Battle of Hengyang
 | This article's factual accuracy is disputed. (September 2018) |
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2011) |
| Defense of Hengyang | |||||||||
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| Part of the Second Sino-Japanese War of World War II | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Republic of China Army |
 Imperial Japanese Army | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
 Fang Xianjue |
 Isamu Yokoyama | ||||||||
The Battle of Hengyang was the longest defense of a single city of the entire Second Sino-Japanese War. When Changsha fell to the Imperial Japanese Army on June 19, 1944, Hengyang became their next target. The reorganized 11th Army, consisting of 10 divisions, 4 brigades, and over 110,000 men, assumed the task of attacking Hengyang.
The city was an important railroad junction[1][2] and Hengyang Airport was used by USAAC General Claire Lee Chennault's Flying Tigers which were engaged in bombing operations of the Japanese homeland. Therefore, Field Marshal Hajime Sugiyama(杉山 元), chief of imperial staff and war minister, ordered the city must be taken at all costs.
On June 22, Japanese 68th and 116th divisions received their orders to attack the city and to take it within 2 days, which started the 48 days of siege and defense.
References
- ^ The China Magazine: A Monthly Publication about the Country and the People. Chinese News Service. 1943. p. 3.
- ^ China at War. China Information Publishing Company. 1944. p. 1.