Battle of Xuzhou
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| Second Sino-Japanese War |
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| Major engagements in bold Mukden - Nenjiang Bridge - Shanghai (1932) - Great Wall - Rehe - Suiyuan - Marco Polo Bridge - Beiping-Tianjin - Chahar - Shanghai (1937) (Sihang Warehouse) - Pingxingguan - Xinkou - Taiyuan - Nanjing - Tai'erzhuang - Xuzhou- Northern and Eastern Honan 1938 - Wuhan - Xiushui River - Nanchang - Lanfeng - Suixian-Zaoyang - 1st Changsha - S.Guangxi - Winter Offensive - Zaoyang-Yichang - Hundred Regiments - S.Henan - Shanggao - S.Shanxi - 2nd Changsha - 3rd Changsha - Zhejiang-Jiangxi - W.Hubei - Changde - C.Henan - 4th Changsha - Guilin-Liuzhou - W.Henan-N.Hubei - W.Hunan [edit] |
The Battle of Xuzhou was fought between Japanese and Chinese forces in May of 1938 during World War Two.
By the pressure of the Japanese forces, 64 Chinese divisions were gathering around Xuzhou in Jiangsu, the headquarters of 5th Military region of the National Revolutionary Army. Japan intended a siege against Xuzhou and deployed the North-China Overseas Army to the north and the Central-China Overseas Army to the south. The North-China Overseas Army had 4 divisions and the Central-China Overseas Army had 3 divisions.
The 1st and 2nd Tank Battalions were ordered to advance to the western flank of Xuzhou and to prevent the Chinese forces from withdrawing towards west. The 5th Tank Battalion was used to support the infantry division.
Japan won the fierce battle of Xuzhou, but most of the Chinese soldiers escaped from the siege and Chinese forces were not annihilated. The Japanese forces were too small to besiege the large Chinese forces.
Near the end of the battle the Chinese scored a strategic victory at Tai'erzhuang, however the overall situation was grim, and Jiang Jieshi ordered the demolition of the dykes holding back the Yellow River in order to stop the advancing Japanese, but also destroying much of the area around the river.
Japanese Forces
- 1st Tank Battalion (Commander: Colonel Iwanaka)
- Tanks: 24 Type 89 Medium Tanks, 8 Type 94 Tankettes
- 2nd Tank Battalion (Commander: Colonel Imada)
- 5th Tank Battalion (Commander: Colonel Hosomi)
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