Battle of West Hubei

Battle of West Hubei
	Part of the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific Theater of World War II
Date	May 5 – June 11, 1943; (1 month and 6 days)
Location	West Hubei, China29°9′20″N 112°14′43″E / 29.15556°N 112.24528°E
Result	Chinese strategic victory: Withdrawal of Imperial Japanese Armed Forces from West Hubei to their initial position
Belligerents
China; United States (air support only)	Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders
Chen Cheng; Sun Lianzhong; Hu Lien; Wang Zuanxu; Luo Guangwen; Fang Tien; Song Kendang; Gao Zhuodong; Mu Ting-Fang	Isamu Yokoyama; Takeshi Takashina; Yamamoto Mitsuo; Akashika Tadashi; Sumida Raishiro; Aoki Seiichi
Units involved
National Revolutionary Army 6th War Area 41 divisions from : 86th Army; ; 10th Army Group 87th Army; 94th Army; Total : 6 divisions; ; 26th Army Group 75th Army; 66th Army; Total : 5 divisions; ; 29th Army Group 44th Army; 67th Army; 73rd Army; Total : 9 divisions; ; 33rd Army Group 59th Army; 77th Army; 79th Army; 30th Army; Total : 12 divisions; ; 26th Army; 99th Army; River defense force 32nd Army; 18th Army 11th Division; 18th Division; ; ; ; 8 divisions from other support units :; ; Artillery units ; Republic of China Navy ; Republic of China Air Force Bombardment Group 5 bombardment groups; ; Pursuit Group 4 pursuit groups; ; United States Army Air Force 23rd Fighter Group 4 squadrons; ; 11th Bombardment Squadron;	Imperial Japanese Army 11th Army Divisions 3rd Division; 13th Division; 39th Division; 40th Division; ; Brigade/Detachments 17th Independent Mixed Brigade; Haragaya detachment (34th Division); Nozoe Detachment (58th Division); ; ; Imperial Japanese Army Air Service 44th Air Regiment; Imperial Japanese Navy
Strength
280,000	120,000
Casualties and losses
23,550 killed; 18,295 wounded; 7,270 missing	25,000 killed and wounded; 40 aircraft destroyed; 122 naval vessels damaged or sunk
	class=notpageimage\| Location within Hubei Battle of West Hubei (China)

The Battle of West Hubei (simplified Chinese: 鄂西会战; traditional Chinese: 鄂西會戰; pinyin: È Xī Huìzhàn), was one of 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was also one of 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."^[3] However, that states that it ended in a tactical draw.

The Chinese government and Western media reported that the Chinese had scored a major victory.^[4] Japanese troops retreat to their former positions.

^ 陳敬堂 (15 July 2014). 《寫給香港人的中國現代史》. 香港: 中華書局（香港）. ISBN 978-988-8290-82-6.
^ "鄂西大捷徹底擊潰日軍13師團滇西展開反攻". 鐵血映丹心. 青年日報. 31 May 2015.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Barbara Tuchman, Stilwell and the American Experience in China, pp. 373
^ "China Handbook". 1937.

[陳敬堂2014-1] 陳敬堂 (15 July 2014). 《寫給香港人的中國現代史》. 香港: 中華書局（香港）. ISBN 978-988-8290-82-6.

[鐵血映丹心-2] "鄂西大捷徹底擊潰日軍13師團滇西展開反攻". 鐵血映丹心. 青年日報. 31 May 2015.^{[permanent dead link]}

[3] Barbara Tuchman, Stilwell and the American Experience in China, pp. 373

[4] "China Handbook". 1937.

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