Battle of West Hubei

The Battle of West Hubei (simplified Chinese: 鄂西会战; traditional Chinese: 鄂西會戰; pinyin: È Xī Huìzhàn), was one of 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was also one of four major battles that took place in Hubei.

Battle of West Hubei
Part of the Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II
Date (1943-05-05) (1943-06-11)May 5 – June 11, 1943
(1 month and 6 days)
Location
West Hubei, China
29°9′20″N 112°14′43″E
Result Chinese strategic victory: Withdrawal of Imperial Japanese Armed Forces from West Hubei to their initial position
Belligerents
 China
 United States (air support only)
Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders
Chen Cheng
Sun Lianzhong
Hu Lien
Wang Zuanxu
Luo Guangwen
Fang Tien
Song Kendang
Gao Zhuodong
Mu Ting-Fang
Isamu Yokoyama
Takeshi Takashina
Yamamoto Mitsuo
Akashika Tadashi
Sumida Raishiro
Aoki Seiichi
Units involved

National Revolutionary Army

  • 6th War Area
    • 41 divisions from :
        • 86th Army
      • 10th Army Group
        • 87th Army
        • 94th Army
        • Total : 6 divisions
      • 26th Army Group
        • 75th Army
        • 66th Army
        • Total : 5 divisions
      • 29th Army Group
        • 44th Army
        • 67th Army
        • 73rd Army
        • Total : 9 divisions
      • 33rd Army Group
        • 59th Army
        • 77th Army
        • 79th Army
        • 30th Army
        • Total : 12 divisions
      • 26th Army
      • 99th Army
      • River defense force
    • 8 divisions from other support units :

Artillery units
 Republic of China Navy
 Republic of China Air Force

  • Bombardment Group
    • 5 bombardment groups
  • Pursuit Group
    • 4 pursuit groups

United States Army Air Force

 Imperial Japanese Army

Imperial Japanese Army Air Service

  • 44th Air Regiment
 Imperial Japanese Navy
Strength
280,000 120,000
Casualties and losses
23,550 killed
18,295 wounded
7,270 missing:137
25,000 killed and wounded
40 aircraft destroyed
122 naval vessels damaged or sunk
Location within Hubei
Battle of West Hubei (China)

It resulted in a Chinese strategic victory, although they lost more troops than the Japanese Army. Historian Barbara W. Tuchman, however, writes that the "Japanese withdrew without pursuit from what appeared to have been a training and foraging offensive to collect rice and river shipping." However, that states that it ended in a tactical draw.

The Chinese government and Western media reported that the Chinese had scored a major victory. Japanese troops retreat to their former positions.

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