Battle of Central Henan

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Central Henan
partof= the Second Sino-Japanese War
date=17 April – 25 May, 1944
place=Henan
result=Decisive Japanese victory
combatant1= flag|Republic of China National Revolutionary Army
combatant2= flag|Japan Imperial Japanese Army
commander1= flagicon|Republic of China General Tang Enbo
commander2= flagicon|Japan Lt. General Eitaro Uchiyama
strength1= 390,000
strength2= 140,000

The Battle of Central Henan, was the first offensive in the Japanese Operation Ichi-Go during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

In the Battle of Central Henan, 390,000 Chinese soldiers, led by General Tang Enbo (汤恩伯), were deployed to defend the strategic position of Luoyang. The the 12th Army spearheaded by the 3rd Tank Division of the IJA crossed the Yellow River around Zhengzhou in late April and defeated Chinese forces near Xuchang, then swung around clockwise and besieged Luoyang. Luoyang was defended by three Chinese divisions. The 3rd Tank Division began to attack Luoyang on May 13 and took it on May 25.

References

Sources

* Hsu Long-hsuen and Chang Ming-kai, History of The Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) 2nd Ed. ,1971. Translated by Wen Ha-hsiung , Chung Wu Publishing; 33, 140th Lane, Tung-hwa Street, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China.
* 中国抗日战争正面战场作战记 (China's Anti-Japanese War Combat Operations)
** Guo Rugui, editor-in-chief Huang Yuzhang
** Jiangsu People's Publishing House
** Date published : 2005-7-1
** ISBN 7214030349
** Online in Chinese: http://www.wehoo.net/book/wlwh/a30012/A0170.htm
* [http://ourzg.com/bbs/htm_data/83/0801/6211.html 抗日战争时期的侵华日军序列沿革 (Order of battle of the Japanese army that invaded China during the Sino Japanese War)] April 16, 2008
* [http://www.generals.dk/nation/Japan.html Generals from Japan]
* Topo Maps covering the area of the battle:
** [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/china/txu-oclc-10552568-ni49-7.jpgLo-Yang ni49-7]
** [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/china/txu-oclc-10552568-ni49-8.jpgCheng Hsien ni49-8]
** [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/china/txu-oclc-10552568-ni50-5.jpgKaifeng ni50-5]
** [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/china/txu-oclc-10552568-ni49-12.jpgHsiang-Cheng ni49-12]
** [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/china/txu-oclc-10552568-ni50-9.jpgHuai Yang ni50-9]
** [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/china/txu-oclc-10552568-ni49-16.jpgTsao-Yang ni49-16]
** [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/china/txu-oclc-10552568-ni50-13.jpgHsin-Yang ni50-13]

External links

* [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-C-ChinaD/index.html HyperWar: The U.S. Army Campaigns of World War II: China Defensive]