Английская Википедия:Battle of Changsha (1941–1942)

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Шаблон:Expand Chinese Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Infobox military conflictThe third Battle of Changsha (24 December 1941 – 15 January 1942; Шаблон:Zh) was the first major offensive in China by Imperial Japanese forces following the Japanese attack on the Western Allies and the attack on Pearl Harbor. The offensive resulted in failure for the Japanese, as Chinese forces were able to lure them into a trap and encircle them. After suffering heavy casualties, Japanese forces were forced to carry out a general retreat.

Planning and forces

The offensive was originally intended to prevent Chinese forces from reinforcing the British Commonwealth forces engaged in Hong Kong. Infuriated by Chinese claims of having defeated him in his September-October 1941 Changsha Offensive, Japanese Eleventh Army commander General Korechika Anami originally intended to mount a thrust with his army to support the Twenty-Third Army's attack on Hong Kong. Anami's main force consisted of 27 infantry battalions, 10 artillery battalions, and one artillery battery.

Attack

The Japanese commenced combat operations on 24 December 1941, with the 6th and 40th Divisions leading the way. Japanese forces initially cut through Chinese defenders. By 29 December 1941, believing that the city of Changsha was "inadequately defended", Anami elected to capture it. He was supposed to drive from the south of Hankou, about Шаблон:Convert east of the Hankou-Canton Railway, and reach the Miluo River, but disobeyed orders from Imperial General Headquarters and penetrated Chinese lines as far as Шаблон:Convert toward Changsha. He committed the 3rd and 6th Divisions and his forces were surprised to be met with fierce opposition. The 3rd Division penetrated the southeastern side of the city but made no further advances. On 4 January 1942, the Eleventh Army occupied "all the important points of the city," but they were in danger of encirclement by counterattacking Chinese.

Result

With the prospect of becoming encircled, and low on ammunition and rations, the Eleventh Army ordered a withdrawal on 4 January 1942. While both withdrawing and protecting rear service units and wounded personnel, Eleventh Army forces fended off attack by nine Chinese armies and over 20 Chinese divisions. Some Japanese units — like the 200-man detachment from the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade, from which only one man survived — were almost completely destroyed.

See also

• Battle of Changsha (1939)
• Battle of Changsha (1941)
• Battle of Changsha (1944)
• Battle of Changsha (TV series), the TV series depicting this event