Battle of Changsha (1941)

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict= Battle of Changsha (1941)
partof=the Second Sino-Japanese War


caption=
date= September 6 – October 8 1941
place= Changsha
casus=
territory=
result=Chinese victory
combatant1=flagicon|Republic of China National Revolutionary Army
combatant2=flagicon|Japan Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Navy
commander1= flagicon|Republic of China Xue Yue
commander2= flagicon|Japan Yasuji Okamura
strength1=
strength2=120,000+ Army, Navy and Air Force
casualties1=
casualties2=10,000+ deaths
Thousands more injured

The Battle of Changsha (September 6 – October 8, 1941) was Japan's second attempt in taking the city of Changsha, China, the capital of Hunan Province as part of the second Sino-Japanese War.

Overview

The offensive was carried out by more than 120,000 Japanese troops, including supporting naval and aerial forces. The Chinese forces under the command of General Xue Yue, the ninth army group, conducted a response that included street battles right in Changsha city. Ten Chinese armies eventually reached Changsha, completely retaking the city. The Japanese suffered over 10,000 casualties (wounded, missing, and/or dead) and retreated.

Course of Battle

The battle started when a small Chinese guerrilla force clashed with the Japanese 6th Division in the mountains southeast of Yueyang on September 6th. On the 17th, the Japanese crossed the Sinchiang River (新墙河) at four points and made rapid advances, crossing the Milo River on the 19th. The main Chinese force avoided confronting the enemy but marched in a parallel fashion flanking the Japanese trail southward. However, the Japanese also attempted to flank and encircle the Chinese. This caused both the Chinese and the Japanese army to reach the Laotao River (捞刀河) regions for an inevitable battle. On September 27th, several hundred Japanese troops in plain clothes reached the north gate of Changsha but were unable to sabotage the city defenses, leading to heavy fighting on the 28th. Unable to overcome the defenders, the Japanese began a general retreat back to the Yueyang region on September 30th.