From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang Part of Second Sino-Japanese War Image:Zaoyi battle 1.jpg NRA troops in action. Date 1 May – 18 June,1940 Location Vicinities of Zaoyang and Yichang, Hubei Result Chinese victory Belligerents Image:Flag of the Republic of China.svg National Revolutionary Army, China 5th theatre Image:Flag of Japan.svg Imperial Japanese Army, Japan Commanders Image:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Li Zongren Image:Flag of Japan.svg Waichiro Sonobe Strength 2nd, 11th, 22nd, 29th, 31st, 33rd Army Groups, 2nd, New 12th, 18th, 39th, 75th Corps, Eastern Hupei Guerilla Force 3rd, 4th, 13th, 39th Divisions, 2 partial Divisions (6th, 40th), 14th and 18th Independent Mixed Brigades, 3rd Flight group Casualties and losses  ?  ?

v • d • e Second Sino-Japanese War Major engagements in bold Before Second Sino-Japanese War Mukden - Manchuria - (Jiangqiao - Nenjiang Bridge - Chinchow - Harbin) - Shanghai (1932) - Pacification of Manchukuo - Rehe - Great Wall - Inner Mongolia - (Suiyuan) Began in 1937-1939 Marco Polo Bridge - Beiping-Tianjin - Chahar - Shanghai (1937) (Sihang Warehouse) - Beiping-Hankou Railway - Tianjin-Pukou Railway - Taiyuan - (Pingxingguan) - Xinkou - Nanjing - Xuzhou - Taierzhuang - N.-E.Henan - (Lanfeng) - Amoy - Chongqing - Wuhan - (Wanjialing) - Canton - (Hainan) - Nanchang - (Xiushui River) - Suixian-Zaoyang - (Swatow) - 1st Changsha - S.Guangxi - (Kunlun Pass) - Winter Offensive - (Wuyuan) Began in 1940-1942 Zaoyang-Yichang - Hundred Regiments - Vietnam - C. Hupei - S.Henan - W. Hopei - Shanggao - S.Shanxi - 2nd Changsha - 3rd Changsha - Yunnan-Burma Road - (Toungoo) - (Yenangyaung) - Zhejiang-Jiangxi - Sichuan Invasion Began in 1943-1945 W.Hubei - N.Burma-W.Yunnan - Changde - C.Henan - 4th Changsha - Guilin-Liuzhou - W.Henan-N.Hubei - W.Hunan - 2nd Guangxi - Operation August Storm

The Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang (traditional Chinese: 棗宜會戰; simplified Chinese: 枣宜会战; pinyin: Zǎoyí Huìzhàn), also known as the Battle of Zaoyi was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

The Japanese were seeking a quicker solution to getting the Chinese to surrender. They contemplated moving directly down the Yangtze to the relocated Chinese capital, Chongqing. To do so, they would need to capture a critical town in western Hubei province, Yichang.

The Japanese attack did not commit much troops or materiel, which enabled the main Chinese commander, Li Zongren, who had frustrated the Japanese before, to repel the Japanese.