The Battle of Wuhan, also known as the Wuhan Battle, Battle of Wuhan 1938, Wuhan conflict, Sino-Japanese Wuhan battle, Battle for Wuhan, or Wuhan campaign, stands as a monumental clash in Chinese military history during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Fought from June 11 to October 27, 1938, this Wuhan 1938 engagement pitted Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist Chinese forces against the Imperial Japanese Army under Iwane Matsui and Shunroku Hata. As part of the Yangtze River campaign, it was the largest, longest, and bloodiest Battle of Central China, shaping the Sino-Japanese conflict and Chinese resistance in World War II Asia.
This article delves into the timeline, locations, causes, course, casualties, and outcome of the Wuhan defense, highlighting its strategic importance of Wuhan and role in the Anti-Japanese war effort.
Time and Date of the Battle
The Battle of Wuhan commenced on June 11, 1938, triggered by Japanese air raids over Wuhan, China, and concluded on October 27, 1938, when Chinese forces executed a strategic retreat after losing key positions. Spanning over four months, this 1938 China campaign followed the Battle of Shanghai and Battle of Nanjing, marking a critical phase of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The prolonged duration reflected the intense Chinese Nationalist defense and Japanese military advance, with significant engagements peaking in July and August amid Japanese air raids.
Location of the Battle
The Battle of Wuhan unfolded across the central Chinese region encompassing Hubei Province, with Wuhan, China, as the focal point. Comprising the cities of Hankou, Wuchang, and Hanyang, Wuhan lies at the confluence of the Yangtze River and Han River, making it a linchpin in the Yangtze River battles. The battle extended into adjacent provinces—Anhui, Henan, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang—covering vast terrain from the Dabie Mountains to Poyang Lake. The Yangtze River facilitated Japanese military strategy, enabling naval and amphibious assaults, while the rugged landscape aided Chinese urban warfare and Chinese guerrilla warfare. This strategic hub, near the Beiping-Hankou Railway, underscored the strategic importance of Wuhan as a political, economic, and military center.
Causes of the Conflict
The Battle of Wuhan emerged from escalating tensions in the Japanese invasion of China, rooted in Japanese militarism and China’s resolve to resist. Key causes include:
- Fall of Nanjing: After the Battle of Nanjing (December 1937) and the subsequent Nanjing Massacre, Wuhan, China, became the temporary capital of the Nationalist Chinese Army, prompting Japan to target it to crush Chinese Nationalist resistance.
- Strategic Importance of Wuhan: Located in Hubei Province, Wuhan was a vital industrial and transportation hub, controlling the Yangtze River campaign and the Yuehan Railway. Its capture was essential to Japanese occupation of China and cutting off Chinese defensive campaign supply lines.
- Japanese Military Advance: Following the Battle of Xuzhou (May 1938), the Imperial Japanese Army, under Iwane Matsui and Shunroku Hata, sought to expand the 1938 China campaign, aiming for a swift victory to force Chiang Kai-shek into peace negotiations.
- Chinese United Front: The Second United Front between Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists and the Chinese Communist Party strengthened Anti-Japanese resistance, mobilizing over a million troops for the Wuhan defense.
- Global Context: Japan’s rejection of international pressure, including League of Nations condemnation of chemical weapon use, fueled its aggressive Japanese military strategy, while Chinese resistance sought to draw Western support in World War II Pacific.
These factors made the Battle of Wuhan a turning point in the Sino-Japanese conflict.
Course of the Battle
The Battle of Wuhan unfolded in a series of intense phases, marked by Chinese urban warfare, Japanese air raids, and a desperate Chinese defensive campaign. It involved over 1.1 million Nationalist Chinese forces against approximately 200,000 Imperial Japanese Army troops, showcasing a grueling Yangtze River campaign.
Phase 1: Initial Engagements and Air Raids (June–July 1938)
The battle began on June 11, 1938, with Japanese air raids targeting Wuhan, China, destroying Chiang Kai-shek’s headquarters. The Nationalist Chinese Army, under Chen Cheng (9th War Zone) and Li Zongren (5th War Zone), deployed 120 divisions across the Dabie Mountains, Poyang Lake, and Yangtze River. Xue Yue’s forces fortified key positions, including Madang, repelling initial Japanese military advance attempts. On June 12, Japan captured Anqing, gaining an airfield, while Chinese resistance held Madang for three days despite naval bombardment and poison gas attacks.
Phase 2: Escalation and Riverine Warfare (July–September 1938)
In July, the Imperial Japanese Army intensified its Yangtze River campaign, with the 11th Army attacking Ruichang and the 106th Division advancing along the Nanxun Railway. Xue Yue countered with the 4th, 66th, and 74th Armies, leveraging Lu Shan’s terrain to stall the Japanese military strategy. The Victory of Wanjialing (October 7–10) saw Xue Yue’s forces encircle and annihilate four Japanese regiments, a morale-boosting triumph. However, Japanese air raids and chemical weapons, condemned by the League of Nations, broke Chinese urban warfare at Tianjiazhen. The Yellow River flood (June 1938), ordered by Chiang Kai-shek, delayed Japanese progress but killed hundreds of thousands, highlighting the desperation of the Chinese defensive campaign.
Phase 3: Fall of Wuhan and Strategic Retreat (October 1938)
By mid-October, the Japanese military advance overwhelmed Wuhan, China, with the 9th Division and Namita detachment nearing Wuchang. On October 22, China lost Yangxin, Dazhi, and Hubei City, forcing a strategic retreat. Chiang Kai-shek relocated the government to Chongqing, while Chen Cheng and Xue Yue coordinated the withdrawal. The Nationalist Chinese Army employed Chinese guerrilla warfare to harass retreating Japanese forces, marking the shift to a war of attrition. The battle ended on October 27, 1938, with Wuhan falling, though Chinese resistance preserved national morale.
Key Tactics and Challenges
The Nationalist Chinese forces relied on terrain advantages and mass troop deployments, but lacked coordination and heavy weaponry. Japanese military strategy integrated naval, air, and ground assaults, using chemical weapons to compensate for numerical inferiority. Internal rivalries, such as between Li Zongren and Hu Zongnan, hampered Chinese Nationalist defense, while Japanese occupation of China aimed to exploit Wuhan’s resources.
Casualties
The Battle of Wuhan was devastating, with staggering losses on both sides:
- Nationalist Chinese Forces: Estimates range from 200,000 to 400,000 killed or wounded, with significant losses among the 1.1 million troops. The Yellow River flood added 500,000 to 1 million civilian deaths, exacerbating the toll.
- Imperial Japanese Army: Approximately 100,000 to 150,000 casualties, including deaths from combat, disease, and the Victory of Wanjialing. Heavy losses strained Japan’s resources.
- Civilians: Beyond the flood, Japanese air raids and chemical attacks killed tens of thousands in Hankou, Wuchang, and Hanyang.
These figures underscore the Wuhan 1938 battle’s brutality, shaping Chinese military history and the Anti-Japanese war effort.
Who Won the Battle of Wuhan?
The Imperial Japanese Army, led by Iwane Matsui and Shunroku Hata, won the Battle of Wuhan, capturing the city on October 27, 1938. Despite fierce Chinese Nationalist resistance, Japan’s superior Japanese military strategy, including naval and air support, prevailed. However, the victory was pyrrhic: the prolonged Wuhan campaign exhausted Japanese forces, failed to break Chinese resistance, and forced a strategic stalemate. Chiang Kai-shek’s strategic retreat preserved the Nationalist Chinese Army for future battles, marking a moral victory for the Anti-Japanese resistance in World War II Asia.
Conclusion
The Battle of Wuhan (June 11–October 27, 1938) in Hubei Province was a defining moment in the Second Sino-Japanese War, showcasing the strategic importance of Wuhan as a battleground in the Yangtze River campaign. Led by Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, and Xue Yue, the Nationalist Chinese forces mounted a heroic Chinese defensive campaign against Iwane Matsui’s Imperial Japanese Army, employing Chinese urban warfare and Chinese guerrilla warfare.
Though the Japanese military advance secured Wuhan, China, the Wuhan defense bought time for industrial relocation and bolstered Chinese resistance in the Sino-Japanese conflict. With 200,000–400,000 Chinese and 100,000–150,000 Japanese casualties, plus massive civilian losses from the Yellow River flood, the Battle of Wuhan 1938 shifted the war into a prolonged struggle, influencing Chinese military history and the broader World War II Pacific theater. The Wuhan conflict remains a testament to the resilience of the Anti-Japanese war effort against Japanese occupation of China.
