The Sino-Japanese War(Campaigns in detail)

[Akira Takizawa]

11th Army - Lt. General Waichiro Sonobe

-4th Division - It did not participate in the campaign. The Japanese shown as 4th Division on above map was really Ikeda Detachment.

-6th Division (partial) - Lt. Gen. Machijiri

From 6th Division, Ikeda Detachment commanded by Major Gen. Naomi Ikeda participated in the campaign. The core of the detachment was the 11th Infantry Brigade.

- 20th Separate Brigade- ? [1]

I don't know what it means. But, following detachments participated in the campaign.

Ogawa Detachment - Col. Ogawa (216th Infantry Regiment)
Yoshida Detachmet - Col. Yoshida
101st Mixed Brigade - Major General Matsuyama

Reinforced from 13th Army
Kurahashi Detachment - Col. Kurahashi (60th Infantry Regiment)
Matsui Detachment - Major General Matsui (22nd Infnatry Group)
Kansui(漢水) Detachment - Col. Higaki (17th Anchorage HQ)

- 14th Independent Mixed Brigade- Major-General Takahide Todo

3rd Hikodan - Major General Saburo Endo


Taki

[asiaticus]

Thanks for the map and the corrections Taki.

Some questions an comments:

11th Army - Lt. General Waichiro Sonobe

Odd. I found 11th Army commander listed as Lt. General Katsuichiro Enbu (9 Mar 1940 - 10 Apr 1941)
on the Axis History website: http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=6922
and Generals from Japan (WWII) http://www.generals.dk/nation/Japan/S.html

Maybe they need correction. This command listing of Waichiro Sonobe is from the official Japanese history or elsewhere?
Any idea of the dates his command began and ended?

-4th Division - It did not participate in the campaign. The Japanese shown as 4th Division on above map was really Ikeda Detachment.

My info is that 4th Division joined 11th Army July 1st, 1940. That is what my copy of the IJA Orbat in China says. I was thinking a part of the division might have turned up a little earlier because in the text in the Chinese history it is mentioned as being only a part of it and arriving late in the campaign and only attacking toward Ichang in company with the 18th IMB.

Perhaps that part of 4th Divison might be this Yoshida Detachment or was that from some other unit maybe the detachment of 40th Divison?

Was Yoshida Detachment operating with the Ikeda Detachment attacking toward Ichang as you mention or was it with the 3rd Divison up north?

-6th Division (partial) - Lt. Gen. Machijiri

Thanks must have overlooked checking on this one:
Lieutenant-General Kazumoto Machijiri Viscount (1889-1950)
1939 - 1941 General Officer Commanding 6th Division

From 6th Division, Ikeda Detachment commanded by Major Gen. Naomi Ikeda participated in the campaign. The core of the detachment was the 11th Infantry Brigade.

Thanks. I wondered which brigade was sent. Any idea what other supporting divisional units were tagged on to this Detachement?

I see I put down the wrong list of sub units for 6th Divison. Should be
--11th Infantry Brigade
---13th Infantry Regiment
---47th Infantry Regiment
--36th Infantry Brigade
---23rd Infantry Regiment
---45th Infantry Regiment
-- Field Artillery Regiment
-- 6th Cavalry Regiment
-- 6th Engineer Regiment
-- 6th Transport Regiment

- 20th Separate Brigade- ? [1]
I don't know what it means.

The Chinese history uses that Separate Brigade term for the Independant Mixed Brigades.

But, following detachments participated in the campaign.

Ogawa Detachment - Col. Ogawa (216th Infantry Regiment)

From 34th Division

Yoshida Detachmet - Col. Yoshida

What composed this unit? Maybe part of 4th Division or 40th Divison?

101st Mixed Brigade - Major General Matsuyama

Was this a Independant Mixed Brigade or a detachment of the 101st Division?
My info is that the 10st Division was sent back to Japan in November 1939. Was this brigade held over?

Reinforced from 13th Army
Kurahashi Detachment - Col. Kurahashi (60th Infantry Regiment)

This is from 15th Divison.

Matsui Detachment - Major General Matsui (22nd Infantry Group)

Was this the infantry brigade group from the 22nd Division? If so how many of its 3 infantry regiments (and other units) came along?

Kansui(漢水) Detachment - Col. Higaki (17th Anchorage HQ)

What is this type of unit?

Do you know what roles these detachments had in the campaign?

Another thing that I am curious about is what Naval force was involved here? It would seem necessary to secure the length of the Yangze from Yueh Yang to Icheng. Any info on fleet assets involved here?

- 14th Independent Mixed Brigade- Major-General Takahide Todo

Thanks had no info on this one.

3rd Hikodan - Major General Saburo Endo

Any idea of his term of command?

Sino-Japanese Air War 1937 – 1945
http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/sino-japanese-1940.htm

has it as
3rd Hikoshidan - Lieutenant General Kinoshita (Nanking)
- 1st Hikodan - Major General Nakazono (Peiking)
- 3rd Hikodan - Major General Kuwana (Hankow)

It may be Hakan needs to correct his site. Is the 3rd Hikodan command listing from the official Japanese history or elsewhere?

[Akira Takizawa]

> 11th Army - Lt. General Waichiro Sonobe
> Odd. I found 11th Army commander listed as Lt. General Katsuichiro Enbu (9 Mar 1940 - 10 Apr 1941)

"Katsuichiro Enbu" is a mistranslation. "Waichiro Sonobe" is a correct reading of his name.

> Any idea of the dates his command began and ended?

9 Mar 1940 - 10 Apr 1941

> Perhaps that part of 4th Divison might be this Yoshida Detachment or was that from some other unit maybe the detachment of 40th Divison?

No

> Was Yoshida Detachment operating with the Ikeda Detachment attacking toward Ichang as you mention or was it with the 3rd Divison up north?

I don't know.

> Thanks. I wondered which brigade was sent. Any idea what other supporting divisional units were tagged on to this Detachement?

Ikeda Detachment
13th Infantry Regiment
One battalion each from 47th, 23rd, 45th Infantry Regiments
One battalion of 2nd Independent Mountain Gun Regiment
One platoon of 6th Cavalry Regiment
One company of 6th Engineer Regiment
Two companies of 6th Transport Regiment

> Yoshida Detachmet - Col. Yoshida
> What composed this unit? Maybe part of 4th Division or 40th Divison?

It consisted of 61st Infantry Battalion, guard unit from 13th Division and other support units. I don't know what unit 61st Infantry Battalion was.

> 101st Mixed Brigade - Major General Matsuyama
> Was this a Independant Mixed Brigade or a detachment of the 101st Division?

It was a temporary brigade locally formed. It consisted of China Stationed Infantry Battalion, 26th IIB and other support units.

> Matsui Detachment - Major General Matsui (22nd Infantry Group)
> Was this the infantry brigade group from the 22nd Division?

He was the commander of 22nd Infantry Group. But, the troops of Matsui detachment were gathered from some different divisions.

> If so how many of its 3 infantry regiments (and other units) came along?

It had three infantry battalions extracted from 15th, 17th and 22nd Divisions. It is unknown from which regiments they came.

> Kansui(漢水) Detachment - Col. Higaki (17th Anchorage HQ)
> What is this type of unit?

It is a shipping force. The OOB of Kansui Detachment is as follows.

17th Anchorage HQ
6th Reserve Battalion of Imperial Guard Division
6th Independent Engineer Regiment
1st Company of 10th Independent Engineer Regiment
Five Surface Transport Units
Construction Transport Unit
9th Transport Supervision Unit

> Do you know what roles these detachments had in the campaign?

Kansui Deachment attacked together with Ikeda Detachment. I don't know the operations of other detachments.

> Another thing that I am curious about is what Naval force was involved here? It would seem necessary to secure the length of the Yangze from Yueh Yang to Icheng. Any info on fleet assets involved here?

1st China Expeditionary Fleet participated in the campaign. But, I don't know the details.

> 3rd Hikodan - Major General Saburo Endo
> Any idea of his term of command?

11th, 59th, 60th, 44th, 75th Sentai's
One squadron of 15th Sentai
One squadron of 90th Sentai
17th Independent Squadron

Correction:
The commander of 3rd Hikodan was Major General Kuwana. Endo succeeded to him in Aug.

Sino-Japanese Air War 1937 ? 1945
http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/sino-japanese-1940.htm

has it as
3rd Hikoshidan - Lieutenant General Kinoshita (Nanking)
- 1st Hikodan - Major General Nakazono (Peiking)
- 3rd Hikodan - Major General Kuwana (Hankow)

It may be Hakan needs to correct his site. Is the 3rd Hikodan command listing from the official Japanese history or elsewhere?

Stated above. The term of Hikoshidan(Air Division) was used since 1942. Before then, it was called Hikoshudan(Air Group).


Taki

[asiaticus]

So the forces for the Tsaoyang-Yichang Campaign would seem to be:

11th Army
Northern Pincer
- 3rd Divison

Central Force
-39th Divison

Southern Pincer
- 13th Divison

Ichang Column
- Ikeda Detachment - Major Gen. Naomi Ikeda / 6th Division
--13th Infantry Regiment
-- One battalion each from 47th, 23rd, 45th Infantry Regiments / 6th Div.
-- One battalion of 2nd Independent Mountain Gun Regiment
-- One platoon of 6th Cavalry Regiment
-- One company of 6th Engineer Regiment
-- Two companies of 6th Transport Regiment
- Kansui(漢水) Detachment - Col. Higaki (17th Anchorage HQ)

The rest if not part of the attacking force maybe are security forces to replace the missing Divisions forces garrisoning the Hankow - Xinyang region and hold the new communication lines to the west perhaps?

From South of the Yangtze
- 14th IMB from Juijiang area

--Yoshida Detachmet - Col. Yoshida
--- 61st Battalion / this is probably a Battalion of the 14th IMB

- 18th IMB from Wuning according to Hsu Long-hsuen

- Ogawa Detachment - Col. Ogawa
-- 216th Infantry Regiment / 34th Division from the Nanchang area

from North China ?
101st Mixed Brigade - Major General Matsuyama
- China Stationed Infantry Battalion / from 27th Division was garrisoning the Tianjin area
- 26th Independent Infantry Battalion / from 7th IMB which was garrisoning the Huimin area

Reinforced from 13th Army:
Kurahashi Detachment - Col. Kurahashi
- 60th Infantry Regiment / 15th Division in the Nanchang area

Matsui Detachment - Major General Matsui
- 22nd Infantry Group / from 22nd Division in the Hangchow area
--- 3 Battalions

[Akira Takizawa]

> The rest if not part of the attacking force maybe are security forces to replace the missing Divisions forces garrisoning the Hankow - Xinyang region and hold the new communication lines to the west perhaps?

They were not mentioned in the attacks of the campaign. So, they would be used in the rear.

> from North China ?
> 101st Mixed Brigade - Major General Matsuyama

Gen. Matsuyama was the commander of 27th Division's Infantry Group. Apparently, it was formed in North China.


Taki

[asiaticus]

> from North China ?
> 101st Mixed Brigade - Major General Matsuyama

Gen. Matsuyama was the commander of 27th Division's Infantry Group. Apparently, it was formed in North China.

Taki, thanks for that info. Interesting, the 27th Division and 7th IMB areas were ones that didnt see much action in that Chinese Winter Offensive in the previous months. They must have been the ones that North China could spare for loaning for offensive purposes in Central China. If that is all they could send, the North China Army must have had their hands full up north.

What were the Japanese doing up there in 1940 prior to August, besides the Suiyuan conflict? I know in August to December the 100 Regiments offensive by the Communists was going on. Hsu Long-hsuen doesnt mention anything going on up there during 1940 except for the Winter Offensive at the begining. I would imagine the Japanese had to be busy running off the GMT Chinese from their communication routes and restoring them.

[Akira Takizawa]

What were the Japanese doing up there in 1940 prior to August, besides the Suiyuan conflict?

Some small operations were carried out in North China. I don't know how they are called in the West, so I write them in Japanese names.

2/18-2/21 魯東作戦 (Shandong Operation)
4/11-5/31 冀中作戦 (Central Hepei Operation)
4/17-5/8 春季普南作戦 (Spring South Shanhsi Operation)
6/20-7/9 西北山西作戦 (North-West Shanhsi Operation)


Taki

[asiaticus]

Some small operations were carried out in North China. I don't know how they are called in the West, so I write them in Japanese names.

2/18-2/21 魯東作戦 (Shandong Operation)
4/11-5/31 冀中作戦 (Central Hepei Operation)
4/17-5/8 春季普南作戦 (Spring South Shanhsi Operation)
6/20-7/9 西北山西作戦 (North-West Shanhsi Operation)

Thanks Taki

These look like the kind of operations that I was expecting to see.

Looks like they did a quick knockout of the Shandong guerilla attacks on the railroad to Central China.
That would have allowed troops from the North to get to Central China in time for that Icheng operaton.

Central Hepei Operation and Spring South Shanhsi Operation look like the ones to roll back the 1st and 2nd and Hopei-Chahar War Area attacks.

North-West Shanhsi Operation I am curious what this would be.


Any details on these operations activity and results?

Units involved?

[Akira Takizawa]

> Looks like they did a quick knockout of the Shandong guerilla attacks on the railroad to Central China.

It is a mop-up operation on Shandong Peninsula. 21st and 32nd Divisions and 5th IMB advanced through the peninsula from Feb. 7th. NLFs from 3rd China Expeditionary Fleet landed at the end of the peninsula on Feb. 18th. They occupied the peninsula around until Feb. 21st.

> Any details on these operations activity and results?
> Units involved?

No detailed information about other operations.


Taki

[asiaticus]

It is a mop-up operation on Shandong Peninsula. 21st and 32nd Divisions and 5th IMB advanced through the peninsula from Feb. 7th. NLFs from 3rd China Expeditionary Fleet landed at the end of the peninsula on Feb. 18th. They occupied the peninsula around until Feb. 21st

Hmm interesting. I wonder how effective it was.

No detailed information about other operations.

Too bad. It would be nice to find out the details on those.

Where there any operations along those lines in Central or South China?

[Akira Takizawa]

> Hmm interesting. I wonder how effective it was.

There were about 20,000 Chinese troops on Shandong Peninsula and they were destroyed.

> Too bad. It would be nice to find out the details on those.

When I go to the library, I will check.

> Where there any operations along those lines in Central or South China?

1/28 第１次後套作戦 - The first battle of Wuyuan in Inner Mongolia
3/25 第２次後套作戦 - The second battle of Wuyuan
1/22 第１次浙東作戦 - First East Chechiang Operation
2/15 第２次浙東作戦 - Second East Chechiang Operation


Taki

[asiaticus]

There were about 20,000 Chinese troops on Shandong Peninsula and they were destroyed.

This operation not mentioned in Hsu Long-hsuen.

> Too bad. It would be nice to find out the details on those.

When I go to the library, I will check.

I think the group following our postings will be grateful. I certainly will be. Given these were the areas of some of the main efforts of the Chinese army Winter Offensive it had to be significant.

1/28 第１次後套作戦 - The first battle of Wuyuan in Inner Mongolia
3/25 第２次後套作戦 - The second battle of Wuyuan

I think I mentioned the activities of these in my article section on the battle of Wuyuan. Its good to know the name of the Japanese operations covering their activity. Is there info on the Japanese units involved besides the Japanese Cavalry Group? I am thinking that the 26th Division would have been involved and some troops from the Peiking area are mentioned. I would guess these would have been units directly under the Front Army and maybe some from 15th IMB or 27th Division.

1/22 第１次浙東作戦 - First East Chechiang Operation

This sounds like the operations south of Hangchow carried out by the 22nd Division I mentioned in my article on the Winter Offensive.

2/15 第１次浙東作戦 - Second East Chechiang Operation

What was going on here? 22nd Division again I would assume.

[Akira Takizawa]

> I think I mentioned the activities of these in my article section on the battle of Wuyuan. Its good to know the name of the Japanese operations covering their activity. Is there info on the Japanese units involved besides the Japanese Cavalry Group?

It was fought by 駐蒙軍(Mongolia Stationed Army). 駐蒙軍 consisted of Cavalry Group, 26th Division and 2nd IMB.

> This sounds like the operations south of Hangchow carried out by the 22nd Division I mentioned in my article on the Winter Offensive.

Yes

> What was going on here? 22nd Division again I would assume.

Yes, 22nd Division carried out.

Taki

[asiaticus]

It was fought by 駐蒙軍(Mongolia Stationed Army). 駐蒙軍 consisted of Cavalry Group, 26th Division and 2nd IMB.

This make sense. I wasnt thinking about the 2nd IMB but it came from near the Peiking area but was part of that Mongolian Stationed Army.

2/15 第１次浙東作戦 - Second East Chechiang Operation

Yes, 22nd Division carried out.

What happened over the course of this operation? It must have been fairly successful if they could loan troops for the I-chang campaign.

[Akira Takizawa]

> What happened over the course of this operation? It must have been fairly successful if they could loan troops for the I-chang campaign.

I don't know the details. I will check it in the library.


Correction

2/15 第２次浙東作戦 - Second East Chechiang Operation

Taki