Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, interwar and Second World War

Battle of Zaoyang–Yichang

Battle of Zaoyang–Yichang was a battle fought on 1 May 1940 at Zaoyang City, in what is now China; it lasted 48 days. It was part of Second Sino-Japanese War, which ran from 1937 to 1945. The recorded result: Japanese victory. Recorded strength: 18,970 officers and 381,258 soldiers against IJA 11th Army; 200+ tanks; 100+ aircraft; 1st China Expeditionary Fleet.

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Japanese troops crossing the Han River during the Hsiang-hsi (the west bank of the Hsiang River) Operation.
Japanese troops crossing the Han River during the Hsiang-hsi (the west bank of the Hsiang River) Operation.. Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought1 May 1940lasted 48 days
WhereZaoyang City, China32.125N, 112.751E
OutcomeJapanese victory
BelligerentsRepublic of China (1912–1949)againstEmpire of Japan
Part ofSecond Sino-Japanese War1937 to 1945

Where it sits in Second Sino-Japanese War

Defense of Harbin, 1932Battle of Wenzaobang, 1932Battle of Nanking, 1937Siege of Shanghai, 1937Battle of Luodian, 1937Marco Polo Bridge incident, 1937Battle of Beiping–Tianjin, 1937Battle of Zhangjiakou, 1937Battle of Nankou, 1937Battle of Shanghai, 1937Battle of Wusong, 1937Battle of Taiyuan, 1937Battle of Datong, 1937Battle of Jining, 1937Battle of Xinkou, 1937Battle of Pingxingguan, 1937Defense of Sihang Warehouse, 1937Battle of Jinshanwei, 1937Defense of Linyi, 1938Siege of Xuzhou, 1938Battle of Northern and Eastern Henan, 1938Defense of Teng County, 1938Battle of Taierzhuang, 1938Battle of Xuzhou, 1938Battle of Wuhan, 1938Battle of Changsha, 1939Battle of Nanchang, 1939Battle of Suixian–Zaoyang, 1939Battle of South Guangxi, 1939Battle of Baotou, 1939Battle of Kunlun Pass, 1939Battle of West Suiyuan, 1940Battle of Wuyuan, 1940Battle of Zaoyang–Yichang, 1940Hundred Regiments Offensive, 1940Battle of South Henan, 1941Battle of Shanggao, 1941Battle of South Shanxi, 1941Battle of Changsha, 1941Battle of Changsha, 1942Battle of Tachiao, 1942Battle of Oktwin, 1942Battle of Toungoo, 1942Battle of Yenangyaung, 1942Battle of Lashio, 1942Battle of Yunnan-Burma Road, 1942Battle of West Hubei, 1943Battle of Northern Burma and Western Yunnan, 1943Battle of Changde, 1943Battle of Dushan, 1944Battle of Central Henan, 1944Operation Ichi-Go, 1944Battle of Changsha, 1944Defense of Hengyang, 1944Battle of Guilin–Liuzhou, 1944Battle of West Hunan, 194519321945Battle of Zaoyang–Yichang, 1940
58 placed engagements of Second Sino-Japanese War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1 May 1940
to 18 June 1940
PlaceZaoyang City, China
32.125N, 112.751E
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
Strength18,970 officers and 381,258 soldiersIJA 11th Army; 200+ tanks; 100+ aircraft; 1st China Expeditionary Fleet
Casualties and lossesJapanese records: 63,127 killed; 4,797 captured; 81 artillery pieces captured; 727 automatic weapons captured; 12,557 rifles captured; Chinese records: 768 officers and 36,215 soldiers killed; 2,066 officers and 48,443 soldiers wounded; 645 officers and 22,473 soldiers missingJapanese record: 1,403 killed and 4,639 wounded
Commanders
  • Waichirō Sonobe
Battle of Zaoyang–YichangBattle of Zaoyang–YichangBattle of Suixian–ZaoyangBattle of XiangyangBattle of ChangbanBattle of FanchengBattle of XiangyangNanyangXinyangJingmenXiaoganGuangshuiDengzhouDanjiangkouAnlu100 km32.125N, 112.751E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1940

Battle of Zaoyang–Yichang is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 339 in present-day People's Republic of China.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q717963, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Zaoyang–Yichang, revision 1385204817, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.