The First Changsha Campaign - detailed animated explain 【ROCBOSS】
Channel: ROCBOSS
Date: 2020-04-21

中文版 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uk_Iy8TYfo&ab_channel=ROCBOSS
The First Changsha Campaign
Subtitle is available for this video
IJA’s first failure to take a Chinese city

Changsha was the headquarter of the ROC’s 9th War Area.
Hsueh Yueh, the commander of 9th War Area was determined to defeat the IJA 11th Army with his “Furnace Tactics”. He ordered only 32 to the frontline while the rest 15 divisions as reserve in the rear. When the IJA supply extended too long down from Yueyang of Northern Hunan to Changsha, they would launch attack against the rear of the Japanese advance.

IJA would open up a second front in Jiangxi province to interrupt the defense of Changsha. The IJA 101st Division in Nanchang and IJA 106th Division in Jingan would move west to take Gaoan and Huibu. In Gaoan, the IJA 101st Division were surrounded and attacked by the 32nd Corps and 49th Corps. They fought hard enough to stop the IJA 101st Division from passing through Gaoan. As for the IJA 106th Division, it was interrupted by the 58th Corps and 60th Corps.The IJA 106th Division to pass through Huibu and separated its troops to move to different directions. One moved northwestward to Huangshaqiao, the other one mover southwestward to Ganfang. In Huagshaqiao, they were attacked by General Wang Lin-chi’s 30th Army Group composited of the 72nd Corps and 78th Corps of Sichuan Army.

The other contingent of IJA 106th Division moving southward were followed and attacked by the Yunnan Army against its rear. When it arrived at Ganfang, the 74th Corps of Chiang Kai-shek’s Central Army moved northward from Shanggao to surround IJA 106th Division with their brothers from Yunnan. Unable to penetrate through the Northern Jiangxi front, both the IJA 101st and 106th Divisions could not provide the supports the 6th Division needed to annihilate the Central Army in Changsha.

The First Victory over Changsha
The IJA 6th and 13th Divisions to move southward from Yueyang on September 18th. However, they encountered fierce resistance from General Kuan Lin-cheng ’s NRA 15th Army Group before they could even cross Xinqiang River. They delayed both IJA divisions from crossing the river for five days. 

On September 21st, the IJA 33rd Division moved south from Tongcheng of Hubei to Meishih. General Yang Sen’s 27th Army Group immediately attacked the 33rd Division right from Mufu Mountains. The 27th Army Group’s 20th Corps successfully cut off the rear of the 33rd Division to prevent them from retreating northwards. The only option left for the IJA 33rd Division was to continue move south towards Pingjiang.

The IJA 13th Division was followed and attacked by the NRA 52nd and 37th Corps on their way to Pingjiang. In the same time, the 79th Corps Army attacked the 33rd Division in Jiayi. When the 13th and 33rd Divisions met up at Pingjiang on September 30th, both units were too exhausted to move further south. In the battlefield west of Guangzhou-Hunan Railway, the IJA 3rd Division crossed Dongting Lake  with the support of IJA’s land forces. It was attacked by General Hsueh’s 4th Corps as soon as it landed at Yingtian.

When the 3rd Division arrived at Sanjieqiao, it was again ambushed by the NRA 70th Corps. Both 4th Corps and 70th Corps used hit and run tactics. They attacked the Japanese and retreated into the mountainous region. Unable to locate and destroy either of the Chinese corps, the IJA 3rd Division also stopped its movement. Meanwhile, the 6th Division advanced south without facing any resistance. It crossed Miluo river and occupied Fulingpu as well as Jinjing. It arrived at the north shore of Laodao Lake by the end of September.

However, Okamura Yasuji felt that the advance of 6th Division, his best unit was too smooth. Soon he felt that the IJA 6th Division had walked right into General Hsueh’s pocket. On October 1st, he issued a full retreat order to the 3rd, 6th, 13th, 33rd, 101st and 106th Divisions to withdraw. This order was discovered by the NRA on October 5th, which Hsueh to call for a full-scale counter-attack. All IJA forces returned to where they came from on October 10th of 1939, which was the National Day known as Double Ten Days of the Republic of China.

Changsha became the first major city which the NRA successfully defended since the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War. It not only boosted the Chinese morale, but also prevented the 11th Army from launching any attack against Changsha for two years.

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