This week, seventy years ago, saw a successful example of the new Chinese Military strategy of “magnetic warfare.”  This involved attracting advancing Japanese Troops to points where they could be ambushed, subjected to flanking attacks and/or encircled.  This was part of the Chinese strategy, which General “Vinegar” Joe Stilwell dubbed, “Winning by outlasting.”
    Towards the end of April, Japanese General Yasuji Okamura dispatched 100,000 Troops divided into the Third, the Thirteenth and the Sixteenth Infantry Divisions, and the Fourth Calvary Brigade, to attack the Chinese cities of Suizhou and Zaoyang.  Today Suizhou is a city of two and a half million. Zaoyang is smaller. The battle also came to be known as The Battle of Suizao.
    Prior to the war, General Okamura briefly served as a military advisor to a Chinese War Lord.  After the war he was retained by Chiang Kai-Shek as an advisor to the Nationalist Army.  It was only because of Chiang’s intervention that he was not charged with war crimes, since he admitted to recruiting “comfort women” to serve in military brothels in Shanghai. He also, under authority from the Emperor, authorized the use of chemical weapons against the Chinese and the Scorched Earth Campaign in 1942 which resulted in the deaths of more than 2.7 million Chinese civilians.  The Japanese Scorched Earth Campaign was dubbed “The Three Alls Policy” - “Kill All,” “Burn All,” and “Loot All.”
     When the war ended, General Okamura  was the commander of the China Expeditionary Army, which was responsible for operations in central China. He represented the Emperor at the surrender ceremony, on September 9, 1945, in Nanking. In 1949, he returned to Japan, where he died in 1966.
    As the Japanese advanced along the Xiangyang-Huayuan and Jingshan-Zhongxiang Highways, the Chinese fell back, and on May 7, 1939, both Suizhou and Zaoyang were occupied by the Japanese.  On May 8th they continued to advance south.  The Chinese, under the command of Li Zongren, opposed the Japanese advance with the Thirty-First Army Group, from the Fifth Theater, and the Second Army Group, from the First Theater, commanded by Sun Lianzhong.  General Lianzhong would end the war as Commander-in-Chief of the Eleventh War Area.
    On May 15th the Chinese, implementing their new strategy, attacked the Japanese from the rear, and after three days of battle, the Japanese began to retreat.  On May 19th Zaoyang was retaken by the Chinese and Suizhou was retaken on May 23rd.  Chinese casualties totaled 9,000 while the Japanese casualties totaled 13,000.  This may be the only battle which the Chinese won and suffered fewer casualties than the Japanese.  
    Before the war, the Chinese Commander had been a War Lord controlling Guangxi, who joined the Kuomintang headed by Chiang Kai-Shek.  In 1928, he and others broke with Chiang until the “Mukden Incident,” which was used as an excuse by the Japanese to invade Manchuria, in 1931.  The previously squabbling Chinese War Lords, united under the Command of Chiang Kai-Shek - except for the Communists who were led by Mao, and even they ultimately united with Chiang against the Japanese.                    
    According to British author, Yale University History Professor, Jonathan D. Spence, Li was one of the best Nationalist Generals and on April 28, 1948, was elected by the National Assembly, as Vice President.  But by then, he had, again, fallen out with Chiang. After Chiang resigned, on January 21, 1949, in response to several Communist victories, Li became acting president. In this position, he attempted to negotiate a settlement with the Communists, but his efforts were undermined by Chiang’s supporters. When the Nationalist’s capital of Nanking fell, in April, 1949, he led the withdrawal to Guangshou. When that fell, in November 1949, Chiang relocated the government to his wartime capital of Chunking and Li went to the U.S. for treatment of his chronic duodenum illness. While here, he visited President Truman and denounced Chiang as “dictator” and “usurper.” A month later, Chunking fell, and Chiang led the Nationalists to Taipei. In January, 1952, Chiang had Li charged with “Failure to Carry Out Duties.”  Two years later, he was officially relieved of his position as Vice-President.  In July of 1965 he moved to Beijing, where he died of duodenum cancer four years later, at the age of 78.  Thrice married, he left two sons.  He co-authored, with Te-Kong Tang, an autobiography, Memoirs of Li Zongren.  A biography titled Wo Do Gu Gong, authored by Namgo Chai, a distant relative, was also published.            

Mr. Wimbrow writes from Ocean City, Maryland, where he practices law representing those persons accused of criminal and traffic offenses, and those persons who have suffered a personal injury through no fault of their own.