THE SITUATION IN CHINA
I
—THE CHINESE "APRIL OFFENSIVE" IS DEFEATED—
BUREAU OF INFORMATION, WAR DEPARTMENT
PERSISTENT rumours were spread in Hongkong as early as February to the effect that the war situation might develop in favour of China in April. With the fall of the three Wuhan cities, the situation in China had developed unfavourably for the Kuomintang Government, both militarily and in general. Wang Ching-wei, vice-president of the Party, left Chungking for Hanoi in Indo-China, where he boldly started a campaign for peace, urging the Kuomintang leaders to enter into negotiations with Japan on the basis of a statement issued by Prince Konoye, then Prime Minister.
Another campaign for peace was launched by Marshal Wu Pei-fu. During March, the new régimes in Peking and Nanking gained considerable strength. And to all this was added the alienation of the masses from the Kuomintang Government, especially in Chungking in Szechuan Province, and the weakening of the Chinese armies. Thus, internally, the Kuomintang Government had to map out some plan to capture popular imagination and to galvanise into action the troops which had shown manifest signs of losing enthusiasm in the protracted warfare. Externally, it was under obligation to the Soviet Union, Great Britain and France, which had extended it assistance, to demonstrate the " high morale and prestige " of the Chinese armies.
The Kuomintang Government seems to have expected a great deal from the fishery negotiations between Japan and the Soviet Union, which it hoped might be broken off in April, but which were brought to an amicable conclusion in time for the fishing season.
With these factors in the background, the Chinese " April offensive " was planned by the Soviet military advisers to the Kuomintang Government, Chou En-lai, leader of the Chinese Communist Party, and the " Christian General," Feng Yu-hsiang, in Chungking early in February, according to reliable information reaching Tokyo. In spite of strong opposition voiced by some Chinese military leaders, an organized press campaign was started by the Kuomin-
[Map: Map of China showing troop movements and positions during the "April Offensive"]
tang, heralding the inauguration of the " April offensive " throughout the world.
The Chinese plan was a very ambitious one, extending from Suiyüan in the north to Canton in the south. Part of its failure was caused by renewed Japanese attacks on strategic Chinese positions, launched as early as February, forestalling possible Chinese moves.
The Situation on Various Fronts
Thwarting the Chinese plans, the Japanese forces in China decided to take the offensive on all fronts, including Inner Mongolia, Shansi, Hupeh, Nanchang, Tsungfa and Fahsien in February and March. The Japanese paid major attention to the so-called 9th War Zone between Nanchang, capital of Kiangsi Province, and Changsha, capital of Hunan Province, where the Chinese military authorities had been planning a large-scale offensive. They shattered the Chinese attempts, by capturing Nanchang and other important points in central Kiangsi Province.
Chinese guerillas under Shih Pao-shan and Ma Lai-jen, the Second Route Army under Men Ping-yo and troops under Kuo Hsi-peng, all affiliated with General Fu Tso-i, had been planning to recapture the Peking-Suiyüan Railway, whose western terminus is Paotow in Suiyüan Province. Stealing a march on the enemy, the Japanese forces in Suiyüan Province on February 10th started operations and successfully stormed Anpeh, 80 kilometres northwest of Paotow, after negotiating the Yinshan mountain range at 5 p.m., February 11th. Thus completely frustrating the Chinese attempts to recapture Paotow, the Japanese forces began extending their activities over the plain of Inner Mongolia.
In northern Shansi Province, Chinese troops belonging to Generals Ho Chu-kuo and Chao Cheng-shou were planning to invade Ningwu from Hoku at the northwestern extremity of the province where the Great Wall crosses the Yellow River, but the Ohta detachment on February 10th captured Wuchai, halfway between Hoku and Ningwu and frustrated the Chinese attempts.
In southern Shansi Province, the Chinese forces took the offensive along the entire front from midnight, February 9th to the morning of February 10th, though not in a unified and coordinated way. At 3 a.m., February 10th, some 600 Chinese Soldiers belonging to the 177th division attacked Erhsihliling, south of Chiehhsien at the southwestern extremity of Shansi Province, but were repulsed by the Fujimuro detachment. At 2 : 40 the same morning, some 500
soldiers of the 104th division attacked Siahsien, but were driven back by the Japanese garrison force. At 4 o'clock the same morning, Chinese troops of the 177th division attacked Changtsun, south of Yuncheng, but were repelled by the Japanese garrison. About 150 Chinese troops attacked Tuantsun, 8 kilometres east of Anyi simultaneously, but were repulsed by the Iwakiri detachment.
Chinese troops in groups from 100 to 400 attacked Changtienchen and Howwangtsun, 20 kilometres south of Anyi ; Weikuochen and Hsialiutsun North of Siahsien ; and a district near Wensi, but were all driven back.
In northern Honan Province, some Chinese troops unsuccessfully attacked the railway near Hwaiking. About 1,000 Chinese attacked Kaifeng, capital of Honan Province, on the morning of February 12th, armed with trench-mortars, light machine-guns and rifles, but the Japanese garrison succeeded in routing them to the west, after several hours' fighting.
In the region east of the Han River in northern Hupeh Province, the Japanese forces started offensive operations late in February. To meet this campaign, General Chiang Kai-shek on February 22nd ordered General Li Tsung-jen at Siangyang on the Han River to outflank the Japanese right wing from the Tahung mountain range. Consequently, the Chinese troops under Li Tsung-jen began moving southeast.
Since April 7th, the Japanese have kept up their offensive in the mountainous region west of Haokiatien, which stands 20 kilometres northwest of Yingshan. On April 12th they succeeded in breaking the Chinese resistance. They also repulsed the Chinese troops which invaded the district northeast of Anlu in the evening of April 10th.
After the reduction of Nanchang, capital of Kiangsi Province, and also Wuning, another important town in the province, the Japanese forces operating in the front south of the Yangtze River kept up their southern drive and occupied Shihchakai and Kaoan south and west of Nanchang respectively on the morning of April 11th, thus destroying the Chinese defence line between Nanchang and Changsha.
In South China, a major campaign was started by the Japanese forces against the Chinese troops north of Canton with the close of the wet season. The Japanese first column on April 6th crossed the Liuki River and dislodged the Chinese troops from their positions at Maoshan, by advancing west of Tsungfa the same evening. This column also took Lienhuhu the same evening, thus
cutting off the Chinese retreat. The second column also crossed the Liuki River, closely following the first one and reached Mitzeshan the same evening, after dispersing the Chinese troops in the mountainous region northwest of Tapingcheng on the way. Part of this column engaged a large force of Chinese troops east of Szechuanshih. Thus in South China, too, the Chinese forces have been forestalled and have since failed to display any activity.
The Chinese air force which suffered so heavily from Japanese attacks did its bit in the " April offensive." Seven Chinese planes on April 11th raided Yusiang at the southwestern extremity of Shansi Province and dropped bombs, but the Japanese sustained no damage. Rumour was persistent for some time that the Chinese air force was planning a raid on Japan, but the rumour was false. On the contrary, the Chinese air base at Yushan in Kiangsi Province was raided and destroyed by Japanese military and naval planes.
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A survey of the results of the Chinese " April offensive " shows that General Chiang Kai-shek and his lieutenants have not been tenacious of purpose, while the bulk of the Chinese troops which undertook the offensive were provincial troops, not the so-called central armies under the direct control of Chiang. To make matters worse, the warlords of the provincial troops were more keen on preserving their military strength than conducting an offensive against the Japanese in dead earnest. Hence a mere apology for an offensive made by the warlords who managed to keep their forces intact as much as possible and sent a fraction of their troops to the field only for the purpose of reporting to their superior officers.
No wonder that the Chinese " April offensive," so noisily heralded, ended in failure only to demonstrate the weakness of the Kuomintang Government both at home and abroad and to hasten its downfall, by courting further damage.
In the engagements, the Japanese forces in North, Central and South China engaged the Chinese troops with an aggregate military strength of 259,800. The total number of major engagements was 414, while the Chinese forces left 45,700 dead. Japanese casualties were negligible. The Japanese booty included large quantities of arms and ammunition which have not yet been classified.
THE SITUATION IN CHINA
II
—ACTIVITIES OF THE IMPERIAL NAVAL FORCES—
PUBLICITY BUREAU, NAVY DEPARTMENT
Progress of the Hainan Campaign
THE campaign in Hainan Island made such satisfactory progress that the entire island was placed under Japanese domination by the end of April. Close cooperation and coordination between the Japanese military and naval forces resulted in Japanese occupation of a large number of important Chinese military points on the island, while Japanese landing parties landed at key points along the coast in face of the Chinese troops and secured various important sea-ports.
On April 16th, a Japanese landing party, covered by warships and aeroplanes, effected a landing at Poao on the eastern coast of Hainan Island in face of the Chinese force and occupied the port. Pushing inland, the party entered Lokwei (Lohui), where it effected a junction with a Japanese military force which had been driving south. Both Japanese forces immediately started a clean-up campaign against the remnants of Chinese troops in and round Lokwei. The same day, another landing party, covered by warships and aeroplanes and in close cooperation with a military force, successfully landed at Yangpu on the western coast of Hainan Island and occupied the port town at about 11 o'clock in the morning.
A joint attack was started by military and naval forces on Tanhsien in the northwestern part of the island early in the morning of April 17th. At 10 o'clock the same morning, Tanhsien, the capital of the prefecture of the same name, fell into Japanese hands. A party of blue-jackets entered the town of Sinying in order to follow up the victory. Thus Japanese forces occupied Tanhsien, Kachek and Lokwei, where the Chinese forces had set up their bases of operations to disturb peace and order in Hainan Island. The same day, the Japanese landing party made a surprise attack on Tengkiu (Tengchiao), a strategically important town in the southern part of the island and occupied it, after dislodging some 400 Chinese regulars.
Naval Operations in Inland Waters
On March 18th, a Japanese naval force began operations on Lake Poyang to participate in the fresh campaign started in the region west of the lake. This naval force, led by a mine-sweeper unit, sailed south along the western shore of the lake. Successfully pushing through the mine-fields, it sailed up the lower reaches of the Siu River and reached Yehkiatsi the same afternoon. Meanwhile, those warships which were anchored off Wucheng at the mouth of the Siu River opened a bombardment on Wucheng. The Chinese troops made stubborn resistance to hold Wucheng with the result that fierce fighting developed round the city for several days. Covered by warships, a Japanese landing party effected a landing near Wucheng and immediately occupied Lingkungchow, northeast of it. In concert with the Japanese military force which had also successfully landed at another point near Wucheng, the landing party engaged several thousand Chinese troops on the eastern bank of the Kan River in bitter fighting which lasted several days. The landing party, in cooperation with the military force, succeeded in entering Wucheng in the afternoon of March 23rd and immediately started to clean up the remnants of Chinese troops in the town. The following morning a junction between the landing-party and military force was effected at Wucheng, which was thus completely occupied. The Chinese forces left 80 dead in the Wucheng sector, while the Japanese booty included 10 mines, a large number of rifles and a large quantity of ammunition.
A further push up the Siu River was made by the warships, after removing booms and sweeping mines. On March 26th, the warships reached Hsukiafow. The following morning, another naval force which sailed up the Kan River reached Sanchowtow, removing booms and sweeping mines on the way. Meanwhile, the landing party in concert with the naval force advanced to a point south of Antanghu, by clearing the enemy force from the right bank of the Kan River.
On March 28th, the landing party broke through the enemy position at Pehkangshan and pressed the enemy southward. The same afternoon, the party occupied Changyi and its surrounding district. The Japanese warships on Lake Poyang suppressed remnants of Chinese troops on the shores of the lake and made further progress in the operations of removing booms and sweeping mines on March 30th. The naval force which had been engaged on the Kan River between Wucheng, its mouth, and Nanchang,
capital of Kiangsu Province, since the middle of March met with various difficulties in the form of strongly-built booms at several points and stubborn resistance offered by the remnants of Chinese troops on both banks of the river, but succeeded in entering Nanchang at 2 : 30 p.m., April 3rd.
Simultaneously, a Japanese naval force on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River had started a clean-up campaign against the Chinese military craft on Lake Tungting on March 15th and sank some 20 enemy vessels in the northern part of the lake in addition to another 6, which were captured.
An unfortunate incident occurred on the Whampoo River at 3 : 28 p.m., March 18th when the Juiho, a steamer of Jardine Matheson & Co., scraped against the Japanese warship Izumo, which sustained damage in her hull and armament.
On March 19th, a Japanese naval unit which was patrolling off Chekiang Province bombarded the Chenhai Fort in the suburbs of Ningpo between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Hungyuan, Chanchiaotsui and Paichishan forts were also bombarded and damaged.
Activities of the Landing Parties in North China
Following the successful conclusion of the campaign in northern Kiangsu Province which resulted in the fall of Haichow, the eastern terminus of the Lung-Hai Railway, the remnants of Chinese troops have been eliminated from northern Kiangsu Province and Shantung Province.
The Japanese landing party at Weihaiwei in cooperation with the security police dispersed some 500 Chinese troops at Wenteng at the eastern extremity of Shantung Peninsula. The following day the landing party entered Wenteng and the same evening returned to Weihaiwei.
On March 14th, the landing party at Lienyunchiang, the terminus port of the Lung-Hai Railway, attacked the remnants of Chinese troops round Lienyunchiang and dispersed them. The Chinese left 16 rifles, 500 cartridges and 12 mines.
On March 15th, this landing party, accompanied by 200 security policemen, dispersed the remnants of Chinese troops near Chefoo. It advanced to Muping. On April 17th, the landing party, accompanied by 40 security policemen, routed remnants of Chinese troops from Chiyunshan on the southern slope of Pehyuntai.
Japanese landing parties have also been active at key points on the Yangtze River in Central China. On April 13th, a party, covered by warships and in cooperation with a military force,
liquidated some 150 Chinese regulars at Pochengchen, which it occupied.
Clean-up campaigns are being carried on in various parts of South China. On March 9th, a landing party belonging to the Japanese naval force on the Pearl River landed on French island, capturing 15 rifles and several hundred rounds of ammunition. The same night, a clean-up campaign was started against the Chinese military craft on Chukiang Bay. On March 10th, several Chinese military junks were captured off Heungchow (Siangchow) together with large quantities of arms and ammunition.
On March 11th, the landing party, which had been operating in the southern part of Hainan Island, advanced to Lolo, west of Aihsien via Chiuso. On March 17th, the party made a further push and occupied Tengchiao where it seized a large quantity of arms and ammunition.
The naval force on the Pearl River, in cooperation with the military forces which started an attack on Jungki on the delta, escorted them and covered their landing near Jungki on March 27th. After the successful landing of the military forces, the naval force in close touch with them cut off the retreat of the Chinese troops at Hsiaolan and Maning, southwest of Kweichow.
Another landing party belonging to the naval force on the Pearl River effected a landing at a point northwest of Tanchow in co-operation with the naval force on April 14th and occupied Tanchow Fort, by routing the Chinese troops on the way. In the engagement, the party captured two 12-centimetre guns, four 8-centimetre guns, one 40-milimetre gun and a large quantity of ammunition.
Taking advantage of a dense fog on the morning of April 21st, a large body of Chinese troops attacked Chinmen Island off Amoy, but was easily repulsed by the Japanese bluejackets who were stationed there.
Part of the naval force on the Pearl River started operations for removing booms and sweeping mines round Tachiaoko Island and near Tanchow, covered by naval aeroplanes, early in April. Up to April 20th, the naval force discovered and disposed of some 50 mines. The number of mines discovered and disposed of since the beginning of the Canton campaign has totalled about 500.