Battle of Taiyuan

The Japanese offensive called 太原作戦 or the Battle of Taiyuan (Chinese: 太原會戰; pinyin: Tàiyuán Huìzhàn; Wade–Giles: T'ai-yüan Hui-tsan) was a major battle fought in 1937 between China and Japan named for Taiyuan (the capital of Shanxi province), which lay in the 2nd Military Region. The battle concluded in loss for the NRA, including part of Suiyuan, most of Shanxi and their most modern arsenal at Taiyuan and effectively ended large-scale organized resistance in the North China area.

Battle of Taiyuan
Part of the Second Sino-Japanese War
DateSeptember 1 – November 9, 1937
Location
Taiyuan, North China Plain
Result Japanese victory
Belligerents

China

Japan

Commanders and leaders
Yan Xishan
Yang Aiyuan
Wei Lihuang
Zhu De
Fu Zuoyi		 Isogai Rensuke
Itagaki Seishiro
Demchugdongrub
Units involved
Strength
6 Army Groups, ~280,000 men 5 divisions, ~140,000 men
Casualties and losses
129,737 ~30,000

Japanese forces included the Japanese Northern China Area Army under Hisaichi Terauchi, elements of the Kwantung Army, and elements of the Inner Mongolian Army led by Demchugdongrub. Chinese forces were commanded by Yan Xishan (warlord of Shanxi), Wei Lihuang (14th Army Group), and Fu Zuoyi (7th Army Group), as well as Zhu De who led the Eighth Route Army of the Chinese Communist Party (under the Second United Front alliance).

Occupation of the territories gave the Japanese access to coal from Datong in northern Shanxi, but also exposed them to attacks by the guerrilla forces of the Nationalist army including the Eighth Route Army, tying down many Japanese troops which could have been diverted to other campaigns.

Chronology

In September 1937, Hideki Tojo sent the Japanese army stationed in Chahar to invade Shanxi in order to exploit its resources. The city of Datong fell, and the NRA was forced to go on the defensive, and concentrated their troops along the Great Wall in battles at places like Pingxingguan and to the east at Niangziguan.

On September 21, 1937, Major Hiroshi Miwa, commander of the 1st Daitai, 16th Hiko Rentai of the IJAAF, who was a former-hired military flight instructor for Marshall Chang's Fengtian army air corps and well known in the Chinese military aviation circles of the time, led 7 Kawasaki Ki-10 fighters on an escort mission for 14 Mitsubishi Ki-2 bombers to attack the city of Taiyuan, encountered Chinese Air Force V-65C Corsairs and Curtiss Hawk IIs, shooting down several, however Major Miwa himself was shot down and killed over Taiyuan in a duel with Captain Chan Kee-Wong, commander of the 28th PS, 5th PG whilst flying a Curtiss Hawk II.[2][3][4]

Yan Xishan also sent troops to reinforce Shijiazhuang, but that caused a lack of personnel to defend the North China area, allowing the Japanese army to break through in the north forcing the Chinese to fall back to a new line at Xinkou. Fighting continued in October in the Battle of Xinkou until the Japanese outflanked Niangziguan in late October, compromising the Chinese defense resulting in the fall of Taiyuan.

  • Soldiers of the Eighth Route Army display Japanese flags taken as prizes of war.
  • (October 1, 1937) Chinese soldiers and civilians celebrate a local victory.
  • Chinese troops marching to defend Xinkou mountain passes.

See also

Sources
  • 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. Pg. 195–200, Map 6
  • 中国抗日战争正面战场作战记 China's Anti-Japanese War Combat Operations
    • Author : Guo Rugui, editor-in-chief Huang Yuzhang
    • Press : Jiangsu People's Publishing House
    • Date published : 2005-7-1
    • ISBN 7-214-03034-9
    • Online in Chinese

References
  1. Japanese Forces Battle of Taiyan September through November 1937
  2. 网易, 丘智贤 (2018-02-02). "广东队长太原击落日本驱逐之王三轮宽". news.163.com. Retrieved 2020-11-16. 1937年9月21日，击落日军著名飞行员三轮宽的我空军第二十八队队长陈其光(照片) - 支那事变殊勋录刊登之日本陆军航空兵中佐三轮宽(照片)
  3. Gustavsson. "Chinese biplane fighter aces - Chan Kee-Wong". Biplane Fighter Aces - China. Retrieved 2020-11-16. Captain Chan Kee-Wong grew up in the United States and learned to fly there before joining the Chinese Air Force in the 1930’s - Capt. Chan commanded the 28th PS, 5th PS out of Nanjing (Jurong Airbase) at the outbreak of war on 15 August 1937; transferred to the pressing demands at the northern front in Taiyuan by 16 September 1937
  4. "未知". reader.epubee.com. Retrieved 2020-12-02. 陈其光，广东省番禺县人。空军第5大队第28中队队长，1937年8月16日，该大队以句容为基地，卫戍首都南京，屡挫敌锋。29日，陈其光随队往浙江海面轰炸敌舰，命中敌舰一艘，歼敌甚众。华北战场，自山西之天镇失守，大同告急，陈其光率该队飞机半数赴援晋北。
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