Sichuan invasion The Szechwan Invasion , also known as the Chongqing Operation , Chongqing Campaign or Operation 5 , was the Imperial Japanese Army ' s failed plan to destroy the Chongqing - based Chiang Kai - shek government during the Second Sino - Japanese War . It was to be a stepping stone for Japan ' s final control of the Chinese mainland . The operation started in spring of 1942 , after the first phase of operations had been concluded in south China , and continued through spring of 1943 . The operation is noted for Japan ' s sustained bombing of cities in central west China . The Basic Plan . The basic plan was to make a multi - front breakthrough to Sichuan from northern Shanxi , central Hubei and southern Hunan . Heavy aerial support and bombing of Chongqing supported the advance of Japanese Army and collaborationist forces . Japanese Navy patrol boats from the Yangtze river provided further bombardment . Chiang Kai - shek discussed the invasion in his book " Soviet Russia in China " , stating : The Imperial General Headquarters sent the order for drawing down 16 divisions and logistics support units from Japan reserves , Manchukuo and Southern Areas ( including New Guinea and Solomon islands also ) to reinforce the Japanese expeditionary forces in central China area , to prepare the principal force of ten divisions in south Shanshi and other support group conformed by six Divisions of Ichang in Hubei amongst other Divisions located in Changde , in Hunan , for striking Sichuan and the occupation of Chongqing in September 1942 . By coincidence , September 1942 was also the time when the German Wehrmacht was closing in on Stalingrad . The actual invasion involves Japanese units first occupying Wanxian , from where the Japanese could advance to Chongqing - proper in echelon . To cut off the escape routes of Chinese refugees , the occupation of North Guizhou was planned , which could be used to stage an attack on Chengdu through Yibin . The north Japanese army division had the option to either advance towards south Shaanxi to capture Xian , or towards Hangzhong to take Chengdu directly . Alternatively , Japan could have utilized airborne forces to cut off Chinese escape routes and take the Chongqing metropolitan area directly . Interests in Sichuan region . Both Chiang Kai - shek and General Wego W . K . Chiang suspected that the intense bombing of Chongqing by the Japanese Navy and the Japanese Air Force was to support the diversionary Japanese operations against metropolitan Chongqing , as part of the invasion of Sichuan . It was also possible that the Japanese army hoped that a terror campaign against Chongqing would force the Chinese authorities to break from the Allies and make a separate peace with Japan . Sichuan Invasion . Japanese plan . According to General Chiang Wei - kuo , should the invasion be successful , the Japanese might have intended to put Wang Chingwei ' s puppet regime in charge of Chongqing . The Japanese might also persuade Chiang Kai - shek to join Japan ' s Greater East Asian Co - Prosperity Sphere and to even assist in a future Japanese offensive against the Soviet Union in Siberia and Central Asia . Another possibility was the installation of a Japanese civilian or military Governor - General to administer the area as an Imperial Japanese Army fief in mainland Asia , which could later be expanded to include Tibet and Xinjiang as well . Factors affecting the Sichuan Invasion . Due to opposition against Japan from other Allied countries , the Sichuan Invasion was not enthusiastically carried out . In particular , the United States ' counter - offensive against Japan heavily undermined the possibility of an invasion . Chiang Kai Shek stated : But in June 1942 , Japanese forces suffered the humiliating defeat in the Battle of Midway , and in August the U . S . forces initiated the counteroffensive against the Solomon Islands , with a landing at Tenaru River , Guadalcanal ( Operation Watchtower ) . The Japanese suffered frequent losses at the end of September 1942 , and decided to delay the implement of invasion plan for Sichuan . Later in November , the Japanese forces having been totally defeated in Guadalcanal , ( Battle of Guadalcanal , Battle of Tassafaronga and Battle of Rennel ) , the situation was turned around , with Japan losing all possibility to transfer with impunity its forces in the area ( the Japanese were obliged to used all disposable vessels in their retreat , " Operation KE " during the night of February 1 – 2 , 1943 , the last part of the so - called " Tokyo Express " ) . At the end of 1942 , the planning for the Sichuan Invasion was suspended . Last operative attempt to invade . However , the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters was still in favor of an invasion . Hence the Japanese China Expeditionary Army produced a new plan for the capture of Sichuan , which was based on the previous 1942 plan . The May 1943 " Battle of West Hubei " was part of this new attempt to advance to Sichuan . Nevertheless , by then the Nationalist Chinese Armies gained the support of the " Flying Tigers " ( A . V . G . ) of the United States , which was commanded by General Claire Chennault . In subsequent battles , the Japanese army suffered defeats in hands of the Nationalists Chinese Armies . In light of these defeats , the Japanese forces were obliged to occult for six months before a new offensive could be mounted . During this period the Chinese Army sent seven Army envoys to Yunnan and India to clear the China - Burma route . In fear of Chinese reinforcements through the cleared route and having sustained much losses in the Battle of Changde , the Japanese army switched their attention to Yunnan to prevent future Chinese counter - offensives from that area .