Battle of South Guangxi

The Battle of South Guangxi (simplified Chinese: 桂南会战; traditional Chinese: 桂南會戰; pinyin: Guìnán Huìzhàn) was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Battle of South Guangxi
Part of the Second Sino-Japanese War
Date15 November 1939 – 30 November 1940
Location
South Guangxi
Result Japan occupies Nanning, blocking Chongqing's sea access
Belligerents
 Republic of China  Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders
Bai Chongxi
Zhang Fakui		 Rikichi Andō
Seiichi Kuno
Strength
150,000
(initially only 2 understrength army groups, reinforced by 2 army groups, including 200th Division (only mechanised force in NRA))		 100,000
(5th Division, 18th Division (elements), Guards Mixed Brigade, Taiwan Mixed Brigade)
100 aircraft[1]
2 aircraft carriers[1]
70 warships[1]
Casualties and losses

5,600 killed
11,000 wounded
800 missing
6,416 other
Total:
23,816 casualties[2]

45 billion yuan worth of private & public property damage[3]		 4,000+ killed
(including 85% of all officers)
4,000+ wounded
100 captured
Total:
8,100+ casualties[1][3][2]
11,147 civilians killed[3]
2,161 civilians wounded[3]
3,986 civilians missing[3]
Total:
17,294 civilians

In November 1939, the Japanese landed on the coast of Guangxi and captured Nanning. In this battle, the Japanese successfully cut off Chongqing from the ocean, effectively severing foreign aid to China's war efforts by the sea, rendering Indochina, the Burma Road and The Hump the only ways to send aid to China.

The Chinese launched several major offensives that maximized Japanese casualties. A majority of the conflicts occurred in the fighting for Kunlun Pass. With the success of the Vietnam Expedition in September 1940, the Japanese were able to cut China off from Indochina. Now only the Burma Road and The Hump remained, ending the costly necessity of occupying Guangxi. By November 1940, Japanese forces had evacuated from Guangxi except from some coastal enclaves.

Order of battle

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. Pg. 311-318, Pg. 325-327,
  • Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection, China 1:250,000, Series L500, U.S. Army Map Service, 1954- . Topographic Maps of China during the Second World War.
    • These two maps cover the area where most of the fighting went on in the Guangxi campaign:
    • Lai-Pin nf49-1, has the Kunlun Pass just above where the road from Nanning enters the map:
    • Nanning nf49-5

References
  1. Article: The Battle of Kunlun Pass http://baike.baidu.com/view/160789.htm?fromId=86375
  2. War Study: The Occupation of Nanning and the Failure of Kunlun http://warstudy.com/history/world_war/jp_china/408.xml
  3. Article: The Battle of South Guangxi http://baike.baidu.com/view/641737.htm

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