武漢作戦
In May 1938, the regiment participated in the Battle of Xuzhou. Later that year, the regiment participated in the Hankou Operation as part of the larger Battle of Wuhan. In 1939, it fought the Battle of the Xiang River, the First Battle of Changsha, as well as smaller actions in the area. In 1940, the 18th Regiment participated in the Ichang Operation and the Han River Operation, both in Hubei Province.