Battle of South Shanxi (1940)

The 1940 Battle of South Shanxi was an operation initiated by the Japanese First Army in North China to destroy the stronghold of the Chinese Army in southeast Shanxi. It included one of the thirteen battles in the Zhongtiao Mountains before the Battle of South Shanxi.^[8]: 3 The National Revolutionary Army referred to the battle as The Enemy's Operation to Open Up Transportation Routes between Shanxi and Henan. The Japanese Army divided the battle into three phases : Spring Operation in South Shanxi, Xiangning Operation, and Counterattack Operation in South Shanxi.

In 1939, the Japanese Army launched the East Shanxi Operation targeting the base of the Chinese First Military Front. However, while they believed that they had inflicted heavy damage on the enemy, the First Military Front had been steadily strengthening their defenses in the southeast Shanxi region which the Japanese Army believed to be the last Chinese stronghold in North China. To maintain security in North China and expand their occupied territories, the Japanese First Army planned an offensive to destroy the Chinese Army in South Shanxi. On March 5, 1940, the 36th, 37th, and 41st Divisions were issued orders to prepare for the "Spring Operation in South Shanxi".^[9]

The Chinese Army believed that the deployment of the Japanese divisions meant they were preparing for an operation to open up transportation routes between Shanxi and Henan via the areas of Changzhi, Yangcheng, and Bo'ai to invade south Henan. Recognizing the importance of southeast Shanxi over the security of the entire province, the Military Affairs Commission of the Kuomintang approved the transfer of the elite 71st Army from Shaanxi. The 4th, 5th, 14th, and 36th Army Groups remained stationed in the areas of Yicheng, Jiang County, and the Zhongtiao Mountains and prepared for the Japanese offensive.^[10]: 151

On April 17, 1940, the Japanese 37th Division moved southward from Yuncheng to launch an offensive against the Shaanxi 4th Army Group at the Zhongtiao Mountains. The 227th Infantry Regiment quickly routed the New 35th Division in Zhangcun (張村) and captured Pinglu.^{[11]: 16–17} The 225th and 226th Infantry Regiments, supported by artillery and the air force, advanced towards Monan, Pinglu, and Maojindu (茅津渡) as the Chinese units gradually retreated. On April 19, the Japanese regiments captured Yandi Village (淹底村) and went on to attack Wangyuan (望原).^{[11]: 12–15} The training regiment of the 38th Army held onto the stronghold and was able to repel the assault after several days of fierce fighting.^[12]

On April 25, the 37th Division launched a massive assault at the Chinese 17th Division's position near Maojiashan (毛家山),^[11]: 23 inflicting heavy casualties and routing the Chinese division. At the end of the month, the 4th Army Group launched a counterattack against the 37th Division, regaining some lost ground and fighting the enemy into a stalemate which lasted for the rest of the operation. In the two weeks of combat, the 4th Army Group suffered more than 3,500 casualties and the 37th Division suffered more than 400 casualties.^[13] The "April 14" or "April 17" Campaign was second only to the "June 6" Campaign in 1939 for the 4th Army Group in the Zhongtiao Mountains in terms of scale and brutality.^[14]

On April 20, the Japanese 41st Division attacked the positions of the 93rd Army from the Fushan and Jicheng (冀城) areas. Commander-in-chief Wei Lihuang quickly ordered the 14th Army to attack the enemy from the east to assist the 93rd Army. On the same day, the 237th Infantry Regiment broke through the position of the 85th Division in Zhangma (張馬),^{[11]: 26–27} and engaged with the 14th Army near Dongfeng Town (董封鎮) until the end of April.^[10]: 153 By April 23, the 93rd Army had suffered too many casualties after several days of bitter fighting. As the 41st Division forced a crossing at the Qin River, the 93rd Army retreated to the east bank.^[11]: 28 A section of the Japanese division also engaged in fierce fighting with the 71st Army near Puchi Village (蒲池村).^[10]: 152

At the same time as the 41st Division, the Japanese 36th Division launched a massive attack at the 27th Army's position in Lingchuan. The Japanese division sent a detachment consisting of the 224th Infantry Regiment to attack the 27th Army from the left.^{[11]: 34–36} Facing a serious threat from the flank and having already suffered heavy casualties, the 27th Army decided to retreat to the northeast and Lingchuan fell. Wei Lihuang immediately ordered the 178th Division of the 47th Army to block the Japanese southward advance from Lingchuan and the 71st Army to attack northeast from Gaoping to support the 27th Army. Lingchuan was recaptured through the combined actions of multiple Chinese armies on April 25. The 27th Army pursued the retreating Japanese troops and launched guerilla attacks.^{[10]: 152–153}

The Tawara detachment of the Japanese 36th Division advanced to the Duzhai Village (杜寨村) on April 23 and surrounded the supplementary regiment of the Chinese 36th Division.^{[11]: 40–41} The Chinese regiment barely managed to break out after desperate fighting, though with its commander killed and its combat strength exhausted.^[15] The Japanese 36th Division then went on to capture Gaoping on April 24 and Jincheng the next day.^{[11]: 43–46}

On April 27, the 36th Division sent a detachment from Jincheng to attack Gaoping Pass. Simultaneously, the 41st Division pressed its attack on the 93rd Army on the east bank of the Qin River and the 71st Army near Puchi Village. At dawn on April 30, the Japanese Army launched a brutal assault at the Gaoping Pass and wiped out the 263rd Regiment of the 88th Division. At the same time, the 93rd Army was under immense pressure from the 41st Division and abandoned its position, exposing the right flank of the 71st Army. Facing increasing number of Japanese troops, the 71st Army suffered heavy casualties and retreated to the mountainous areas northwest of Gaoping Pass on May 1, ending the first phase of the operation.^[10]: 153

To support Chinese troops at the Zhongtiao Mountains and restore the triangle defense area, Hu Zongnan, the commander of the 34th Army Group, ordered the 90th Army from Shaanxi to harass various Japanese strongholds at southwest Shanxi. The 109th Division started its attack on April 26 and clashed with Japanese troops at Hejin, Xinjiang, and Jishan,^[16] at one point breaking through Japanese defense in Jishan. The 61st Division attacked Houma and the 53rd Division laid siege to Fencheng (汾城)^[17] The western advance attracted the First Army's attention and the Japanese commander quickly redirected the 37th and 41st Divisions to launch the "Xiangning Operation", with the aim of destroying Hu Zongnan's Central Army troops.^[18] The Japanese Army started the offensive on May 10, and the two divisions pressed the attack on the 90th Army while steadily advancing to the outskirts of Xiangning. Parts of the divisions also engaged with the 34th, 61st, and 83rd Armies at the Lüliang Mountains. Hu Zongnan's and Yan Xishan's troops committed to guerilla warfare and avoided direct frontal combat with the advancing Japanese troops. Thus, despite the Japanese Army capturing Xiangning on May 15, the strength of the 90th Army remained intact.^{[10]: 166–167 [19][20]} The Japanese Army believed that they had inflicted a heavy blow on the 90th Army. Judging that their objective had been achieved and considering the urgent situation in south Shanxi, the Japanese Army ordered an end to the operation on May 17. The two Japanese division conducted mopping-up operations and returned to the Fen River area on May 20.^[21]: 301

As the pressure on southeast Shanxi eased, commander-in-chief Wei Lihuang took the opportunity to order his First Military Front to launch counterattacks to recover lost territories, with the offensive centered in southeast Shanxi.^{[10]: 166–167 [22]} The Japanese Army believed that Chinese forces in south Shanxi had suffered a devastating blow in the previous South Shanxi operation and did not expect the sudden Chinese offensive. Since the 37th and 41st Divisions were still fighting at the Xiangning Front, the South Shanxi Front was defended by only the 36th Division. The Japanese First Army quickly ordered the other two divisions to return and counterattack the attacking Chinese troops.^[21]: 301

On May 15, the 14th Army attacked Yangcheng and engaged Japanese troops in the southwestern suburbs. On May 20, the 27th and 71st Armies cooperated to surround Japanese soldiers of the 36th Division in Jincheng. The two armies launched numerous attacks on the city but were unable to achieve any success due to the enemy's strong defensive positions and heavy artillery support.^[10]: 165 On May 27, the 93rd Army captured Xianwengshan (仙翁山), drawing away a detachment from the 41st Division.^[23][4]

In south Shanxi, the 4th Army Group remained engaged in battles with the 37th Division along the Baishuling (柏樹嶺) and Huangcaopo (黃草坡) lines. The 5th Army Group was also in confrontation with a part of the Japanese division at Xia County. To support the Chinese counteroffensive in the east, the 15th Army launched a series of attacks at Jiang County for two weeks.^[10]: 166

Despite initial enthusiasm for the counteroffensive, it became clear to Wei Lihuang that the Chinese Army could not retake Jincheng and restore the triangle defense area especially after the 37th and 41st Divisions returned to face the South Shanxi Army. On June 7, Wei Lihuang ordered a halt for the attack on Jincheng and withdrew for reorganization to preserve combat strength. The 27th Army retreated on June 9 and, after running out of supplies from numerous fierce battles, the 71st Army retreated on June 21.^{[10]: 165–166}

Losses of the Japanese First Army in the operation were quite heavy and the period from April until June was the bloodiest for the Japanese Army in North China in 1940.^[24] However, the Japanese Army inflicted massive casualties on the Chinese Army and successively captured Yangcheng, Gaoping, Jincheng, and other counties in south Shanxi. In August 1940, after the Eighth Route Army launched the Hundred Regiments Offensive, the First Military Front also planned its own supporting operation. Starting from mid-September, the 9th and 93rd Armies launched diversionary attacks at Gaoping, Changzhi, Yangcheng, Qinyang, and Bo'ai and prevented Japanese reinforcements from reaching Jincheng. The 27th Army was tasked with the most important objective, taking Jincheng. Despite breaking into the city, the 27th Army could not dislodge the defenders and suffered heavy casualties. By the end of September, the First Military Front ordered an end to the offensive.^[25][26] In 1941, the South Shanxi Army was prepared to launch a spring offensive to retake territories lost in the previous Japanese offensive such as Gaoping, Jincheng, Yangcheng, and Qinshui and restore the south Shanxi defense area to before April 1940.^{[8]: 3 : 7 [27]} However, before the Chinese offensive could begin, the Japanese Army deployed 6 divisions, 2 independent mixed brigades, and 1 cavalry brigade to destroy the Chinese stronghold in the Zhongtiao Mountains and improve security in North China in May 1941, starting the Battle of South Shanxi.^[21]: 472