Local Yokel
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The Campaign in North China, Autumn 1942
This is a summary of operations that have taken place in North China between September and mid-December 1942.
The initial Japanese plan was not only to capture Yenan, but also to eliminate its communist defenders. For this purpose, the Japanese plan was to throw an force of two tank regiments around the north and west sides of the city, thereby severing the defenders’ supply path. Thereafter, it was intended that a powerful force of infantry divisions would invest and progressively reduce the city.
However, the Japanese command underestimated the difficulty in bringing adequate supply forward to the besiegers (the presence of North China Area Army HQ notwithstanding), and circumstances, in the shape of Chinese counter-moves, intervened to lead to a somewhat different outcome to that intended.
The Japanese opening move was to deliver a quick punch to the sizeable but isolated force located at hex 52,25. This attack went in on 5 September:
Ground combat at 52,25
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 49385 troops, 139 guns, 80 vehicles, Assault Value = 1234
Defending force 17331 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 564
Japanese max assault: 1034 - adjusted assault: 759
Allied max defense: 434 - adjusted defense: 4
Japanese assault odds: 189 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
721 casualties reported
Guns lost 6
Vehicles lost 1
Allied ground losses:
2191 casualties reported
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
The Japanese command’s assessment was that these Chinese forces, having been pushed off their local supply dumps, would be in no position to mount a threat to the Japanese northern flank as its troops drove west and south around the Chinese northern perimeter at Yenan. So far the assessment seems to have been proved correct, as nothing further has been heard from the Chinese units concerned.
The Japanese thereafter launched their armoured drive to isolate Yenan, to which the Chinese mounted no opposition [(1) on the accompanying plan]. Instead, KMT forces supporting Mao Tse-Tung in the beleaguered city moved NE and W to recapture ground taken by the Japanese armoured drive and re-open a corridor in the direction of Kungchang (2).
Hoping to move the main sally force away from Yenan, the Japanese committed three under-supplied divisions to an attack upon them at hex 49,28 on 28 October. The results were discouraging, to say the least:
Ground combat at 49,28
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 65019 troops, 304 guns, 5 vehicles, Assault Value = 1444
Defending force 30866 troops, 144 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 937
Japanese max assault: 1362 - adjusted assault: 1348
Allied max defense: 940 - adjusted defense: 1085
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
1453 casualties reported
Guns lost 18
Allied ground losses:
347 casualties reported
Guns lost 15
The real problem arose from the fact that a single Chinese corps was still holding its position east of the Hwang Ho at hex 49,30, thereby preventing the Japanese from bringing forward supplies to renew the attack. Consequently, the Japanese settled for a critical position astride the Yenan-Sian road [hex 48,29], whilst painfully withdrawing the bruised attackers towards Yangku. Eventually the Chinese corps east of the river was ejected, but by this time the Japanese 15th Tank Regt had impetuously crossed the Wei Ho just north of its confluence with the Hwang Ho, only to find itself totally out of supply (4).
As the Imperial tanks struggled in vain to re-cross the river, they were caught by Chinese forces moving south from Sian, who staged a fierce counter attack on 4 November (5):
Ground combat at 48,30
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 13502 troops, 54 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 401
Defending force 2992 troops, 0 guns, 77 vehicles, Assault Value = 78
Allied max assault: 770 - adjusted assault: 871
Japanese max defense: 70 - adjusted defense: 29
Allied assault odds: 30 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
34 casualties reported
Vehicles lost 2
Allied ground losses:
332 casualties reported
Guns lost 9
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
Regrettably, this attack forced Colonel Oka’s men and fuel less tanks into the mountains SW of Sian, whence they have subsequently made slow and painful progress back towards the Japanese MLR east of the river.
Oka’s push across the river was clearly an ill-advised move, but fortunately for the Japanese their opponents were equally prone to error, and made to pay for it more severely.
On 3 October the Japanese defenders of Kaifeng were astonished to find themselves confronted by a Chinese assault crossing of the Hwang Ho (6). Although this onslaught came as a complete surprise to the Japanese, it is possible that the Chinese were taken equally by surprise at the substantial size of the defending garrison. Since Kaifeng had been seen to be a potential weak point in the Japanese line that might, in turn, lead to exposure of the main Peking-Shanghai railway – a vital artery – the defence had been strengthened so as to include 2 full divisions and a brigade of infantry. The consequences for the Chinese infantry struggling across the river were moderately unpleasant:
Ground combat at Kaifeng
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 9353 troops, 53 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 823
Defending force 59366 troops, 225 guns, 7 vehicles, Assault Value = 1196
Allied max assault: 258 - adjusted assault: 15
Japanese max defense: 1295 - adjusted defense: 6064
Allied assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 4)
Japanese ground losses:
38 casualties reported
Allied ground losses:
880 casualties reported
Guns lost 35
Surprised though the Japanese may have been, they rapidly appreciated that they had been presented with a priceless opportunity to destroy the attacking forces. Whilst Japanese artillery bombarded the Chinese attackers in Kaifeng to pin them in place, counter-attack forces assembled in Sinyang marched up the right bank of the Hwang Ho and ultimately crossed it NW of Kaifeng so as to seal that city’s attackers into a pocket (7).
To cut in behind the Chinese forces in Kaifeng, the Japanese had first to thrust aside their colleagues defending the west bank of the river:
[24 October 1942]
Ground combat at 49,33
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 32028 troops, 122 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1224
Defending force 21032 troops, 90 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 578
Japanese max assault: 185 - adjusted assault: 123
Allied max defense: 415 - adjusted defense: 191
Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
208 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Allied ground losses:
96 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
[27 October 1942]
Ground combat at 49,33
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 53338 troops, 224 guns, 6 vehicles, Assault Value = 1203
Defending force 20543 troops, 85 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 571
Japanese max assault: 2320 - adjusted assault: 3680
Allied max defense: 459 - adjusted defense: 121
Japanese assault odds: 30 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
1536 casualties reported
Guns lost 8
Vehicles lost 1
Allied ground losses:
329 casualties reported
Guns lost 9
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
[12 November 1942]
Ground combat at 50,32
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 52472 troops, 222 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 1175
Defending force 23996 troops, 96 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 699
Japanese max assault: 1157 - adjusted assault: 1673
Allied max defense: 538 - adjusted defense: 341
Japanese assault odds: 4 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
991 casualties reported
Guns lost 7
Vehicles lost 2
Allied ground losses:
503 casualties reported
Guns lost 11
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
This third battle on the river bank due west of Kaifeng sealed the fate of the city’s Chinese attackers. With a single Japanese brigade dispatched to the NW of the city so as to seal off any potential escape route, the Imperial forces began their final assaults to eliminate the pocketed troops on 28 November:
[28 November 1942]
Ground combat at Kaifeng
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 74220 troops, 285 guns, 244 vehicles, Assault Value = 1311
Defending force 23875 troops, 5 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 435
Japanese max assault: 1355 - adjusted assault: 1126
Allied max defense: 280 - adjusted defense: 88
Japanese assault odds: 12 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
903 casualties reported
Guns lost 12
Vehicles lost 1
Allied ground losses:
781 casualties reported
[30 November 1942]
Ground combat at Kaifeng
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 70275 troops, 272 guns, 243 vehicles, Assault Value = 1290
Defending force 22508 troops, 6 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 420
Japanese max assault: 1330 - adjusted assault: 1469
Allied max defense: 243 - adjusted defense: 46
Japanese assault odds: 31 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
546 casualties reported
Guns lost 13
Vehicles lost 3
Allied ground losses:
453 casualties reported
Guns lost 3
[2 December 1942]
Ground combat at Kaifeng
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 68919 troops, 272 guns, 239 vehicles, Assault Value = 1245
Defending force 22034 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 414
Japanese max assault: 1257 - adjusted assault: 1047
Allied max defense: 268 - adjusted defense: 45
Japanese assault odds: 23 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
1210 casualties reported
Guns lost 6
Vehicles lost 1
Allied ground losses:
461 casualties reported
On 6 December, a desperate throw by the encircled Chinese  :
Ground combat at Kaifeng
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 19604 troops, 6 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 386
Defending force 75826 troops, 272 guns, 243 vehicles, Assault Value = 1229
Allied max assault: 155 - adjusted assault: 7
Japanese max defense: 1291 - adjusted defense: 3571
Allied assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 6)
Japanese ground losses:
457 casualties reported
Guns lost 14
Allied ground losses:
1528 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
[7 December 1942]
Ground combat at Kaifeng
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 63415 troops, 258 guns, 244 vehicles, Assault Value = 1215
Defending force 19169 troops, 2 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 217
Japanese max assault: 1235 - adjusted assault: 1327
Allied max defense: 124 - adjusted defense: 18
Japanese assault odds: 73 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
193 casualties reported
Guns lost 4
Allied ground losses:
1485 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
[Surrender of Chinese 10th War Area HQ]
[8 December 1942]
Ground combat at Kaifeng
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 63364 troops, 260 guns, 244 vehicles, Assault Value = 1212
Defending force 18578 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 204
Japanese max assault: 1236 - adjusted assault: 1782
Allied max defense: 111 - adjusted defense: 9
Japanese assault odds: 198 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
233 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
Allied ground losses:
3842 casualties reported
[Surrender of Chinese 3rd Group Army HQ and 27th Guerilla Corps]
[9 December 1942]
Ground combat at Kaifeng
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 63372 troops, 258 guns, 243 vehicles, Assault Value = 1212
Defending force 16510 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 193
Japanese max assault: 1227 - adjusted assault: 1856
Allied max defense: 106 - adjusted defense: 6
Japanese assault odds: 309 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
316 casualties reported
Guns lost 3
Allied ground losses:
21288 casualties reported 
Guns lost 45
So concluded this Japanese application of Vernichtungsgedanke, incidentally also providing a useful training opportunity for the Imperial forces’ 3rd Tank Division, which arrived in time to lend weight to the final reduction of the Chinese attackers at Kaifeng.
On to Honan!
 Attachment (1)
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RE: Nanshin! or the ramblings of Local Yokel: October 1942 - 
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