Battle of Mudanjiang

After the defeat of the Long Shadow, the various factions of China agreed to cease hostilities against one another. ACC's abrupt abortion of negotiations with the Empire of Japan left them excluded from any such agreements, and the weeks following the battle against the Gigafort were used to organize an offensive push further into China from the Korean peninsula.
The first battle of this renewed campaign took place in the area around Mudanjiang, a large city near Harbin in the province of Heilongjiang. The 13th Expeditionary Corps, composed almost entirely of creations of the Imperial Science Academy, marched passed Jingpo Lake and entered the city, encountering entrenched Huang soldiers, many of which were formerly under the Warlord Beng Fu before his obliteration. The following two weeks saw brutal urban fighting as the Chinese forces fought to hold the city against waves of Seishinketsujo supported by Type 99 howitzers and Type 74 tanks. The six companies of Tsumiheishi proved effective in tight urban conditions, but were ultimately unable to force the Huang troops out of the city and became bogged down. The Expeditionary Forces neglected to send reinforcements to the assault and were content to watch for the outcome of the battle, resulting in very high casualties on both sides in a relatively short amount of time. After two weeks, what remained of the Japanese forces retreated to Dunhua, and the city remained in Huang hands.
The battle for the city taught the Japanese that victory could not be attained simply by attempting to overwhelm the enemy with largely inferior troops. Different tactics would be required to take large cities like Mudanjiang, requiring petitioning the Imperial Air Force for air support and the Imperial Army for more substantial assets. While the Seishinketsujo were replaceable, the loss of over one thousand Tsumiheishi and sixty howitzers was seen as unpleasantly expensive. 
Huang He Jun was reportedly pleased and amused by the victory of his forces against the belligerent Japanese, but was committed to a wholly defensive strategy and was not interested in ordering any counterattacks.
Category:PACYOA: TE
Category:China
Category:Japan
Category:Huang
Category:Battles