Battle of Taierzhuang

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Tai'erzhuang
partof=the Second Sino-Japanese War


caption=House-to-house fighting in Tai'erzhuang
date=evening of 24 March 1938¹ - 7 April 1938
place=Taierzhuang
result=Chinese victory
combatant1=
combatant2= , 2nd Army
commander1=Li Zongren, Han Fuqu†, Pang Bingxun, Sun Lianzhong, Sun Zhen, Tang Enbai, Wang Mingzhang†, Zhang Zizhong
commander2=Rensuke Isogai (10th Division), Itagaki Seishiro (5th Division)
strength1=100,000 troops in 10 Divisions
strength2=30,000 troops in 2 divisions
casualties1=30,000
casualties2=16,000

The Battle of Tai'erzhuang (zh-tsp|t=臺兒莊會戰|s=台儿庄会战|p=Tái'érzhūang Huìzhàn) was a battle of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1938, between armies of Chinese Kuomintang and Japan, and is sometimes considered as a part of Battle of Xuzhou.

Tai'erzhuang is located on the eastern bank of the Grand Canal of China and was a frontier garrison northeast of Xuzhou. It was also the terminus of a local branch railway from Lincheng. Xuzhou itself was the junction of the Jinpu Railway (Tianjin-Pukou) and the Longhai Railway (Lanzhou-Lianyungang) and the headquarters of the KMT's 5th War Zone.

The battle involved a Japanese plan to conquer Xuzhou, a major city in the East. However, the Japanese failed to consider the plans of generals Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi, who planned to encircle the Japanese in the town of Tai'erzhuang. Overconfidence led the Japanese commanders to overlook as well the thousands of indiscriminate "farmers" in the area, who infiltrated and cut communication lines and supplies, diverted streams, and ruined rail lines. By late March, supplies and fuels were being dropped from airplanes to Japanese troops, but the quantities were insufficient.

On March 29, 1938, a small band of Japanese soldiers tunneled under Tai'erzhuang's walls in an attempt to take the city from within. They were caught by the Chinese defenders and killed. Over the next week, both sides claimed to hold parts of the city and surrounding area, and many were killed in small arms battles.

Finally, the Japanese attacked frontally, failing to consider the greater Chinese numbers. A major encirclement on April 6, with Chinese reinforcements, preceded a major Japanese retreat, which the Chinese failed to capitalize upon through pursuit due to a lack of mobility.

Amid the celebrations in Hankow and other Chinese cities, Japan denied and ridiculed the reports of the battle for days. It was reported in the world's newspapers, however, and by mid-April had provoked a Cabinet crisis in Tokyo.

The Chinese scored a major victory, the first of the Nationalist alliance in the war. The battle broke the myth of Japanese military infallibility and resulted in an incalculable benefit to Chinese morale.

References

* 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. 221-230. Map. 9-1
* [http://www.republicanchina.org/Taierzhuang-Campaign.pdf Taierzhuang Campaign]

External links

* [http://www.ln632.com/qxsw/main.htm Memorial museum of the Battle of Tai'erzhuang] (in Chinese)
* [http://www.xinjunshi.com/ziliao/junshiditu/krdt/200412/1257.html 台儿庄战役 ] Map of Tai'erzhuang Campaign in Chinese. (slow to load)
* [http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=94112&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 Axis History Forum Index » WW2 in the Pacific & Asia » The Sino-Japanese War(Campaigns in detail)] See Pg. 1-2 for narrative, maps, order of battle and discussion of this battle.
* [http://www.republicanchina.org/Taierzhuang-Campaign.pdf Taierzhuang Campaign]