Battle of West Hubei

Part of the Second Sino-Japanese War

Date	12 May - 3 June 1943
Location	West Hubei
Result	Tactical draw Chinese strategic victory

Belligerents

National Revolutionary Army, Republic of China

Imperial Japanese Army, Empire of Japan

Commanders and leaders

Chen Cheng

Isamu Yokoyama

Strength

14 armies

7 divisions

Casualties and losses

60,000 troops

25,830 troops

The Battle of West Hubei (simplified Chinese: 鄂西会战; traditional Chinese: 鄂西會戰; pinyin: È Xī Huìzhàn), was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was also one of the four major battles that took place in Hubei.

It resulted in a Chinese strategic victory, although they lost more troops than the Japanese Army. Historian Barbara W. Tuchman however, writes that the "Japanese withdrew without pursuit from what appeared to have been a training and foraging offensive to collect rice and river shipping."

The Chinese government and Western media reported that the Chinese had scored a major victory.

The Chinese government and Western media reported that the Chinese had scored a major victory. Historian Barbara W. Tuchman had another opinion, who wrote that the "Japanese withdrew without pursuit from what appeared to have been a training and foraging offensive to collect rice and river shipping."

During the time period of the Battle of West Hubei, People’s Republic of China historians have claimed that the Changjiao massacre (Chinese: 厂窖惨案) occurred, during which Japanese troops slaughtered more than 30,000 civilians at a factory in the tiny hamlet of Changjiao, northern Hunan over a three-day period from 9–12 May 1943.

...
Wikipedia