Battle of Nanking

The Battle of Nanking was a major fight that took place in early December 1937 during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was between the Chinese National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army for control of Nanjing, which was the capital of the Republic of China.

After a long and hard battle in Shanghai, the Japanese army won and moved quickly toward Nanjing. The Japanese commander, General Iwane Matsui, believed capturing Nanjing would make China give up the war. But Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek decided to defend the city, putting General Tang Shengzhi in charge of its protection.

The battle lasted five weeks, and was very tough and sad. By December 9, Japanese troops reached Nanjing’s last defenses. After two more days of fighting, Chiang Kai-shek decided to leave the city to avoid being trapped. But Tang Shengzhi wanted clear orders before retreating. By December 13, Nanjing fell to the Japanese.

Background

Japan's decision to capture Nanjing

In July 1937, a small fight at Marco Polo Bridge grew into a big war between China and Japan. China tried to avoid fighting in the north, so they attacked Japanese soldiers in Shanghai instead. Japan sent more troops to Shanghai to fight back. After months of hard fighting, the Chinese army had to leave Shanghai.

The Japanese leaders wanted to end the war without moving farther, but two important Japanese generals, Matsui and Yanagawa, disagreed. They believed capturing Nanjing, China’s capital city, would help Japan win the war faster. Even though they were told not to move past a certain line, Yanagawa led his troops toward Nanjing anyway. Eventually, Japan’s leaders agreed to let their armies attack Nanjing.

China's decision to defend Nanjing

When it looked like Japan might attack Nanjing, China’s leader Chiang Kai-shek decided to defend the city. He thought holding Nanjing would show other countries that China was strong and willing to fight. Some of Chiang’s officers disagreed, saying Nanjing was hard to defend and the army needed more time to rest after fighting in Shanghai.

Chiang still insisted on defending Nanjing and put General Tang Shengzhi in charge of the city’s defense. Even though they said they would fight to the end, Chiang moved China’s capital to a safer place called Chongqing. The leaders sometimes gave mixed messages about whether they should fight forever or just slow Japan down.

Prelude

China's defense preparations

After war began between Japan and China in 1937, China started building strong defenses around its capital, Nanjing. They built high stone walls around the city and added extra layers of protection with sandbags and concrete. Outside the walls, they created defense lines with trenches, barbed wire, and other strong points to stop the Japanese army.

China's forces

The army defending Nanjing had many soldiers on paper, but most were tired and low on supplies after fighting in Shanghai. New young recruits were quickly added to the army, but they had very little training. The defenders included soldiers from different parts of China, but many had already lost friends and equipment in earlier battles.

Japanese mass bombings

Before the battle, Japanese planes often bombed Nanjing. At first, Chinese pilots fought back hard, but the Japanese kept getting better planes. Over time, the Japanese were able to bomb more freely, targeting both military and civilian areas.

Evacuation of Nanjing

Because of the bombings and the approaching Japanese army, most people left Nanjing. Those who stayed were mostly very poor people who had no place else to go. Some foreign residents stayed to help, creating a safety zone for civilians to stay safe during the fighting.

Japanese advance on Nanjing (November 11 – December 4)

By early December, Japan had gathered over 160,000 soldiers for the fight against Nanjing, though only about 70,000 would actually fight. The Japanese planned to attack Nanjing from two sides, calling it "encirclement and annihilation." One group would move from the east, and another from the south. Nanjing was also protected by the Yangtze River to the north and west, but the Japanese planned to block any escape routes there too.

As the Chinese army moved back after losing a big battle in Shanghai, their retreat was messy and unplanned. Many cities and towns were quickly taken by Japanese forces. The Chinese tried to defend along a line called the Wufu line, but the Japanese pushed through with tanks and airplanes. The Japanese continued to move fast toward Nanjing, facing some resistance but moving quickly overall.

Battle for Nanjing's outer line of defense (December 5–9)

On December 5, Chiang Kai-shek visited soldiers near Jurong to encourage them, but he had to leave when the Imperial Japanese Army attacked. That day, Japanese troops moved into Jurong and headed toward Chunhua, a town 15 miles southeast of Nanjing. Chunhua was an important defense point for the city.

The Chinese 51st Division defended Chunhua. They had set up strong defenses with machine guns, barbed wire, and anti-tank ditches. Fighting began on December 4, when Japanese soldiers attacked nearby positions. The Chinese held out for two days, even using tanks, but were forced to leave on December 6. The Japanese then pushed toward Chunhua and faced heavy resistance. Despite many casualties on both sides, the Japanese broke through the Chinese defenses by December 8. The Chinese defenders suffered heavy losses and had to withdraw.

Japanese forces also took other nearby places, including Zhenjiang and Tangshuizhen. On the southern part of the defense line, Japanese armored vehicles attacked positions at Jiangjunshan and Niushoushan, defended by the Chinese 58th Division. The Chinese used mountain guns to fight back, destroying several Japanese tanks. After intense fighting, the Chinese were overwhelmed and withdrew on December 9.

Meanwhile, the Japanese 16th Division attacked Chinese troops 14 miles east of Nanjing. The Chinese defenders, though new to battle, held their positions for three days. Japanese planes and artillery caused damage, and the Chinese made mistakes with their grenades. Experienced leaders helped keep the defense organized until they were forced back on December 9.

The Japanese also attacked positions around Purple Mountain. They tried to take Old Tiger's Cave but were stopped by strong Chinese resistance. After heavy fighting and many losses, the Chinese eventually left the cave and moved to better positions on the mountain.

By December 9, Japanese forces had reached Nanjing's final defense line, preparing for the battle for the city itself.

Final Battle for Nanjing City (December 9–13)

In the early morning of December 9, Japanese soldiers fought Chinese troops near the city wall of Nanjing. The Chinese forces pulled back into the city after many were hurt. When the Japanese tried to follow, the Chinese used lights to show their positions and attacked with guns, forcing the Japanese to retreat.

The Japanese then used big guns to attack the city gate and airplanes to drop bombs, hurting many Chinese soldiers. The Chinese brought in more troops to defend the gate, but many were hurt in the fighting. The Japanese tried to break through the gate but faced strong resistance from Chinese defenders. Some Chinese soldiers even set fire to a mill to stop the Japanese from using it.

As the battle continued, both sides fought fiercely for control of Nanjing. The Japanese tried to get the Chinese to give up the city, but the Chinese leaders ordered their troops to hold their positions and fight to the end. The fighting was very hard, with many soldiers on both sides being hurt or killed.

The battle also affected nearby areas. An American ship, the USS Panay, was attacked by Japanese airplanes while it was moving away from the fighting. The ship was badly damaged, and some people on board were hurt or killed. This showed how dangerous the fighting was for everyone in the area.

The Nanjing Massacre

Main article: Nanjing Massacre

The Battle of Nanking was fought in early December 1937 during a big war between Japan and China. The city of Nanking, the capital of China at the time, was the main target. After months of hard fighting, Japanese soldiers captured the city. During and after the battle, many terrible actions took place.

Many Chinese soldiers and civilians were hurt or killed. Some were rounded up and executed, while others faced serious violence. The events were very sad and are remembered as a dark time in history. The exact number of people affected is still discussed today, but it is clear that many lives were lost.

Casualties

The battle for Nanjing ended faster than the Japanese expected. They lost about 1,600 soldiers in fighting and had around 4,600 more who were hurt. Estimates for their total losses during the campaign range from about 26,000 soldiers who were either killed or wounded.

The Chinese losses were certainly much higher, but exact numbers are not known. Different sources give different estimates, with some saying as many as 84,000 Chinese soldiers were killed, while others suggest numbers as low as 6,000 to 10,000. Many wounded Chinese soldiers did not receive proper medical care because the hospitals in Nanjing were overwhelmed. Sadly, many of these injured soldiers were left behind and did not survive.

Aftermath

News of Nanjing's capture caused big celebrations in Japan. People held many lively events and parades that many still remembered years later.

Some say the Chinese general Tang Shengzhi was blamed for the loss, and others feel the Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek made a big mistake by defending Nanjing. Even with this big win, Japan’s reputation suffered because of what happened after the battle. The war continued for many more years until Japan finally gave up in 1945.