Operation Chahar ( ja, チャハル作戦, Chaharu Sakusen), known in Chinese as the Nankou Campaign (), occurred in August 1937, following the
Battle of Beiping-Tianjin
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
at the beginning of
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
.
This was the second attack by the
Kwantung Army
''Kantō-gun''
, image = Kwantung Army Headquarters.JPG
, image_size = 300px
, caption = Kwantung Army headquarters in Hsinking, Manchukuo
, dates = April ...
and the
Inner Mongolian Army
The Inner Mongolian Army, also sometimes called the Mengjiang National Army, referred to the Inner Mongolian military units in service of Imperial Japan and its puppet state of Mengjiang during the Second Sino-Japanese War, particularly those led ...
of Prince
Teh Wang
Demchugdongrub ( mn, , Demchigdonrob, Дэмчигдонров, translit=Demchigdonrov, , Chinese: 德穆楚克棟魯普, 8 February 1902– 23 May 1966), also known as Prince De ( zh, 德王), courtesy name Xixian ( zh, 希賢), was a Qing ...
on
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...
after the failure of the
Suiyuan Campaign (1936). The Chahar Expeditionary Force was under the direct command of General
Hideki Tōjō
Hideki Tojo (, ', December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a Japanese politician, general of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), and convicted war criminal who served as prime minister of Japan and president of the Imperial Rule Assista ...
, the chief of staff of the Kwantung Army. A second force from the Peiping Railway Garrison Force, later the 1st Army under General
Kiyoshi Katsuki
was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Biography
Katsuki was a native of Saga prefecture. He graduated from the 14th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1902 and from the 24th class of the Army St ...
, was also involved.
Japanese Order of battle
The Chinese forces opposing this invasion of Suiyuan were the Suiyuan Pacification Headquarters under the command of General
Yan Xishan
Yan Xishan (; 8 October 1883 – 22 July 1960, ) was a Chinese warlord who served in the government of the Republic of China. He effectively controlled the province of Shanxi from the 1911 Xinhai Revolution to the 1949 Communist victory in ...
.
Fu Zuoyi
Fu Zuoyi () (June 2, 1895 − April 19, 1974) was a Chinese military leader. He began his military career in the service of Yan Xishan, and he was widely praised for his defense of Suiyuan from the Japanese. During the final stages of the Chi ...
, the governor of Suiyuan, was made commander of the 7th Group Army, and
Liu Ju-ming, governor of
Chahar, was made its deputy commander, defending Chahar with the 143rd Division and two Brigades. General
Tang Enbo
Tang Enbo (, birth name was ,(1898–1954) was a Kuomintang, Nationalist general in the Republic of China.
Life
Early life and war with Japan
Born in 1898 in Wuyi, Zhejiang, Tang Enbo was a graduate of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy, an ...
was sent by
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
with the 13th and 17th Army from the Central Army and made Frontline Commander in Chief. The 1st Cavalry Army was sent to Chahar under the command of Chiao Cheng-shou, facing the Mongolian forces of
Teh Wang
Demchugdongrub ( mn, , Demchigdonrob, Дэмчигдонров, translit=Demchigdonrov, , Chinese: 德穆楚克棟魯普, 8 February 1902– 23 May 1966), also known as Prince De ( zh, 德王), courtesy name Xixian ( zh, 希賢), was a Qing ...
.
Chinese Order of battle
Following the loss of Peiking, Tang Enbo's 13th Army (4th and 89th Divisions) took up positions in depth along the Peiking – Suiyuan Railway at
Nankou
Nankou railway station () is a railway station in Beijing. The station was opened in 1906.
Schedules
10 passenger trains
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles ...
, and further to the rear at
Juyongguan
Juyong Pass () is a mountain pass located in the Changping District of Beijing Municipality, over from central Beijing. The Great Wall of China passes through, and the Cloud Platform was built here in the year 1342.
Mountain pass
Geography
...
(Juyong Pass). Gao's 17th Army stationed its 84th Division at
Chihcheng,
Yanqing, and
Lungkuan, covering the flank of the 13th Army from Japanese forces in Chahar. The 21st Division was deployed in
Huailai
Huailai () is a county in northwestern Hebei province, People's Republic of China, under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Zhangjiakou.
Huailai County is a center for grape wine production, with the China Great Wall Wine Company ...
, on the railroad to the rear of Tang's forces. Zhao Cheng-shou's 1st Cavalry Army, Liu Ru-ming's 143rd Division, and two Peace Preservation Brigades began an attack on the Mongol forces in northern Chahar.
Battles around Nankou
On August 8, the Japanese
11th Independent Mixed Brigade, commanded by Gen.
Shigiyasu Suzuki, began their attack on the left flank of the 13th Corps position at
Nankou
Nankou railway station () is a railway station in Beijing. The station was opened in 1906.
Schedules
10 passenger trains
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles ...
, but were thwarted after three days by the difficult terrain and the stubborn resistance of the Chinese. A new attack on August 11, supported by tanks and aircraft, took Nankou Station, after which Gen. Suzuki's brigade advanced on Juyong Pass.
That same day, Chiang Kai-shek ordered the activation of the 14th Group Army (10th, 83rd, and 85th Divisions) under Gen.
Wei Li-huang. Coming by rail from
Yingchia-chuang to
Yi Hsien, elements of the 14th Group Army were sent on a ten-day march through the plains west of
Beiping
"Beijing" is from pinyin ''Běijīng,'' which is romanized from , the Chinese name for this city. The pinyin system of transliteration was approved by the Chinese government in 1958, but little used until 1979. It was gradually adopted by various ...
in a flanking movement in support of Tang Enbo's forces. The Chinese 1st Army Region made attacks on the Japanese forces in
Liangxiang
Liangxiang () is a township and an area of Beijing, Fangshan District, located 25km southwest of the city center. It borders Gongchen Subdistrict to its north, Changyang Town to its east, Doudian Town to its south, and Yancun Town to its west. I ...
and Chaili to distract them, and sent a detachment to
Heilung Pass to cover the advance of 14th Group Army. From the dates on a Japanese map of the battle, these forces did not reach the area until September, when it was too late, and clashed with Japanese forces from September 9–17 without achieving its objective.
On August 12, Tang Enbo's army counterattacked, surrounding the Japanese and cutting them off from their supplies and communications. On August 14,
Seishirō Itagaki
was a Japanese military officer and politician who served as a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II and War Minister from 1938 to 1939.
Itagaki was a main conspirator behind the Mukden Incident and held prestigious chief of ...
's 5th Division was sent to the relief of the 11th Independent Mixed Brigade at
Juyongguan
Juyong Pass () is a mountain pass located in the Changping District of Beijing Municipality, over from central Beijing. The Great Wall of China passes through, and the Cloud Platform was built here in the year 1342.
Mountain pass
Geography
...
.
On August 16, Itagaki arrived at Nankou and began an enveloping attack on the right flank of 13th Army, making a five pronged attack at
Huanglaoyuan. The 7th Brigade of 4th Division under
Shi Jue was moved to block this maneuver, and reinforcements of
Li Xian-zhou's 21st Division and
Zhu Huai-bing's 94th Division were brought up, engaging in days of heavy fighting. On August 17 General
Yan Xishan
Yan Xishan (; 8 October 1883 – 22 July 1960, ) was a Chinese warlord who served in the government of the Republic of China. He effectively controlled the province of Shanxi from the 1911 Xinhai Revolution to the 1949 Communist victory in ...
, Director of the Taiyuan Pacification Headquarters, directed the 7th Group Army, under
Fu Zuoyi
Fu Zuoyi () (June 2, 1895 − April 19, 1974) was a Chinese military leader. He began his military career in the service of Yan Xishan, and he was widely praised for his defense of Suiyuan from the Japanese. During the final stages of the Chi ...
, to move its 72nd Division and three brigades by rail from
Tatung to Huailai to reinforce Gen. Tang Enbo's forces.
Battle of the Great Wall
Meanwhile, in northern Chahar the Chinese 1st Cavalry Army captured
Shangtu,
Nanhaochan,
Shangyi and
Huateh from the puppet Mongolian Army of
Prince Teh. Elements of the 143rd Division took Zhongli, while its main force reached
Changpei. During this Chinese advance the Japanese Chahar Expeditionary Force under Lt. General Hideki Tōjō, composed of the mechanized 1st Independent Mixed Brigade and the 2nd and 15th Mixed Brigades, gathered for a counteroffensive from Changpei to
Kalgan
Zhangjiakou (; ; ) also known as Kalgan and by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province in Northern China, bordering Beijing to the southeast, Inner Mongolia to the north and west, and Shanxi to the southw ...
.
From August 18–19 the Chahar Expeditionary Force counterattacked from Changpei, and took
Shenweitaiko on the Great Wall and the Hanno Dam. The scattered and poorly equipped Chinese forces were unable to stop the Japanese, who now threatened the Peiking – Suiyuan Railway at Kalgan. On August 20 Gen. Fu Zuoyi's 7th Group Army diverted its 200th and 211th Brigades, which had been moving south by rail to join Gen. Tang Enbo's forces, back to defend Kalgan. Fu's remaining 72nd Division arrived to reinforce Chenpien, and his 7th Separate Brigade was sent to defend the railhead at Huailai.
On August 21, the Japanese forces broke through at the villages of
Henglingcheng and
Chenbiancheng. Gen. Tang Enbo's forces awaiting reinforcement; but, having suffered over 50% casualties, still defended Huailai, Chuyung Pass, and Yenqing. Liu Ju-ming's 143rd Division fell back to defend Kalgan from the advancing Japanese.
On August 23, as Seishirō Itagaki's 5th Division pushed toward Huailai from Chenpien against Ma Yen-shou's 7th Separate Brigade, advance elements of the 14th Army Group arrived on the Japanese flank at
Chingpaikou, driving off the Japanese outpost there and contacting the Japanese forces advancing to Chenpien and the front beyond. However, they were delayed in crossing the
Yungting River, and their attack was delayed until it was too late to stop the Japanese advance. Due to poor communications they also failed to link up with Gen. Tang En-po's forces during the battle. After 8 days and 8 nights fighting, Itagaki, on August 24, linked up with the Kwantung army's 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade at Xiahuayuan.
Withdrawal
On August 26, Gen. Tang Enbo's forces were ordered to break out toward the Sangchien River while Liu Ju-ming's forces were ordered to withdraw to the far side of the Hsiang-yang River.
On August 29 the Japanese unit, called the Oui Column by the Chinese and the Ohizumi Detachment (大泉支隊) by the Japanese, attacked. According to Hsu Long-hsuen this unit moved south from Tushihkou, and on August 30 attacked Yenching via Chihcheng, but was repulsed by the Chinese 17th Army. A Japanese map of the campaign shows that the unit moved to Guyuan (沽源) on August 25 and to Xuanhua (宣化) by September 7, cutting the railroad in the rear of Tang's forces and east of Chinese forces along the Great Wal
According to the Chinese account, after repulsing the Oui Column's attack the Chinese 17th Army withdrew to join the rest of Tang Enbo's force on the far side of the Sangchien River.
Kalgan
Zhangjiakou (; ; ) also known as Kalgan and by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province in Northern China, bordering Beijing to the southeast, Inner Mongolia to the north and west, and Shanxi to the southw ...
fell to the Japanese on August 27. After Gen. Fu Zuoyi's 200th and 211th Brigades failed in a counterattack to recapture Kalgan, Fu's forces fell back to the west to defend the railway to Suiyuan at
Chaikoupao. This brought an end to Operation Chahar.
According to ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine, on September 4 the Japanese-aligned South Chahar Government was set up at Kalgan. After the fall of Kalgan, Chahar's "complete independence" from China was declared by "100 influential persons", headed by Prince Teh, a pro-Japanese Mongolian who had long been the head of the "Inner Mongolia for Inner Mongolians" movement. It was Prince Teh, with his Mongolian levies, who helped the Japanese to take Kalgan. Prince Teh was rewarded for his collaboration with the highest position in this new Japanese puppet state, the
Mongol United Autonomous Government
The Mongol United Autonomous Government was a Empire of Japan, Japanese Puppet state, puppet regime in Inner Mongolia from 1937 to 1939.
History
Following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Japanese troops were eager to sent troops into Inner Mongo ...
.
Notes
*Ohizumi Detachment (大泉支隊). It was a battalion from
4th Infantry Regiment of 2nd Division under the Kwantung Army. But, its course is different than the Chinese account says. It moved from Guyuan (沽源) to Xuanhua (宣化). Se
References
Sources
* 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. 180- 184 and Map 3
* Jowett, Phillip S., Rays of The Rising Sun, Armed Forces of Japan's Asian Allies 1931–45, Volume I: China & Manchuria, 2004. Helion & Co. Ltd., 26 Willow Rd., Solihull, West Midlands, England.
Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection, China 1:250,000, Series L500, U.S. Army Map Service, 1954- . Topographic Maps of China during the Second World War.
*
Chang-Chia-K'ou(Kalgan) nk50-10Area of fighting on Great Wall and east of Nankou.
Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection, Manchuria 1:250,000, Series L542, U.S. Army Map Service, 1950- .Topographic Maps of Manchuria during the Second World War.
*
Cheng Te nk50-11Nankou area.
External links
Early Japanese Campaign(s) in the 2ndSino-Japanese War: Operation Chaharsee bottom of the page for map and other info on Operation Chahar.
Oui Column in Aug. 1937 Operation Chahar? Japanese map and discussion of Oui column and Manchukuo forces involved.
{{Coord missing, Inner Mongolia
1937 in China
1937 in Japan
Second Sino-Japanese War
Chahar
Chahar
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Great Wall of China
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History of Inner Mongolia
August 1937 events