Battle of Wuhan
On the 13th of August 1937, the Chinese Nationalists decided to engage Japanese forces in Shanghai. This decision opened a second front that lasted until the 12th of November. The fighting resulted in major casualties for China, including the loss of 70 percent of Chiang Kai-shek's young officers. After the fall of Shanghai and Nanjing, the capital was declared an open city. Government agencies began moving toward Chongqing, but transport systems were inadequate. Wuhan emerged as the de facto wartime capital due to its strong industrial foundations. It held a population of 1.5 million people by late 1938. The city sat halfway upstream on the Yangtze River. Three regions divided the city: Wuchang served as the political center. Hankou functioned as the commercial district. Hanyang operated as the industrial area. The Yuehan Railway further established Wuhan as a major transportation hub. Foreign aid moved inland from southern ports through this transit point.
In December 1937, the Military Affairs Commission created a battle plan for defending Wuhan. Approximately 1.1 million men or 120 divisions of the National Revolutionary Army redeployed after the loss of Xuzhou. Generals Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi of the Fifth War Zone defended the north of the Yangtze. Chen Cheng of the Ninth War Zone took charge of the south. Chinese forces organized defenses around the Dabie Mountains, Poyang Lake, and the Yangtze River against 200,000 Japanese troops in 20 divisions. On the 4th of May 1938, Shunroku Hata organized approximately 350,000 men of the Second and Eleventh Armies to fight around Wuhan. Yasuji Okamura commanded five-and-a-half divisions along both banks of the Yangtze. Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni led four-and-a-half divisions along the northern foot of the Dabie Mountains. The Third Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy contributed 120 ships under Koshirō Oikawa. More than 500 planes from the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service supported the ground assault.
After occupying Xuzhou in May 1938, the IJA planned an extensive invasion of Hankou. They intended to destroy the main force of the National Revolutionary Army. A vanguard moved to occupy Anqing for use as a forward base. The main force attacked north of the Dabie Mountains along the Huai River. Another detachment moved west along the Yangtze. The Yellow River flood forced the IJA to abandon its plan of attacking along the Huai. They decided to attack along both banks of the Yangtze instead. On the 15th of June, the Japanese made a naval landing and captured Anqing. This signaled the onset of the Battle of Wuhan. The capture of Anqing's airbase enabled aircraft to assault Jiujiang. Jiujiang was a major riverine port one hundred miles upstream. The Chinese Ninth War Zone stationed regiments west of Poyang Lake and in Jiujiang. Defensive fortifications at Madang included artillery emplacements, naval mines, and bamboo river booms.
On the 24th of June, Japanese forces made a surprise landing in Madang. The Chinese garrison repelled four assaults but suffered casualties from intense bombardment. Poison gas attacks also struck the defenders. Only three battalions from the second and third marine corps took part in the defense. Reinforcements arrived too late after divisional commander Xue Weiying chose a harder path to avoid bombers. Madang fell after a three-day battle. Chiang Kai-shek ordered a counterattack offering a 50,000 yuan reward for recapture. By the 10th of October, the Japanese 106th Division had circled into the Wanjialing region. Xue Yue commanded Chinese armies to flank the enemy. On the 7th of October, the Chinese Army mounted a final large-scale assault to encircle the troops. All Japanese counterattacks were repelled by the Chinese over three days. Of the four Japanese divisions which entered the battle, only around 1,500 men escaped the encirclement. This event was later called the Victory of Wanjialing by the Chinese.
An Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service strike-force attacked Wuhan on the 18th of February 1938. At least 11 A5M fighters led by Lieutenant Takashi Kaneko engaged 19 Chinese I-15 fighters under Captain Li Guidan. Soviet Volunteer Group pilots flew Polikarpov fighters alongside the Chinese. Both fighter group commanders died in action during the engagement known as the 2.18 Air Battle. On the 29th of April, the Japanese air force launched major strikes to celebrate Emperor Shōwa's birthday. The Chinese were well prepared with prior intelligence. This became known as the 4.29 Air Battle and was one of the most intense aerial battles of the war. On the 3rd of August 1938, 52 Chinese fighters intercepted at least 29 A5M fighters and 18 G3M bombers over Hankou. Zhu Jiaxun and his squadron-mate He Jermin claimed at least four A5Ms shot down that day. Arthur Chin and Louie Yim-qun also flew Gladiators claiming victories. The Soviet Volunteer Group provided critical support throughout these early stages of the campaign.
Emperor Shōwa authorized specific orders for the use of chemical weapons against China. Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni transmitted these orders 375 times from August to October 1938. Japan used poison gas at Hankou to break Chinese resistance after conventional assaults failed. At the fortress of Tianjiazhen, thousands fought until late September. Japanese victory was assured only through the deployment of large amounts of poison gas. The Japanese resorted to deploying toxic agents because they lacked numbers in combat. China possessed no poison gas stockpiles to retaliate. Following the fall of Jiujiang, occupying forces engaged a mini-Nanjing Massacre. As many as 90,000 civilians were massacred in and around the city. Male civilians were executed alongside prisoners who failed to retreat. Women and children were raped en masse during the occupation.
After four months of fighting, both the Chinese Air Force and Navy were decimated. The main Chinese land force remained largely intact however. The IJA was significantly weakened by the losses sustained. The Battle of Wuhan bought time for equipment to move inland to Chongqing. This laid the foundation for an extended war of resistance. Wuhan provided new airbases for Operation 100 terror-bombing campaigns against Chongqing. After its fall in 1938, Japan advanced deep into Communist territory. They redeployed 50,000 troops to the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region. Elements of the Communist Eighth Route Army attacked these advancing forces. Between 1942 and 1944, limited Japanese offensives mounted solely for training recruits. No more major offensives launched until Operation Ichi-Go in 1944. The Chinese managed to preserve strength to continue resisting the weakened Imperial Japanese Army.
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Common questions
When did the Battle of Wuhan begin and end?
The Battle of Wuhan began on the 15th of June 1938 when Japanese forces captured Anqing. The fighting continued for four months until the fall of Wuhan in October 1938.
Who commanded Chinese forces during the Battle of Wuhan?
Generals Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi defended the north of the Yangtze while Chen Cheng took charge of the south. Xue Yue commanded armies to flank the enemy at Wanjialing and organized defenses around the Dabie Mountains, Poyang Lake, and the Yangtze River.
What was the population of Wuhan by late 1938?
Wuhan held a population of 1.5 million people by late 1938. The city served as the de facto wartime capital due to its strong industrial foundations and status as a major transportation hub along the Yangtze River.
How many Japanese troops participated in the Battle of Wuhan?
Shunroku Hata organized approximately 350,000 men of the Second and Eleventh Armies to fight around Wuhan. This force included five-and-a-half divisions under Yasuji Okamura and four-and-a-half divisions led by Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni.
Did Japan use chemical weapons during the Battle of Wuhan?
Japan used poison gas at Hankou to break Chinese resistance after conventional assaults failed. Emperor Shōwa authorized specific orders for the use of chemical weapons which were transmitted 375 times from August to October 1938.