Battle of Xuzhou
After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident Nishio was sent to North China, and took command of the Second Army on 26 August 1937. He oversaw the Tianjin–Pukou Railway Operation that took the Japanese to the Yellow River. He was at the Battle of Xuzhou, crossing the Yellow River and overrunning Shandong until 30 April 1938. Shortly after the defeat his army suffered in the Battle of Taierzhuang, he was replaced and returned to Tokyo to be Inspector-General of Military Training.