Jiujiang Anti-Japanese War

The Jiujiang Anti-Japanese War (1938) was a key component of the Wuhan Battle. Jiujiang and surrounding areas such as Pengze, Hukou, and Xingzi are fortresses on the south bank of the Yangtze River, guarding the intersection of Poyang Lake and the Yangtze River. They are the only passage for the Japanese army to attack Wuhan. The participating parties are the Chinese 9th Theater Troops (2nd Corps, 64th Army, etc., Commander-in-chief Zhang Fakui, Li Hanhun) and the Japanese 11th Army (Haota Detachment, 106th Division, commander Okamura Neiji). The battle began with the fall of the Ma'ai Fortress on June 26. The Chinese army sank 39 ships and laid 1,600 mines to blockade the Yangtze River. However, due to command errors and traitors' leaks, the Japanese army detoured and landed. In the Gutang landing battle on July 23, the 11th Preparatory Division resisted tenaciously and was outnumbered. The 128th Division retreated with reinforcements, and the Japanese army established a beachhead. Street fighting broke out in Jiujiang City on the 25th. The 64th Army fought hand-to-hand with the enemy, but was eventually outflanked by the defense line. Zhang Fakui ordered a retreat. Jiujiang fell on the 26th, with 6,000 Chinese casualties. From August to October, the Chinese turned to guerrilla warfare along the Lushan and Nanxun railways. In October, they achieved a great victory at Wanjialing (more than 4,000 enemies were wiped out). Later, De'an fell and the battle ended. Tactically, China switched from elastic defense to guerrilla warfare and destroyed 127 kilometers of the Nanxun Railway; Japan relied on coordinated three-dimensional attacks by sea and air. This battle lasted four months. China claimed to have wiped out 38,000 enemies, but it did not stop the Japanese army from advancing westward. The population of Jiujiang urban area dropped sharply from 85,000 to 20,000, and the economy was hit hard. Zhang Fakui was dismissed from his post due to the retreat, highlighting command issues.