Background After learning that the Japanese army had crossed the Xinqiang river on September 18, Chiang Kai-Shek ordered the Sixth Military Front to use the opportunity to launched an offensive to recapture Yichang. The 20th and 33rd Army Groups were responsible for sabotage works at the Han-Yi highway. The River Defense Army was responsible with attacking Yichang and the 26th army group was responsible for supporting the attack. Starting on the 28th, the various army groups of the Sixth Military Front began their offensives.
Initial Chinese Offensive Jingmen-Shashi Front On September 28, the 348th Regiment of the 116th Division crossed the Yangtze River with the 390th Regiment of the 130th Division and the
Dongting Lake guerilla detachment, advancing towards Bailuoji (白螺磯). On the same day, a portion of the 5th Provisional Division and 77th Division of the 73rd Corps and the main force of the 15th Division (originally part of the 73rd Corps, temporarily attached to the 8th Corps) and the 103rd Division of the 8th Corps also crossed the river near Haoxue (郝穴). On September 29, the 15th Division destroyed a portion of the Han-Yi highway and four bridges. At the same time, the 1st Honorary Division of the 8th Corps crossed the river. On October 1, a portion of the 390th Regiment attacked the Bailuoji Airport, but made no progress. On September 29, the 59th Corps and 77th Corps of the 33rd Army Group began its operation, followed by the 39th Corps on September 30. For the next week, the three corps attacked garrison positions of the Japanese 39th Division while at the same time destroying bridges and communication facilities. From October 2 until October 3, the 8th, 53rd, and 73rd Corps of the 20th Army Group continued attacking the 39th Division and sabotaging parts of the Han-Yi highway. On October 3, the 1st Honorary Division captured Zhuanqiao (磚橋). These sabotage works resulted in many communication lines being severed and paralyzing the command and communication functions of the 103rd Brigade of the Japanese 13th Division at Yaqueling (鴉鵲嶺). On October 5, the New 23rd Division and 43rd Division of the 87th Corps joined in the fighting.
Yixi Front On September 28, the 121st and 185th Divisions of the 94th Corps and the 14th Regiment of the 5th Division of the 8th Corps assaulted the position of the 58th Infantry Regiment at Moji Mountain (磨鷄山). The two sides fought until midnight on the 30th. The Japanese side recorded an instance where dozens of Chinese soldiers broke into their position. When Japanese troops surrounded and prepared to capture them, all the Chinese soldiers committed suicide with grenades. The Chinese army would continue to launch tenacious assaults on the area, destroying a large number of the Japanese positions, but was unable to capture the area.
Longquanpu and Shuanglian Temple front On September 28, Major Yoshio Yamamoto's 1st Battalion of the 65th Infantry Regiment received a report of the sighting of about 300 enemy soldiers near Songjiazu (宋家咀), and sent the 2nd Company to attack them. However, they were quickly besieged by the supplementary regiment of the 75th Corps. On September 29, the company broke through the encirclement and finally return to friendly lines at night. The supplementary regiment took advantage of their victory and attacked the battalion on September 30, but did not achieve any progress by the 1st of October. Thus, the regiment set up positions outside the position of the Japanese battalion to form an encirclement. On September 30, the 141st Division of the 32nd Corps attacked and occupied Wangjiawan (汪家灣). The next day, they attacked Fengbaoshan (豐寶山). Colonel Yoshio Tachibana, the commander of the 65th Infantry Regiment, judged that the Chinese army was not strong and ordered Yoshio Yamamoto to lead the 3rd and 4th Companies and two machine gun platoons to attack Xinjiayan (辛家岩), 3 kilometers north of Longquanpu. On the night of October 3, the Chinese army bombarded Sankongyan (三孔岩) on the west bank of the Linjiang Creek (臨江溪). For the next few days, the Japanese battalion held out against the 75th Corps. By October 9, they were in a stand-off with the 75th and 32nd Corps. On September 29, the 75th Corps besieged the 3rd Battalion of the 65th Infantry Regiment at Dongyanbao (東煙包) and Xianren Fort (仙人砦). Major General Shibata, commander of the 103rd Brigade, quickly dispatched the 12th Company with an artillery gun and a radio squad. On the early morning of September 30, a portion of the 75th Corps attacked Shuanglian Temple (双蓮寺) by surprise and burned down some of the Japanese army's barracks and shelters. In the evening, Yoshikawa's 10th Company entered the Xianren Fort which was besieged by the 4th Reserve Division and 6th Division of the 75th Corps and rescued the garrison, but suffered 10 deaths including Lieutenant Yoshikawa and 66 wounded in the process. The remnants retreated to Shuanglian Temple and the Xianren Fort was captured by the 75th Corps. The situation on October 2 and 3 was calm, but on the 4th, the 4th Reserve Division and 6th Division concentrated artillery fire at the temple and repeatedly assaulted it. The Japanese battalion tenaciously resisted the attacks and held out for ten days against the 4th Reserve Division, 6th Division, and 13th Division.
Southern Front On September 28, the 13th and 15th Regiments of the 5th Division of the 8th Corps crossed the Yangtze River. On September 30, the 15th Regiment of the 5th Division of the 8th Corps attacked Gulaobei (古老背), which was defended by 70-80 non-combat troops. Lieutenant Takayoshi Kushida, commander of the 2nd Company of the quartermasters, sent 48 troops to relieve the defenders but after suffering more than 20 killed or wounded, they had to retreat. The besieged troops in Gulaobei broke out on October 1, and the 15th Regiment occupied the position. A portion of the regiment then attacked Jizishan (鷄子山), but was hit by a counterattack and retreated. On the same day, three and a half companies from the 58th Infantry Regiment counterattacked Gulaobei, but the 15th Regiment stubbornly resisted their attack and no progress was made. After hearing that Gulaobei had fallen, thus cutting off the road west of Tumenya (土門埡), the 13th Division sent the 13th Engineer Regiment to open up the road. However, when the unit reached the Yangcha Road (楊岔路), it was ambushed and eight of its troops were killed in action. From the 3rd until the 5th of October, the 13th Division counterattacked the 5th Division at Gulaobei and Tumenya, but was not able to recover the area. On the 5th, the 5th Division received an order from Wu Qiwei (吳奇偉), the commander of the River Defense Army, to leave its defensive position and assist in the siege of Yichang, being temporarily assigned to the 73rd Corps. On the night of October 5, the cavalry team (consisting of 130 troops) of the 13th Division was suddenly surrounded by the 15th Regiment at Leijiachong (雷家冲), and a brutal 7-hour hand-to-hand battle ensued.
Ciyun Temple Front On October 2, the 76th Division captured Maogoudong (毛狗洞), the New 33rd Division assembled at the east of Jiangjia Temple (姜家廟), and the 9th Division was kept in reserve. At the same time, chief of staff Akinaga was inspecting the front-line positions of the 104th Infantry Regiment at the Ciyun Temple (慈雲寺) and found it to be weak in strength and had inadequate drinking water supply, equipment, and ammunition. On October 3, the 9th Division, which had not been engaged in fighting, was ordered to break into Yichang City, destroy the airport, and occupy the city on the evening of October 5. To support the division, various Chinese units launched assaults at the strongholds around Yichang. On October 4, the New 33rd Division and 76th Division of the 2nd Corps launched a frontal assault on the 2nd Battalion of the 104th Infantry Regiment. At the same time, the 9th Division began to move toward Yichang City. On October 6, the 76th Division encircled and besieged the 6th Company at Fengbaoshan. The 10th Company was ordered to relieve the company, and during the ensuing combat the company commander was killed. One
Mitsubishi Ki-15 was shot down by machine gun fire from the 76th Division while attempting to assist the Japanese troops. The Ueyama punitive team soon arrived and rescued the besieged troops, but suffered 6 killed and 53 wounded in the process.
Chinese attack towards Yichang By the 4th of October, the Japanese 13th Division was suffering continuous casualties and was overstretched in its defense lines. With all infantry units engaged, the division had to organize a temporary garrison unit with 388 non-combat troops and lightly wounded soldiers from the division's headquarters. On the same day, an entertainment troupe from
Asakusa,
Tokyo, arrived to comfort the troops and initially participated in caring for the wounded and sick, but could not bear to witness the horrific wounds of the soldiers. Eventually, the troupe was also given weapon to defend Yichang. Before dawn on October 6, the 9th Division of the 2nd Corps attacked and overran the Japanese position at Fengziling (蜂子嶺). The division pursued the retreating garrison to the Dongshan Temple (東山寺) in the eastern suburb of Yichang when the Japanese 2nd Artillery Company opened fire at them. However, the 9th Division made use of gaps and blind spots and broke into the Japanese positions with grenades, fighting hand-to-hand with the garrison. As casualties increase, Zentaro Suzuki, the garrison commander, ordered the artillery to fire at the rear of the Chinese army to avoid hitting his own men. Fierce fighting ensued all day and night. On the early morning of October 7, the 9th Division attacked the temple and engaged in a 5-hour grenade battle with the defenders. Some Chinese troops managed to break into the Japanese positions, but suffered heavy casualties under Japanese artillery fire and had to retreat again. On the early morning of October 8, the 9th Division launched another attack. The division immediately captured Yandunbao, and only 5 of the defending Japanese platoon escaped. The division then captured the Dongyue Temple (東岳廟) north of Yandunbao and attacked the Dongshan Temple for a third time, but was intensively fired upon by artillery and the attack stalled once again. A platoon of the 9th Company of the Japanese army counterattacked the Dongyue Temple, but was stubbornly blocked by the 9th Division and suffered continuous casualties including the platoon commander. The 4th Company was added to assist in the assault and take in the dead and wounded. At the same time, the 185th Division of the 94th Corps organized a ranger team and occupied Gezhouba (葛洲壩) under the cover of the morning fog. The 13th Division was shocked by the sudden landing at the urban city of Yichang, and organized a company to assault them with the cooperation of aircraft and artillery. The team was surrounded and only more than 10 escaped. In view of the desperate situation of the defenders in Dongshan Temple, Suzuki's 2nd Battalion of the 65th Infantry Regiment were dispatched to the east. On the way there on October 8, the battalion encountered stubborn resistance from the 5th Division near Tumenya. It decided to take a detour to avoid unnecessary battles and to reach Yichang as fast as possible. However, the dispatch of Suzuki's battalion left Yaqueling vulnerable. On October 8, the 77th Division of the 73rd Corps took the opportunity and attacked Yaqueling, and the 103rd Brigade was caught in a bitter battle. With the help of the 2nd Battalion of the 15th Independent Artillery Regiment, the situation improved for the Japanese brigade. From October 9 until October 10 at the Dangyang-Yaqueling-Yichang highway, the Chinese 6th Division damaged eighteen roads and severed four kilometers of electric wires. On the early morning of October 9, the 9th Division launched another assault at Dongshan Temple with the strength of one battalion, aiming directly at the junction between the weapons maintenance unit and the administrative services squad. They quickly broke through the position of the 2nd Platoon at the left flank of the weapons maintenance unit. In the ensuing hand-to-hand combat, warrant officer Sato was killed. Taking advantage of the victory, the Chinese army rushed into the left flank of the Japanese army in the temple. Acting commander Second Lieutenant Takahashi led his squad to counterattack the Chinese army but was wounded. Hearing about the breakthrough, the division immediately sent Suzuki's battalion which had just arrived to join the battle. Soon, the Chinese army rushed into the position of the 1st Platoon. Second Lieutenant Sato led half of his platoon to bravely counterattack the enemy at the 2nd Platoon's position, but was killed in action. At midnight, Suzuki's battalion advanced rapidly and counterattacked the attacking Chinese army. With the help of the rear artillery, the Japanese battalion was able to secure the position. After the Chinese army retreated, the battalion found that the corpses of the Chinese dead were shaped in a pyramid with the company commander at the front and his men behind him. In the company commander's diary written the previous day, he wrote about his unlimited trust he has for his men and his determination to recapture Yichang by tomorrow on the 10th. On the night of October 6, the 39th Division was ordered to assist the 13th Division in Yichang. Divisional commander Sumita immediately dispatched the 3rd Battalion of the 233rd Infantry Regiment. On the way there, the battalion was continuously attacked by Chinese units such as 77th Division of the 73rd Corps and the 5th Division, during which battalion commander Omori was badly wounded and replaced by the 9th Company commander. On the afternoon of October 9, after suffering dozens of casualties, the battalion arrived in Yichang. On October 8, Masayoshi Matsuzaki's 4th Company of the 65th Infantry Regiment was also ordered to reinforce Yichang. The company was attacked by a portion of the 32nd Corps on the way, making it difficult to advance. Faced with setbacks, Matsuzaki once contemplated suicide but by the night of October 9, the company had reached Yichang.
Later Chinese offensive On October 10 at the
Double Tenth Day, the Chinese army launched a general offensive at the areas around Yichang. Bloody fighting occurred on all fronts. The 53rd Corps assaulted
Yueyang. The 8th Corps and the 73rd Corps attacked the areas around
Shayang and
Shashi. The 94th Corps repeatedly attacked the 58th Infantry Regiment at Moji Mountain. The 32nd Corps continued attacking Longquanpu. The 75th Corps attacked Shuanglian Temple. In the direction of the Ciyun Temple, the 75th Corps concentrated about 20 artillery guns and fired hundreds of rounds before launching a fierce charge. At 2:30 a.m., the 2nd Corps concentrated mortars and artillery and bombarded the Japanese position at Dongshan Temple with unprecedented firepower. At 5:00 a.m., the 9th Division launched repeated attacks with four assault battalions from the 27th Regiment and broke through the defense positions three times. The assault battalions broke into the urban city of Yichang and engaged in street fighting. The Japanese army released a large amount of poison gas and then took the opportunity to counterattack, resulting in most of the assault troops to be killed, wounded, or poisoned and forcing them to retreat. The Chinese army recorded that by the end of the day, more than 500 had died from poison gas. Under serious pressure from the Chinese army, Lieutenant General Uchiyama Eitaro ordered his chief of staff Akinaga to burn confidential documents and prepare a place for the divisional commander and his staff to commit suicide. After hearing about the intent of the 13th Division's staff to die, Lieutenant General Anami ordered an offensive at Yichang. The main force of the 39th Division and the Hayabuchi task force were tasked with rescuing the 13th Division. On October 11, the 39th Division prepared to launch the offensive. At this point, the 233rd Infantry Regiment engaged fiercely with the 39th Corps at Yuquan Temple (玉泉寺). However, most of the Chinese army were already evacuating from Yichang that day. Due to heavy rain, the Chinese army’s offensive on all fronts were frustrated by the muddy terrain. Coupled with reports since October 9 of Japanese reinforcements rushing towards Yichang, Chen Cheng ordered his army to retreat. On October 11, Chen Cheng reported that various units had been hit by poison gas the previous day. After hearing about the situation, Chiang Kai-Shek ordered a stop to the offensive. On October 11 and October 12, the 3rd Air Group dropped a large number of bombs on the retreating Chinese army. The Linghekou (嶺河口) garrison had been besieged by the 1st Honorary Division of the 8th Corps and the 5th Provisional Division of the 73rd Corps since October 2. On October 8, Kajiura's regiment attempted to help the garrison but was unable to relieve them due to stubborn Chinese resistance. For fifteen days the garrison was encircled until October 17 when the Chinese army retreated. Afterwards, the Japanese army concentrated portions of the 4th Division, 39th Division, and 18th Independent Mixed Brigade to sweep the area, finishing the operation by October 26. == Result ==