Battle of South Shanxi

Battle of South Shanxi
Part of the Second Sino-Japanese War
A map of the battle
Date 7–27 May 1941 Location South Shanxi Result Japanese victory
Belligerents
National Revolutionary Army, China	North China Front Army, Imperial Japanese Army, Japan
Commanders and leaders
He Yingqin	Hayao Tada
Strength
180,000 troops in 8 armies	100,000 troops in 6 divisions, 3 brigades
Casualties and losses
more than 100,000 troops	more than 20,000 troops

The Battle of South Shanxi , also known as the Battle of Jinnan and Zhongtiao Mountains campaign by the Chinese and as the Chungyuan Operation by the Japanese, was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945).

At the onset of the battle, KMT-CPC relations were at a low point following the still recent New Fourth Army incident in early 1941. As a result, the nearby 8th Route Army refused to commit more than a token force to assist the surrounded Nationalists. South Shanxi would later be remembered in China as one of the worst defeats of the entire war.

Order of battle

Chinese

1st War Area – Wei Li-huang

• 5th Army Group – Zeng Wan-zhong
  • 3rd Corps – Tang Huai-yuan
    • 7th Division
    • 12th Division
  • 80th Corps – Kong Ling-xun
    • 165th Division
    • New 27th Division
  • 34th Division – Kung Ping-fan
• 14th Army Group – Liu Mao-en
  • 15th Corps – Wu Ting-lin
    • 64th Division
    • 65th Division
  • 98th Corps – Wu Shi-ming
    • 42nd Division
    • 169th Division
• 9th Corps – Pei Chang-hui
  • 47th Division
  • 54th Division
  • New 24th Division
• 17th Corps – Gao Gui-zi
  • 84th Division
  • New 2nd Division
• 43rd Corps – Zhao Shi-ling *
  • 70th Division
  • New 47th Division
• 14th Corps – Chen Tie
  • 85th Division
  • 94th Division
• 93rd Corps – Liu Kan
  • 10th Division

Notes:

• 43rd Corps was formerly with 2nd War Area.

Sources:

• [1] Hsu Long-hsuen and Chang Ming-kai, History of The Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) 2nd Ed., 1971. Translated by Wen Ha-hsiung, Chung Wu Publishing; 33, 140th Lane, Tung-hwa Street, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China.

Japanese

North China Front Army – Major General Hayao Tada (Early May 1941)

• 35th Division – Lt. Gen. Kumakichi Harada
• 21st Division – Lt. Gen. Hisakazu Tanaka
• 33rd Division – Lt. Gen. Shozo Sakurai
• 4th Cavalry Brigade (partial) – ?
• 1st Army – Lt. Gen. Yoshio Shinozuka
  • 36th Division – Iseki Mitsuru
  • 37th Division – Adachi Hatazo
  • 41st Division – Shimizu Noritsune
  • 9th Independent Mixed Brigade – Major General Kenkichi Ikenoue
  • 16th Independent Mixed Brigade – Major General Heiji Wakamatsu

Airforces:[3]

1st Hikodan

• 90th Sentai
  • Kawasaki Ki-48
  • Mitsubishi Ki-30
• 10th I F Chutai
  • Nakajima Ki-27
• 1 Reconnaissance Chutai / 15th Sentai

3rd Hikodan

• 32nd Sentai
  • Light bomber unit.
• 44th Sentai
  • Mitsubishi Ki-51
• 83rd Sentai
  • Reconnaissance unit

Notes: During the Chungyuan Operation the 1st Hikodan at Ani airfield supported the ground operations of the 1st Army, while the 3rd Hikodan supported the operations of the 21st and 35th Divisions. [3]

Sources:

• [1] Hsu Long-hsuen and Chang Ming-kai, History of The Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) 2nd Ed., 1971. Translated by Wen Ha-hsiung, Chung Wu Publishing; 33, 140th Lane, Tung-hwa Street, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China.
• [3] Sino-Japanese Air War 1937 – 1945

http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/sino-japanese.htm