Battle of Western Hunan

Overview of the Battle of Western Hunan Background: From April 9 to June 7, 1945, the Japanese army launched the "Operation Zhijiang" (called the Battle of Xiangxi in China) to seize the Zhijiang Air Force Base, which was a key battle at the end of the Anti-Japanese War. Troop strength: Japanese 20th Army (Banxi Yiliang, about 80,000, including the 116th and 47th Divisions); Chinese 4th Front Army (Wang Yaowu, about 200,000, including the elites of the 74th Army and the 18th Army). Process: Offensive (April 9 to the end of April): The Japanese army attacked in three routes (the middle route mainly attacked Dongkou and Wugang). China relied on Xuefeng Mountain to block the attack, and the Japanese army's progress was slow. Counterattack (early May to early June): He Yingqin ordered a counterattack on May 6. The 74th Army surrounded the 116th Division. The 44th Division annihilated the 1st Brigade of the Japanese Army in the Wuyang Battle; the Japanese army retreated on May 13th. End: On June 7, the remaining Japanese troops withdrew to Shaoyang. Result: The Japanese army lost approximately 27,000 killed and over 30,000 casualties (only the 1st Regiment retreated completely); the Chinese suffered approximately 20,000 casualties (7,700 killed). Significance: The Japanese army's final large-scale offensive in China shifted to defense; it laid the foundation for a comprehensive counterattack and cooperated with the Allied Pacific offensive. Key factors: Xuefeng Mountain terrain blocking, air power control by the Chinese and American air forces, and tactics of "luring the enemy deep + encircling and annihilating".