The Situation in China
I. The Han River Campaign
Bureau of Information, War Department
The so-called Chinese winter offensive collapsed on all fronts about the end of January despite Chiang Kai-shek's contention that the Japanese army had lost its striking power. Chinese troops were defeated near Pinyang in Kwangsi Province, and also at Wuyuan, 250 kilometres northwest of Paotow, the western terminus of the Peking-Suiyuan Railway. Meanwhile, a new Central Government had been inaugurated at Nanking under the leadership of Wang Ching-wei, to which Japan is extending every assistance.
On April 17, a clean-up campaign in southeast Shansi against the 60,000 Chinese troops under General Wei Li-huang, was undertaken. Other operations in that province, involving about 180,000 of Chiang's forces, ended in the occupation of Tsehchow and other strategic towns.
In the area south of the Yangtze River, between Wuhu and Hukow, a mopping-up campaign was commenced on April 20. In order to safeguard navigation on that river, it was necessary to drive the Chinese out of Tsingyang, which movement was successfully executed by the end of April. To the northwest of Hankow, a general offensive against the enemy in the fifth war-zone took place early in May. Through difficult terrain, our forces reached the Piyuan-Tsaoyang-Luyinchen line, to the northeast of Tsaoyang, on May 7. The Shansi campaign had been undertaken primarily to restore peace and order, while operations on the south bank of the Yangtze and east of the Han River were conducted in order to break Chinese resistance and give the lie to Chungking's propaganda. The South Honan and North Hupeh operations in May were the largest we conducted this year, some 20 divisions of Chinese troops being entrapped near the Tangho River. Those that had set up bases in the Tahung and Tapieh mountain ranges, and had been reinforced by men from the armies under Tang En-po and Sun Lien-chung in the north and west and Chang Tzu-chung in the south—in all some 12 divisions strong—were successfully dealt with.
On May 19, the Japanese forces in the regions around Tsaoyang launched an attack along the entire front, shattering the Chinese resistance and decimating their troops.
Investigations into the results of the campaign have not been completed, but it is known that the Chinese forces lost 19,837 dead in addition to 730 prisoners up to May 17. Japanese booty included 1 anti-aircraft gun, 6 trench-mortars, 165 heavy machine-guns, 2,858 rifles and 124 automatic rifles. The figures would be considerably increased were the casualties sustained after May 19 included. The Japanese suffered only 411 killed.
The Situation in China
II. Activities of the Japanese Naval Air Force in China
Publicity Bureau, Navy Department
Yunnan : Three Japanese naval air units, led by Lieut.-Commander Mihara, on April 4 raided Pingma on the Yukiang River in Kwangsi Province, destroying a munition dump and several fuel depots. Following repeated aerial attacks on the Yunnan Railway, main arms supply route of the Chungking Government, the traffic was directed to Kweichow and Szechwan Provinces via Pingma, so that this town acquired considerable military importance.
Japanese naval air detachments under Lieut.-Commander Mihara raided Paichai, 60 kilometres from the Indo-China border, on April 26, and damaged the Yunnan Railway bridge. This and previous attacks have resulted in a complete disruption of traffic by that route.
South China : On May 1, military establishments, some 150 motor-lorries, and an ammunition dump at Kweiyang, capital of Kweichow Province, were destroyed. On May 9, Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, was bombed ; and on May 14, the important highway between that city and Kweiyang attacked.
Hunan : Japanese air units, commanded by Lieut.-Commander Shimada, on April 12 staged a surprise raid on the airfield at Chinkiang, on the western border of Hunan Province.
Chekiang : Three days later, the same group of fliers attacked Chinese air-bases at Lishui in Chekiang Province, Yushan and Shangjao (Kwangsin) in Kiangsi Province. Other air-units, led by Lieutenants Ikeda and Okuyama also visited Lishui and Shangjao (Kwangsin), severely damaging the railway. Lishui and Yushan were again raided on April 16, while the air-field and munition depots at Kian, in Central Kiangsi, were destroyed.
Szechwan : On April 2, air detachments made their appearance over Iping (Suchow), 110 kilometres west of Chungking, and effectively bombed the air-field, destroying a number of enemy planes.
At midnight, April 22, the Japanese naval air-force made its first large-scale attack on the Chinese air-bases around Chungking, particularly the one at Iping. On April 30, Kwangyangpa and Paishih were raided.
Crack units, under Lieut.-Commander Kurinohara, raided Chungking at midnight, April 24, The first unit, commanded by Lieutenant Ikeda, bombed military establishments at Suining, 90 miles northwest of that town, while the second and third units, under Lieutenants Nakamura and Okuyama raided Paishih, 10 miles southwest of Chungking. Chungking was again attacked on April 30, and the aerodrome at Siangshan bombed.
Our fliers visited Chengtu, capital of Szechwan Province, on the night of May 18 damaging the airfields at Wenkiang, and Taipingsze. A surprise raid was made on Suining. On the nights of May 19, 20 and 21, other attacks being delivered on Chengtu, Iping (Suchow) Liangshan and Kwangyangpa.
Three Japanese air units made the biggest raid so far over Chungking at 3:30 p.m., May 26. One unit, led by Lieutenant Kotani, attacked Paishih, destroying munitions depots and six planes. Another flight, commanded by Lieutenant Sato, bombed Hsiaolungkan. The cadets' school, military establishments and the Futan University were wrecked and the Central Telegraph and Telephone Office destroyed. This was followed by other attacks on the two succeeding days during which Peipehsitsum, Tzetsikow and Futukwan, in the western suburbs of Chungking, were visited and the military arsenals and establishments of strategic value destroyed.
Development and Results of the Operations of the Japanese Naval Forces since the Beginning of the Year
Reviewing the development and results of the operations undertaken by the Japanese naval forces in China since the beginning of the year, the naval section of the Imperial Headquarters on May 31 gave out the following communiqué :
"In concert with the military forces, the Japanese naval forces in China have undertaken and successfully carried out various operations since the beginning of the year. The morale of the officers and men is high.
"The Japanese Navy has steadily tightened the blockade of the China coast. Smuggling by junks has been suppressed ; supply routes have been interrupted.
"In North China, the air arm co-operated with the military in a mopping-up campaign in Shantung Peninsula.
"While water communications on the Yangtze River have been securely maintained and the roving Chinese troops along the banks disseminated, mine-sweeping operations have been carried out by our ships and the waterways cleared of obstacles. Chungking, Chengtu, and other air-bases have been repeatedly bombed by our airmen.
"Similar operations on the Pearl River were attended with every success.
"Hainan Island has been successfully cleared of all remnants of enemy troops. This was carried out in conjunction with our land forces.
"From January to May 31, this year, the Japanese naval forces on the Yangtze and Pearl Rivers have disposed of 299 mines, of which 210 were in the former. This brings the total of mines disposed of since the beginning of the China Affair to 5,058.
"64 Chinese planes, of which 12 were unconfirmed, have been destroyed on the ground, and 69 (13 unconfirmed) brought down raising the total of such planes destroyed to 1,776 (260 unconfirmed) since the opening of hostilities."