel book Two Kinds of Time by the US journalist Graham Peck based on eyewitness interviews with refugees Peck reports that the NRA had built a line of fortifications overlooking the major roads through the mountains which had withstood several earlier Japanese assaults It was garrisoned by second line warlord troops He claims that the Chinese commanders had become complacement and were caught out when the Japanese adopted new guerrilla style tactics They used peasant paths to infiltrate into the mountains and encircled the mountain range by moving along north bank of the Yellow River Once they realized they were surrounded the Chinese forces disintegrated before better quality troops could be brought across the river 3 Order of battle editSource 4 Chinese edit 1st War Area Wei Lihuang 5th Army Group Zeng Wanzhong 3rd Corps Tang Huaiyuan 7th Division 12th Division 80th Corps Kong Lingxun 165th Division New 27th Division 34th Division Kung Pingfan 14th Army Group Liu Mao en 15th Corps Wu Tinglin 64th Division 65th Division 98th Corps Wu Shiming 42nd Division 169th Division 9th Corps Pei Changhui 47th Division 54th Division New 24th Division 17th Corps Gao Guizi 84th Division New 2nd Division 43rd Corps Zhao Shiling 70th Division New 47th Division 14th Corps Chen Tie 85th Division 94th Division 93rd Corps Liu Kan 10th Division 43rd Corps was formerly with 2nd War Area Japanese edit North China Front Army Major General Hayao Tada Early May 1941 35th Division Lt Gen Kumakichi Harada 21st Division Lt Gen Hisakazu Tanaka 33rd Division Lt Gen Shozo Sakurai 4th Cavalry Brigade partial 1st Army Lt Gen Yoshio Shinozuka 36th Division Iseki Mitsuru 37th Division Adachi Hatazo 41st Division Shimizu Noritsune 9th Independent Mixed Brigade Major General Kenkichi Ikenoue 16th Independent Mixed Brigade Major General Heiji WakamatsuReferences edit Peck Two Kinds of Time p 287 Big Japanese drive in Shansi Hong Kong Daily Press 13 May 1941 p 4 Retrieved 31 December 2023 Peck Graham 1950 Two Kinds of Time Paperback ed Seattle amp London University of Washington Press published 2008 pp 238 284 ISBN 9780295988528 Hsu Long hsuen Chang Ming kai 1971 History of The Sino Japanese War 1937 1945 Translated by Wen Ha hsiung 2nd ed Taipei Chung Wu Publishing 38 00 00 N 112 00 00 E 38 0000 N 112 0000 E 38 0000 112 0000 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Battle of South Shanxi amp oldid 1223776704, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
