This week, 70 years ago, the Imperial Japanese Army, under the command of General Toshizo Nishio, made its first attempt to capture the 2000-year-old Chinese city of Changsha, which is the capital of Hunan Province. Today Changsha is home to more than six million Chinese. Former Chairman, Mao Zedong began his political career there, first as a student at Hunan Number One Teacher’s Training School, and later as Teacher and Principal at the same school. It is the birthplace of the Chairman’s first wife - Yang Kaihui. The largest Chinese restaurant in the world, with seating for 5000, is located there.
    The primary motivation for the Japanese operation was to atone for the humiliation its forces had received at the hands of the Red Army in the recently concluded Battle of Khalkin Gol.  Additionally, the Japanese thought that, with the German victories in Poland, they needed to demonstrate their military prowess as well. The Japanese Brass thought that Changsha would be easy pickings and therefore would restore the morale of the Japanese Army.
    By this time in the war, there wasn’t much left of the city. What was not bombed by the Japanese, had been burned by the Chinese. However, it was the gateway to China’s southernmost provinces and last doors to the Western world.
    General Nishio had previously commanded the Imperial Japanese Second Army until it was defeated in the Battle of Taierzhuang on April 30, 1938, after which he was reassigned to Tokio.  He returned to China on September 12, 1939 as Commander of the Thirteenth Army and ten days later assumed command of all Japanese forces in China as Commander-In-Chief of the China Expeditionary Army.  On March 1, 1941, General Nishio returned to Japan and became a member of the Supreme War Council where he served until his retirement in 1943. Although he was arrested as a War Criminal by the Americans after their occupation, he was never formally charged and was ultimately released.
    To prosecute the assault, General Nishio selected the Eleventh Army commanded by General Yasuji Okamura.  After the war, General Okamura was convicted of war crimes by the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal, and although he, through his use of chemical weapons and administration of the “Three Alls” policy - “Kill All, Burn All, Loot All” - had been responsible for 2.7 million Chinese civilian deaths, he was immediately pardoned by Nationalist Leader Chang Kai-Shek, who gave him a job as Military Advisor to the Chinese Nationalist Army.  
    The Japanese Eleventh Army numbered about 100,000 and consisted of the Sixth Division commanded by Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, the 106th Division commanded by Lieutenant General Ryotaro Naki, the 33rd Division commanded by Lieutenant General Shigetaro Amakasu, the 13th Division commanded by General Shizuichi Tanaka, the 3rd Division commanded by Lieutenant General Shinichi Fujita, and the 101st Division commanded by General Yaheta Saito. General Tanaka would later, almost single- handedly stop the planned revolt of several army officers who were going to try to prevent the Emperor’s announcement of Japan’s surrender. A few days later he committed suicide at his desk.  Lt. General Amakasu later was promoted to General and given command of The Mongolian Garrison Army, where he served for a year.
     Changsha was in the Chinese 9th War Area which was commanded by General Chen Cheng. General Cheng first met Chiang Kai-shek when he attended Wampoa Military Academy, where Chiang was an instructor, in 1924. He continued to serve the Nationalist government militarily and politically after the war.
    The Chinese forces defending Changsha were commanded by Xue Yue. He was probably the best that Nationalist China had. American General Claire Chennault, leader of the famed “Flying Tigers,” nicknamed him the “Patton of Asia.” This highly respected Chinese General lived until 1998, when he died at the age of 101, in Taiwan. Nationalist soldiers under his command forced Mao’s Communist army to embark on the famous, year-long, 8,000 mile “Long March,” which was actually a long retreat, in 1934-5. For this, he was described by Chiang as, “...a true example of an officer.” After the Nationalist retreat to Taiwan, upon their defeat by the Communists under Mao, General Yue was offered a government post, but declined, and instead retired from the army with 10 years back pay plus interest, making him relatively wealthy. Last summer, his son-in-law, Tai Kuo, was sentenced, by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Virginia, to spend 16 years in prison for spying against the U.S., for China.
    The forces under General Yue’s command were divided into 19th Army Group under Lt. General Lo Cho-Ying, the First Army Group commanded by Lu Han, 30th Army Group commanded by Wang Ling-Chi, the 27th Army Group commanded by Yang Sen, the 20th Army Group under the command of Shang Chen, and 15th Army commanded by Kuan Lin-Cheng. General Cho-Ying later served as General “Vinegar” Joe Stilwell’s Chief-of-Staff.
    The Japanese assault began on September 17, 1939. However, a successful counter-attack by the Chinese forces forced their retreat. Two days later they launched another attack in the Sin Chiang River area.  With the use of poison gas they drove the Chinese out of that area and on September 23, the 6th and 13th Japanese Divisions crossed the River under artillery cover and advanced along the Miluo River. The Chinese continued to fall back. On September 29th the Japanese reached the outskirts of Changsha. It was then that the Chinese sprung the trap, by encircling the Japanese. After suffering heavy losses, the Japanese began a general withdrawal on October 1. Two days later, General Yue ordered a Chinese counteroffensive. On October 5, the Chinese recovered the Japanese withdrawal plans from a downed Japanese plane. By October 10, it was all over. The Japanese had suffered their second crushing defeat in almost as many months. Some estimates place Japanese dead at 40,000. Instead of celebrating their victory, most observers believe that the Chinese would have been better served to pursue the beaten Japanese and further exploit their victory.
    Exactly two years later the Japanese renewed their attempt to take Changsha-unsuccessfully. On December 24th the Japanese attempted to take Changsha for a third time with the same result.  
    In June of 1944, the Japanese attempted, for the fourth time, to capture Changsha. This time the outcome was different. First, they employed more than three times as many troops, and second, General Yue was not in command of the Chinese. The commander of the Chinese forces defending Changsha, General Zhang De-Neng fled the city and was later executed by Chiang Kai-shek.
    
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.