Escape from Shanghai by Paul Huang

Author:Paul Huang [Huang, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2014-05-31T23:00:00+00:00

From 1938 to 1944, Japan occupied a hundred-mile semi-circular ring of territory that included Hong Kong and Canton. This was their stronghold in the Pearl River Delta area. Then, in April, 1944, the Japanese made a major push inland. Their Twenty-Third Army left Canton and marched west toward Liuchow airfield. This army completely bypassed Shaoguan, which was due north of Canton.

About five hundred miles north of Shaoguan, the Eleventh Japanese Army headed south from Wuchang to take Changsha, a march of about two hundred miles.

These two Japanese Armies would meet in the middle, crushing any Chinese resistance in their way. Their objectives were six US/Chinese Airfields along a five-hundred-mile corridor that stretched across four provinces.

On June 18, 1944 the city of Changsha fell.

On August 8, the airfield at Hengyang was taken. September 4, Lingling Airfield.

November 10, Kweilin.

November 11, Liuchow.

November 24, Nanning.

The attacks were so well coordinated that the Japanese Northern Army reached Kweilin on November 10; while the Southern Army from Canton reached Liuchow on November 11. These two airfields are separated by a mere 100 miles. Both Japanese Armies had covered over three hundred miles on their march across central China.

Ultimately, the Japanese advanced beyond Kweilin. Their armies were only 300 miles from Chungking, the war-time capital of China. Japan was well on her way to conquering all of China by the end of 1944.

General Li’s 35th Army Group could not stop the Japanese. In fact, the Japanese had completely bypassed General Li’s position at Shaoguan. He saw no action during this Japanese advance. His strategy was to retreat and keep his army out of harm’s way.

Then, finally on February 1945, the Japanese took Suichuan airfield, which was roughly one hundred miles north of where Governor-General Li’s 35th Army Group was. Suichuan airfield is located at the strategic juncture of three provinces: Canton, Kiangsi and Fukien.

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