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 | |||||||
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Part of the Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II | |||||||
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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
Artillery units
United States Army Air Force
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Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
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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.