Battle of Shanghai: the story on HearLore

Battle of Shanghai

On the 9th of August 1937, two Japanese naval officers lay dead near the gate to Hongqiao Airport on Monument Road. Naval Sub-Lieutenant Oyama and his driver Saito Yozo were found with gunshot wounds after a confrontation with Chinese guards from the Peace Preservation Corps. The incident sparked immediate diplomatic fury as Tokyo demanded the withdrawal of all Chinese troops from Shanghai. Negotiations between the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Italy, Japan, and China collapsed within days over conflicting demands for troop withdrawals. By the 13th of August, small arms fire erupted in the Zhabei, Wusong, and Jiangwan districts, marking the transition from political tension to open warfare. Chiang Kai-shek ordered Zhang Zhizhong to launch offensive operations the following morning, setting the stage for three months of brutal urban combat.

Urban Combat Tactics

The 88th Division attacked Japanese positions in downtown Shanghai on the afternoon of the 14th of August 1937, only to be halted by entrenched machine gun nests and heavy bombardments from the Third Fleet moored in the Huangpu River. Chinese artillery was positioned too far back to provide effective support, forcing infantrymen to advance under cover of machine gun fire until they could throw hand grenades into enemy bunkers. The 36th Division later deployed British-made Vickers tanks to assist assaults, but poor coordination left them vulnerable to Japanese anti-tank weapons and flamethrowers in narrow city blocks. At the intersection of Zhoushan Road and Kunming Road, Chinese soldiers used the bodies of the dead as cover while attempting to scale steel gates impervious to their heaviest artillery. Brigade commander Chen Ruihe led from the front before being seriously injured, and battalion commander Li Zeng died immediately upon entering an alleyway where Japanese forces had set surrounding buildings ablaze. By nightfall on August 22 alone, the 36th Division lost more than ninety officers and a thousand troops in house-to-house fighting that turned streets into killing fields.

What started the Battle of Shanghai on 9th August 1937?

The incident began when two Japanese naval officers, Naval Sub-Lieutenant Oyama and his driver Saito Yozo, were shot dead near Hongqiao Airport. This confrontation with Chinese guards from the Peace Preservation Corps triggered immediate diplomatic fury and demands for troop withdrawals.

How many civilians died during Black Saturday in the Battle of Shanghai?

Black Saturday occurred on the 14th of August 1937 when errant bombs intended for a Japanese flagship exploded within the Shanghai International Settlement. Casualties reached 3,000 people with between 700 and 950 civilians killed outright at locations like the Great World entertainment center.

When did the Battle of Shanghai end and what caused the withdrawal?

Chinese troops withdrew from downtown Shanghai by the 26th of October 1937 after Dachang fell to overwhelming force. The position was reduced to rubble by 700 artillery pieces and 400 aircraft following intense house-to-house fighting that changed hands up to five times daily.

Did poison gas get used during the Battle of Shanghai?

Imperial forces confirmed deploying poison gas at least thirteen times during the battle according to official records. Units such as the 159th division reported enemy forces using tear gas and poison gas to掩护 infantry advances while their own units could not fire due to chemical exposure.

Battle of Shanghai

Urban Combat Tactics

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Common questions

What started the Battle of Shanghai on 9th August 1937?

How many civilians died during Black Saturday in the Battle of Shanghai?

When did the Battle of Shanghai end and what caused the withdrawal?

Did poison gas get used during the Battle of Shanghai?

Air War And Civilian Casualties

Coastal Landings And Attrition

The Dachang Defense Line

Chemical Warfare Accusations