Battle of Beiping–Tianjin

"Battle of Tianjin" redirects here. For the other battle with a different romanization, seeBattle of Tientsin.

This article is about 1937 battle. For list of other battles also called "Battle of Beijing", seeBattle of Beijing.

Battle of Beiping-Tianjin
Part of theSecond Sino-Japanese War
Japanese troops march into theZhengyangmengate in Beijing after capturing the city.
Date (1937-07-07)(1937-08-08)July 7 – August 8, 1937 (1 month and 1 day) Location Vicinity ofBeijing–Tianjin Result Japanese victory
Belligerents
Japan East Hebei	China
Commanders and leaders
Kanichiro Tashiro Kiyoshi Katsuki	Song Zheyuan Zhao Dengyu† Tong Linge†
Strength
180,000+	~75,000+

TheBattle of Beiping–Tianjin(simplified Chinese:Bình tân tác chiến;traditional Chinese:Bình tân tác chiến;pinyin:Píng Jīn Zùozhàn), also known as theBattle of Beiping,Battle of Peiping,Battle of Beijing,Battle of Peiking,thePeiking–Tientsin Operation,and by the Japanese as theNorth China Incident(Bắc chi sự 変,Hokushi jihen)(25–31 July 1937) was a series of battles of theSecond Sino-Japanese Warfought in the proximity ofBeiping(nowBeijing) andTianjin.It resulted in a Japanese victory.

Background

During theMarco Polo Bridge Incidenton 8 July 1937, theJapanese China Garrison Armyattacked the walled city ofWanping( uyển bình trấn ) after an ultimatum to allow its forces to search for an allegedly missing soldier had elapsed. Wanping, in the neighborhood ofLugou Bridge,was on the main railway line west of Beijing and was of considerable strategic importance. Prior to July 1937, Japanese forces had repeatedly demanded the withdrawal of the Chinese forces stationed at this place.

Chinese GeneralSong Zheyuanordered his forces to hold their positions and attempted to avert war through diplomacy.

On 9 July, the Japanese offered a ceasefire and truce, one of the conditions of which was that the Chinese 37th Division, which had proven "hostile" to Japan, be replaced with another division from the Chinese 29th Army. This condition was agreed to by the Chinese the same day. However, from midnight of 9 July, Japanese violations of the ceasefire began to increase and Japanese reinforcements continued to arrive. Lieutenant GeneralKanichiro Tashiro,commander of the Japanese China Garrison Army, fell ill and died on 12 July and was replaced by Lieutenant GeneralKiyoshi Katsuki.

Muslim GeneralMa Bufangof theMa cliquenotified the Chinese government that he was prepared to lead his army into battle against the Japanese when they started the attack on Beijing.Immediately after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Ma Bufang arranged for a cavalry division under the Muslim GeneralMa Biaoto be sent east to battle the Japanese.Ethnic TurkicSalar Muslimsmade up the majority of the first cavalry division which was sent by Ma Bufang.

Order of battle

Main article:Order of battle at Beiping–Tianjin

Diplomatic maneuverings

Meanwhile, the Japanese civilian government ofPrime MinisterKonoeinTokyoheld an extraordinary cabinet meeting on 8 July, and resolved to attempt to defuse hostilities and settle the issue diplomatically. However, theImperial Japanese Army General Staffauthorized the deployment of aninfantry divisionfrom theChosen Army,two independent combined brigades from theKwantung Armyand an air regiment as reinforcements. This deployment was rescinded on 11 July on news that negotiations were being held by the commander of theJapanese Northern China Area Armyand the Chinese 29th Army on location, and with Japanese diplomats at the Chinese capital ofNanjing.However, even after GeneralSong Zheyuan,Commander of the 29th Army and head of theHebei-Chahar Political Council,was reported to have come to terms on 18 July, the Japanese Army pushed forward the deployment of reinforcements citing lack of sincerity on part of the Chinese central government. This mobilization was strongly opposed by GeneralKanji Ishiharaon the grounds that an unnecessary escalation in the conflict with China was endangering Japan's position inManchukuovis-à-vis theSoviet Union.At Ishihara's urging, the deployment was delayed while Konoe used his personal contacts with Japanese acquaintances ofSun Yat-senin an effort to establish a direct diplomatic settlement with theKuomintangcentral government in Nanjing. This secret diplomacy failed when elements within the Japanese military detained Konoe's emissary on 23 July, and the mobilization of reinforcements was restarted on 29 July.

One week later, the Commander of theJapanese Northern China Area Armyreported that, having exhausted every means of peaceful settlement, he had decided to use force to "chastise" the Chinese 29th Route Army and requested approval from Tokyo. In the meantime, mobilization orders were issued for four more infantry divisions.

Langfang Incident

Main articles:Langfang IncidentandGuanganmen Incident

Despite the nominal truce, numerous violations of the ceasefire continued, including another shelling of Wanping by Japanese artillery on 14 July.

By 25 July, Japanese reinforcements in the form of theIJA 20th Divisionarrived and fighting reerupted first atLangfang,a city on the railroad between Beijing andTianjin,between companies of Japanese and Chinese troops. A second clash occurred on 26 July, when a Japanese brigade attempted to force its way through Guanghuamen Gate in Beijing to "protect Japanese nationals". The same day Japanese planes bombedLangfang.

The Japanese then issued an ultimatum to General Song demanding the withdrawal of all Chinese forces from the outskirts of Beijing to the west of theYongding Riverwithin 24 hours. Song refused, ordered his units to prepare for action, and requested large reinforcements from the central government, which were not provided.

On 27 July, as the Japanese laid siege to Chinese forces inTongzhou,one Chinese battalion broke out and fell back toNanyuan.Japanese planes also bombed Chinese forces outside Beiping and reconnoiteredKaifeng,ZhengzhouandLuoyang.On the same dayEmperor Hirohitosanctioned an imperial order to bring stability to the strategic areas in the region.

On 28 July, theIJA 20th Divisionand three independent combined brigades launched an offensive against Beijing, backed by close air support. The main attack was against Nanyuan and a secondary attack againstBeiyuan.Bitter fighting ensued with both GeneralTong LingeDeputy Commander of Chinese 29th Army and GeneralZhao Dengyucommanding Chinese 132nd Division being killed, and their units suffering heavy casualties. However, a brigade of Chinese 38th Division under GeneralLiu Chen-sanpushed back the Japanese in the Langfang area while a brigade of the Chinese 53rd Corps and a portion of the Chinese 37th Division recovered the railway station atFengtai.

However, this was only a temporary respite, and by nightfall General Song admitted that further combat was futile and withdrew the main force of Chinese 29th Army south of the Yungging River. Tianjin Major GeneralZhang Zizhongwas left in Beiping to take charge of political affairs inHebeiandChaharprovinces with virtually no troops. General Liu Ruzhen's New Separate 29th Brigade was left in Beijing to maintain public order.

Tongzhou mutiny

Main article:Tongzhou mutiny

On 29 July, the Japanese collaborationistEast Hebei Armytroops mutinied against the Japanese inTongzhou,killing most of their Japanese advisors and other civilians, including women and children.

Fall of Tianjin

Meanwhile, on the coast at dawn of 29 July, theIJA 5th Divisionand Japanese naval forces separately attacked Tianjin and the port atTanggu,which were defended by units of Chinese 38th Division and volunteers under acting commander Liu Wen-tien. General Huang Wei-kang's brigade defended theTaku Fortsgallantly and also attacked a nearby Japanese airfield, destroying many aircraft. However, with increasing Japanese reinforcements his position was untenable, and that night (30 July) GeneralZhang Zizhongwas ordered to withdraw toward Machang and Yangliuching south of Tianjin, abandoning the city andTaku Fortsto the Japanese.

Fall of Beijing

On 28 July,Chiang Kai-shekordered Song Zheyuan to retreat toBaodingin southern Hebei province. Over the next two days, intense fighting took place in Tianjin, where the Chinese forces put up a stiff resistance, but subsequently the Chinese retreated south along the lines of theTianjin-Pukou Railwayand theBeiping-Hankou Railway.

On 4 August, General Liu Ruzhen's remaining forces withdrew into Chahar. Isolated, Beiping was captured by the Japanese without further resistance on 8 August 1937. GeneralMasakazu Kawabeentered the city on 18 August in a military parade, and posted proclamations at important points announcing that he was the new military governor of the city. Zhang was allowed to retain his position as mayor, but left the city secretly a week later.

Aftermath

With the fall of Beijing and Tianjin, theNorth China Plainwas helpless against the Japanese divisions which occupied it by the end of the year. The ChineseNational Revolutionary Armywas in constant retreat until the hard foughtBattle of Taierzhuang.

Zhang was vilified relentlessly by the Chinese press, and reviled as a traitor. Upon arrival at Nanjing he apologized publicly. Since he later died fighting against the Japanese, theKuomintangposthumously pardoned Zhang for the events in Beijing.

See also

• History of Beijing

Sources

• Hsu Long-hsuen and Chang Ming-kai, History of The Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) 2nd Ed., 1971. Translated by Wen Ha-hsiung, Chung Wu Publishing; 33, 140th Lane, Tung-hwa Street, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China. Pg.177-180 Map 2
• Dorn, Frank (1974).The Sino-Japanese War, 1937-41: From Marco Polo Bridge to Pearl Harbor.MacMillan.ISBN0-02-532200-1.
• Dryburgh, Marjorie (2000).North China and Japanese Expansion 1933-1937: Regional Power and the National Interest.RoutledgeCurzon.ISBN0-7007-1274-7.
• Lu, David J (1961).From The Marco Polo Bridge To Pearl Harbor: A Study Of Japan's Entry Into World War II.Public Affairs Press.ASINB000UV6MFQ.
• Furuya, Keiji (1981).The riddle of the Marco Polo bridge: To verify the first shot.Symposium on the History of the Republic of China. ASIN: B0007BJI7I.

External links

• Discussion and Map of Peiking Tientsin Operation
• International Military Tribunal Proceedings