Battle of Nanchang
Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
What happened
China's National Revolutionary Army, with Xue Yue commanding the region, fought the Japanese army under Yasuji Okamura. In the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japanese forces crossed the Xiushui River with tanks and reached Nanchang, which fell on 27 March. In April, Chinese forces counter-attacked from three sides to retake the city. The counter-attack failed, and Chinese forces withdrew on 9 May.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Nanchang was a railway hub, and its airfields threatened Japanese shipping on the Yangtze. Its loss let Japan tighten its hold on Jiangxi and Hunan.
What came next
Soon afterwards, Japan's border fighting with the Soviet Union at Khalkhin Gol slowed its advance in China. Xue Yue's forces later won the First Battle of Changsha in 1939.
Timeline
- 17 March 1939The battle begins.
- 27 March 1939Nanchang falls.
- 21 April 1939The Chinese counter-attack begins.
- 9 May 1939Chinese forces withdraw.