Battle of Changsha (1941)


The Battle of Changsha was Japan's second attempt at taking the city of Changsha, China, the capital of Hunan Province, as part of the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Background

Japanese preparation

On December 2, 1940, the US congress passed a bill to provide a 100-million-dollar loan to China. On December 10, Britain also approved a 10-million-pound loan to China. Such a move was in response to the Japan's signing of the Tripartite Pact and moves to recognize Wang Jingwei's puppet government. In response, the Japanese army planned to resolve the 'China Incident' as soon as possible. On January 16, 1941, the Japanese army adopted the "Long-term Operational Guidance Plan for China", where they would not ease pressure but launched aggressive operations in the summer and autumn of 1941 while taking note of international situation and clearing occupied areas.
In April 1941, Lieutenant General Korechika Anami took over position as the commander of the 11th Army and began preparation for the Changsha operation. While they were working on plans for the offensive, Operation Barbarossa started on June 22, 1941, which disrupted the preparation of the operation as the China Expeditionary Army was considering redeploying units of the 11th Army in preparation for war with the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, Lieutenant General Anami approved the outline for the operational guidance of the Changsha Operation on June 24, planning to launch an offensive on September 15.
The objective of the operation was to "deal a major blow to the Ninth Military Front in order to thwart the enemy's plan for resistance." Japanese military leaders emphasized at every opportunity that the objective was not to "occupy the area" or "obtain supplies". The Japanese army judged that the enemy facing them totaled fifteen divisions from the 4th, 37th, 99th, 74th, and 26th Corps. Assuming that two infantry battalions were enough to fight against one enemy division but to prepare for a possible increase in enemy numbers, the Japanese army put forty-one infantry battalions in four divisions and three task forces and twenty-nine artillery battalions into the operation.

Chinese preparation

The Chinese army was well aware of the Kwantung Army's build-up in Northeast China in case of a war with the Soviet Union after the German invasion. They detected General Anami gathering four divisions totalling 120,000 troops for an invasion in Hunan. Since the battle of Shanggao in March 1941, the Ninth Military Front had ordered its troops to cooperate with the guerillas in the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi border region to harass the enemy and prepare for an offensive. Thirty-five divisions in thirteen armies in three army groups totalling 378,307 troops were gathered in Hunan, with the headquarters of the Ninth Military Front centered in Changsha. In August 1941, the Ninth Military Front judged that the enemy planned to capture Changsha and obtain supplies. The Chinese army planned to lure the Japanese army to the south of Miluo river and annihilate them there.

Changsha battlefield

Fighting Around the Dayun Mountain

On September 7, the Japanese 6th Division launched a mopping-up operation at Dayun Mountain with air support from the east, west, and north. The Yanling and Jianshan positions fell on the same day and the defending 177th Regiment of the 59th Division and 306th Regiment of the 102nd Division of the 4th Corps and the 1st Battalion of the 33rd Regiment of the New 11th Division of the 58th Corps of the 27th Army Group were trapped in a desperate battle. On the same day, Yang Sen, commander of the 27th Army Group, ordered the New 10th Division and New 11th division of the 58th Corps to assist the Dayun Mountain defenders. On the 8th, the two divisions advanced towards Dayun Mountain followed by the 60th Division of the 37th Corps. For the next two days, the two sides fought fiercely for the mountain. On the 10th of September, the Shigematsu task force of the 40th Division arrived to replace the 6th Division at Dayun Mountain. The 6th Division mistakenly reported that the Dayun Mountain had been cleared off enemy troops to the task force. Thus, the task force was unprepared for the assault by the 59th, 60th, and New 10th Divisions. The task force struggled under the counterattack of the three divisions, and the Chinese army recaptured the peak of Dayun Mountain. At the same time, a portion of the 4th Corps also skirmished with the Japanese 3rd and 6th Divisions. After hearing about the unexpected battle encountered by the 40th Division, the 11th Army's headquarters ordered the Araki task force of the 33rd Division to reinforce the division while the army prepared for an offensive on September 18. On the way, the Araki task force encountered fierce resistance from the New 11th Division but was able to reach its position on the 18th. The 40th Division was also preparing for an offensive on the 18th. From September 14 until September 17, the division continued fighting fiercely against the Chinese New 10th Division, but after a week of fighting the engaged units of the Japanese division had suffered losses exceeding half. Seeing the build-up of the Japanese army north of Xinqiang River, the Ninth Military Front ordered the 27th Army Group to withdraw from Dayun Mountain, which they gradually did on September 17 and 18. The Chinese army suffered more than 3,000 casualties in the battle.

All-out Offensive

On September 18, the Japanese army launched their offensive. The 6th Division forced a crossing at the Xinqiang River, breaking through the position of the 4th Corps at the south bank of the river and causing the corps to retreat to the mountains east of Guanwang Bridge. Soon, the whole 11th Army was crossing the river. After hearing about the news, Yang Sen ordered the 133rd and 134th Divisions of the 20th Corps and the 58th Corps to block the enemy near Yanglin street. On September 19, in the area east of the south bank of the Xinqiang river, the 40th Division encountered fierce resistance from the 59th and 90th Divisions of the 4th Corps and fought all day long with heavy losses on both sides.
On September 19, the 3rd, 4th, and 6th Divisions arrived at the north bank of the Miluo River. The 95th and 140th Divisions of the 37th Corps and the 92nd and 99th Divisions of the 99th Corps had been ordered to the south bank of the Miluo River on the 18th but before they had finished their deployment, the three Japanese divisions were already crossing the river and attacking the two corps. From the 19th until the 24th of September, the two sides fought fiercely at the south bank and the Chinese positions were breached one after another. By the 25th, the two corps had to retreat. At the same time, the Japanese 6th division moved eastward along the Miluo River and clashed with the 44th Division of the 26th Corps. The corps immediately sent the 32nd and 41st Divisions to assist, but the 32nd Division was intercepted by the Japanese 3rd Division and retreated southward. The 6th Division quickly broke through the right and left flank of the 26th Corps and encircled the unit on the 23rd of September. On the 25th, the corps was ordered to break out and the remnants retreated to Genggutai and Shiwan.
On the 22nd of September, the 3rd Division, 190th Division, and 10th Reserve Division of the 10th Corps were ordered to occupy the Jinjing -Suqiao line. On the 24th, the corps was besieged by the Japanese 3rd, 4th, and 6th Divisions and the Hayabuchi task force. The 568th Regiment and the headquarters of the 190th Division trying to move southward were surrounded by the Japanese 3rd Division. During the break-out attempt, divisional commander Zhu Yue was wounded, deputy divisional commander Lai Chuanxiang was killed, and the division suffered heavy casualties. By the 26th, all defensive positions of the 10th Corps had been breached. Jinjing and Suqiao fell, and the 10th Corps suffered heavy casualties in the retreat. The remnants moved to the Langli City south of Laodao River for reorganization. By this point, Xue Yue's plan to destroy the Japanese army at the south bank of the Miluo River had failed.

Battle of Laodao River

Throughout the campaign, the 11th Army's headquarters had paid close attention to the movement of Wang Yaowu's 74th Corps. Unbeknownst to the Nationalists, the Japanese army had been able to intercept the telegraphs of the Chinese army. On the 21st of September, the headquarters were shocked to hear that the 74th Corps had begun moving to the battlefield. Since the Jiangxi-Hunan operation, the 74th Corps had fought in several battles against the 11th Army, including the 1939-1940 Winter Offensive and the Battle of Shanggao, and was regarded by the 11th Army as an elite assault corps directly under the Nationalist Government. The appearance of the 74th Corps affected the operational plans of the Japanese army in Changsha, and the 6th Division was ordered to block the corps at the Laodao River and prevent it from reaching Changsha. On September 24, General Anami held a combat meeting, one of the main points being how to deal with the 74th Corps. General Anami hoped that they would be able to deal a heavy blow to the 74th Corps but eventually decided to focus on the original objective, having the 3rd and 4th Divisions continue their advance towards Changsha while the 6th Division was tasked with defeating the 74th Corps. On the 25th, the 11th Army headquarters received an intercepted telegraph from Xue Yue about the plan for a decisive battle north of Laodao River.
On the early morning of September 26, Hanaya's 29th Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Division sent the 3rd Battalion of the 18th Infantry Regiment forward to secure a crossing point for the Liuyang River near Jintan. To get there, the battalion would have to pass through the Chunhua Mountain on the north bank of the Laodao River. At 8 a.m., the 10th Company of the 3rd Battalion was approaching the vicinity of Chunhua Mountain when it suddenly took fire. Because the area was covered by a small pine forest and the visibility was unclear, the company did not know where the bullets came from. Battalion commander Ikede, who judged the enemy were defeated stragglers, ordered the company to attack. As a result, the company continued fighting until the afternoon before they could make progress, and the battalion eventually had to cross the Laodao River after dark.
The enemy facing them were units of the 74th Corps. The 3rd Division had no prior knowledge of who they were fighting against at the time. While the 11th Army had been aware of the movement of the 74th Corps since September 21, the army did not know where the corps was heading. As the Chinese army was accustomed to rapid marches at night to avoid Japanese aircraft, the 74th Corps moved faster than the 11th Army had believed. On the afternoon of September 25, the 169th and 170th Regiments of the 57th Division were ordered to move northward through Huanghua City to seize the front-line positions of Chunhua Mountain at the north bank of Laodao River. At dawn of September 26, the 169th Regiment of the 57th Division encountered the vanguard of the Japanese army. At the same time, a portion of the 58th division also rushed to the eastern side of the mountain and the two units worked together to drive out the Japanese vanguard and seized key positions near Chunhua Mountain. By morning, most of the 57th and 58th Divisions had crossed the Laodao River. The 58th Division was ordered to take over the defense line of the 57th Division from the eastern side of Chunhua Mountain to Yong'an city.
Before noon, the 1st and 3rd Battalion of the 34th Infantry Regiment had arrived at the eastern side of Chunhua Mountain and launched an assault against the 173rd Regiment of the 58th Division. The 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion rushed forward and occupied Hill 153.3 and captured it by 15:25, but was immediately subjected to concentrated fire. The commander of the company was hit by a stray bullet and died the following day. In the afternoon, the 6th Infantry Regiment arrived at the western side of Chunhua Mountain which was defended by the 169th Regiment of the 57th Division. The regiment ordered its 2nd Battalion to launch an assault with heavy artillery support. For thirty minutes, the 6th and 7th Companies suffered continuous casualties under fierce gunfire from the defenders. The commander of the 6th Company was killed leading the 2nd Company to charge the defenders' right side. By 18:00, the 6th Company had occupied Chunhua Mountain.
On the afternoon of September 26, the main force of the 18th Infantry Regiment assaulted Yong'an city defended by the 172nd Regiment of the 58th Division. With only the 1st Battalion, the 4th Company crossed the Laodao River bridge built by the Chinese army and the battalion occupied the city at 15:30. During the assault, the battalion erroneously claimed to have captured Cai Renjie, commander of the 173rd Regiment of the 58th Division. As the 1st Battalion crossed the river, the 58th Division launched a counterattack from the west flank of the 18th Infantry Regiment, isolating the 3rd Division's command post. At this time, the 2nd Battalion caught up with the main force of the Japanese regiment and immediately repelled the Chinese counterattack by 17:00. Following the counterattack of the 2nd Battalion, the 3rd Division's command post entered Yong’an city at 19:00. That night, the main force of the 18th Infantry Regiment took advantage of capturing Yong’an city to attack Hill 147, but encountered fierce resistance.
The 6th Division had also been pursuing the 74th Corps after air intelligence spotted a large Chinese unit on September 25. On the night of September 26, the 3rd Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment attacked and captured Hill 151.1. On the same day, the 4th Division and its subordinate the Hayabuchi task force were also advancing to the banks of the Laodao River, breaking through the left bank positions at night.
At the same time, Wang Yaowu ordered a massive counterattack with all three divisions against the Japanese troops in front of them. At 2 a.m. on the 27th, grenades were thrown everywhere and brutal hand-to-hand combat were carried out at the burning city of Yong’an. Both company commanders of the 1st Battalion of the 18th Infantry Regiment were killed, and the assault on the highland was halted. At this time, the 18th Infantry Regiment only had four infantry companies, so regimental commander Ishii requested the 8th Company return to the regiment and immediately assign it to the 1st Battalion. Battalion commander Moriwaki personally led a platoon of the 8th Company and launched an assault, capturing Hill 147 on 5 a.m. The 58th Division counterattacked a few more times but were repelled. At 6 a.m, Ishii ordered the 2nd Battalion to launched an assault at the northern plateau of Hill 156 with close artillery support. By the afternoon, the hill had been captured, but the 7th Company had lost all its officers including the company commander, and the casualties of the company reached more than 60. According to Anami's diary on October 15, the 29th Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Division suffered more than 800 casualties during the entire second battle of Changsha, of which the 18th Infantry Regiment lost 8 company commanders. Most of the losses occurred in the battles near Chunhua Mountain and Yong'an city.
The 58th Division was facing not only the 3rd Division but also the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 6th Division in the Japanese counterattack, of which the defenders at Chunhua Mountain bore the brunt of the attack. The 172nd Regiment lost two battalion commanders. Yu Guanying, commander of the 2nd Battalion, was killed and Guo Runchu, commander of the 3rd Battalion was wounded. All battalion commanders and company commanders of the 173rd Regiment were killed or wounded, and all regiments of the Chinese division were locked in a bitter battle.
The 51st and 57th Divisions were also facing great difficulties. The 170th Regiment of the 57th Division was hit hard on the left flank by the 6th Division during the morning counterattack. Divisional commander Yu Chengwan ordered infantry commander Li Hanqing to lead the main force of the 171st Regiment and the supplementary regiment to counterattack the enemy's flank at Chunhua Mountain. The attack force took fierce gunfire from Japanese troops and Li Hanqing was killed. At the same time, the 170th Regiment was attacked by a portion of the 3rd Division and repelled them at a great cost. In the continuous fighting that day, the 57th Division suffered nearly 3,000 casualties. The 51st Division's night attack was also halted. Regiment adjutant Zhu Bingqing of the 151st Regiment and many officers were killed in the Japanese counterattack.
On the morning of September 27, Chiang Kai-Shek sent a telegraph to the Ninth Military Front, which contained the message: "The Laodao River Operation is crucial to defending Changsha and the very survival of our nation. Anyone who fail to obey orders, hesitate to advance, or retreat without authorization will be summarily executed on the spot." However, the 74th Corps was in a very difficult situation by noon as it was pinned down by the 3rd, 4th, and 6th Divisions along the Laodao River. At 17:00, Wang Yaowu received a telegraph by Xue Yue, informing him that the plan was now to lure the enemy deeper into their territory and engaged the enemy at the area north of Liuyang River and ordered him to led his corps to Dongyang City using the cover of the night. The 51st and 57th Divisions were able to withdraw without engaging the enemy. However, the 58th Division, which had to cover the other divisions' retreat and was the last to withdraw, fought fiercely against the enemy and suffered heavy casualties. The 95th Division of the 37th Corps and the 72nd Corps launched supporting operations to cover the retreat of the 10th and 74th Corps and also took in the retreating 26th Corps.