Battle of Henan-Hunan-Guangxi

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Battle of Henan–Hunan–Guangxi (Operation Ichigo)

Date	April–December, 1944
Location	Henan, Hunan and Guangxi
Result	Decisive Japanese victory

Combatants

National Revolutionary Army (Republic of China)

Japan

Commanders

General Wei Lihuang

Field Marshal Shunroku Hata

Strength

390,000

400,000 men, 12,000 cars and 70,000 horses

Second Sino-Japanese War
Major engagements in bold Mukden - Manchuria -(Jiangqiao - Nenjiang Bridge - Chinchow - Harbin) -Shanghai (1932) -Pacification of Manchukuo - Operation Nekka - ( Rehe - Great Wall) - Suiyuan - Marco Polo Bridge - Beiping-Tianjin - Chahar - Shanghai (1937) (Sihang Warehouse) - Beiping-Hankou Railway - Tianjin-Pukou Railway - Taiyuan - (Pingxingguan) - Xinkou - Nanjing - Xuzhou- Taierzhuang - N.-E.Henan - (Lanfeng) - Amoy - Wuhan-(Wanjialing)- Canton - (Hainan) - (Xiushui River) - Nanchang - Suixian-Zaoyang - (Swatow) - 1st Changsha - S.Guangxi- (Kunlun Pass) - Winter Offensive -(Wuyuan) - Zaoyang-Yichang - Hundred Regiments - French Indochina - C. Hupei - S.Henan - W. Hopei - Shanggao - S.Shanxi - 2nd Changsha - 3rd Changsha - Yunnan-Burma Road-(Yenangyaung)- Zhejiang-Jiangxi - W.Hubei - N.Burma-W.Yunnan - Changde - C.Henan - 4th Changsha - Guilin-Liuzhou - W.Henan-N.Hubei - W.Hunan- 2nd Guangxi edit

The Battle of Henan-Hunan-Guangxi (Traditional Chinese: 豫湘桂會戰; Simplified Chinese: 豫湘桂会战; pinyin: Yù Xīang Guì Huìzhàn) also known as Operation Ichigo or Tairiku Datsū Sakusen (Japanese:一号作戦 or 大陸打通作戦) was a series of major battles between the Imperial Japanese Army forces and the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China, fought from April to December 1944. It consists of 3 separate battles in the Chinese provinces of Henan, Hunan and Guangxi, which were the Battle of Central Henan, the Battle of Changheng, and the Battle of Guilin-Liuzhou respectively.

The aim of the offensive was to secure a continuous railway route across China linking Japanese-occupied Manchuria with Southeast Asia.

1 Course of the battle
2 Aftermath
3 Order of Battle
4 The Organization of 3rd Tank Division
5 External link

[edit] Course of the battle

This operation consisted of two phases. The first phase was to secure the Pinghan Railway between Beijing and Wuhan; the second phase was to eliminate US air forces stationed in Hunan province and to reach the city of Liuzhou, near the border with Japanese-held Indochina. 17 divisions, including 400,000 men, 12,000 vehicles and 70,000 horses participated in this operation.

In Henan, 390,000 Chinese soldiers, led by General Tang Enbo (汤恩伯), were deployed and its strategic position was Luoyang. The 3rd Tank Division of the IJA crossed the Yellow River around Zhengzhou in late April and defeated Chinese forces near Xuchang, then swung around clockwise and besieged Luoyang. Luoyang was defended by three Chinese divisions. The 3rd Tank Division began to attack Luoyang on May 13 and took it on May 25.

The second phase of Ichigo began in May, following the success of the first phase. Japanese forces advanced southward and occupied Changsha, Hengyang, Guilin and Liuzhou. In December 1944, Japanese forces reached French Indochina and achieved the purpose of the operation.

Though the purpose was achieved, there were little practical gains from this offensive. US air forces moved inland. The U.S. Fourteenth Air Force often disrupted the continuous railway between Beijing and Liuzhou that had been established in Operation Ichigo. Japan continued to attack airfields where US air forces stationed up to the spring of 1945.

The XX Bomber Command operating Strategic B-29 bombers of the Twentieth Air Force, which were attacking the Japan in Operation Matterhorn, were forced to move as well, but although this affected their efficiency for a short time, in early in 1945 the B-29 of the Twentieth Air Force moved to newly established bases in the Marianas under the command of the newly established XXI Bomber Command. This nullified the limited protection that the Japanese home islands had received from Operation Ichigo.

[edit] Aftermath

The failure to hold onto the coastal airfields led to a loss of confidence in the American General Joseph Stilwell by Chiang Kai-Shek and Stilwell was recalled to the United States in October 1944 by President Roosevelt. He was replaced as Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-Shek and commander of the U.S. Forces, China Theater (USFCT) by Major General Albert Wedemeyer. His other command responsibilities in the China Burma India Theater were divided up and allocated to other officers.

A highly different interpretation of events was that General Joseph Stilwell, pressing for a more full engagement of Chinese forces, had made diplomatic inroads with the Chinese Communist Red Army commanded by Mao Zedong. He had gotten them to agree to follow an American commander. Because of the displeasure of Chiang Kai-Shek of being bypassed by the American general, he had Stilwell recalled to the United States. New York Times reporter Brooks Atkinson wrote at the time: "The decision to relieve General Stilwell represents the political triumph of a moribund, anti-democratic regime that is more concerned with maintaining its political supremacy than in driving the Japanese out of China. America is now committed... to support a regime that has become increasingly unpopular and distrusted in China, that maintains three secret police services and concentration camps for political prisoners, that stifles free speech and resists democratic forces... The Chinese Communists... have good armies that are now fighting guerrilla warfare against the Japanese in North China... The Generalissimo regards these armies as the chief threat to his supremacy... has made no sincere attempt to arrange at least a truce with them for the duration of the war... No diplomatic genius could have overcome the Generalissimo's basic unwillingness to risk his armies in battle with the Japanese..."^[1]

[edit] Order of Battle

Tank Unit:3rd Tank Division
Commander:Lieut. General Yamaji
Tanks:255 Tanks (Type 97 Medium Tanks, Type 97-Improved Medium Tanks, Type 95 Light Tanks)

[edit] The Organization of 3rd Tank Division

3rd Tank Division
- 5th Tank Brigade
  - 8th Tank Regiment
    - 1 Light Tank Company
    - 3 Medium Tank Companies
    - 1 Gun Tank Company
  - 12th Tank Regiment
    - 1 Light Tank Company
    - 3 Medium Tank Companies
    - 1 Gun Tank Company
- 6th Tank Brigade
  - 13th Tank Regiment
    - 1 Light Tank Company
    - 3 Medium Tank Companies
    - 1 Gun Tank Company
  - 17th Tank Regiment
    - 1 Light Tank Company
    - 3 Medium Tank Companies
    - 1 Gun Tank Company
Recon Unit
- 2 Light Tank Companies
- 1 Gun Tank Company
- 1 Motorized Infantry Company

Notes:

5th Tank Brigade did not participate in the Operation Ichi-Go.
Only tank units are indicated. Other units are omitted.
Each Tank Company had 12 tanks + 2 tanks in HQ.
One Tank Regiment had 73 tanks.
Gun Tank Company was equipped with Type 97 Medium Tanks. Real Gun Tank was not deployed.