Growling Tigers : The Battle for Changde, 1943 (2011)

On 15th November 1943, 100,000 Japanese of the IJA broke through the Chinese defense lines at Shek Mun, Cili and Lishui River. The 74th Division of the Chinese 57th Army (nicknamed as "Growling Tiger Division") was ordered to defend Changde and fate will decide the outcome of the battle.

The Battle of Changde began on 18th November 1943 when the Imperial Japanese 11th Army under the command of Isamu Yokoyama already approached the strongholds in the suburbs of Changde with around 20,000 men under three divisions. The Japanese 116th Division in the northwest began to attack the Chinese defenders at Huangtu Mountain and the Hefu Mountain while the Japanese 68th Division in the east began to attack Shigongmiao and Xinmin Bridge (XinminQiao). The Japanese 3rd Division in the south advanced towards the southern bank of Yuan River after they took Deshan. On 25th November 1943 these three Japanese Divisions were outside Changde City.

The Chinese garrisons in the fortifications inside the city near the eastern, northern and western gates engaged the Japanese Forces continuously without any rest with the Japanese having firepower supremacy in both air force bombardments and artillery fires. On 28th November 1943, Japanese General Yokoyama launched simultaneous attacks on all the four gates. Despite the Chinese 57th Division fought valiantly, the city wall had fallen.

At the same time, reinforcements from the Chinese 19th Division were advancing towards Hefu and the 190th Division had begun to counterattack from the east. At this very moment, the overall commander of the defending garrison at Changde, Division Commander Yu Ching Man issued his last telegraph to Sun Lianzhong in this battle. "No more ammunition, without reinforcement, the city has fallen."

Sun was the deputy commander of the Sixth Front On 1st December 1943, reinforcements from the Chinese 10th Army have captured positions at Deshan and the Chinese 3rd Division and the 10th Division were approaching from the southern bank to help the Changde garrison though they were unable to contact with the 57th Division, thereby failing to make concerted attack. On 3rd December 1943, the Chinese Regiment Commander Chai Yee Sun died gloriously while leading the last Chinese combat unit when covering the retreat of General Yu Ching Man and the remnants of the 57th division. On 6th December, the Japanese found themselves attacked by seven corps from the Chinese Sixth Front and the Ninth Front and the Japanese high command decided to withdraw to prevent the annihilation of the Japanese 11th Army.

On 7th December, General Yu Ching Man led the remnants of the 57th Division and coordinated with the 11th Division to attack Changde. On 9th Division, the Chinese entered the city through the Eastern gate and recovered Changde City. The Japanese withdrew back to the original frontline in early January 1944. In this battle, less than 300 of the original 8,000 defenders survived and the Japanese lost more than 4,000 soldiers in the sieget with total casualties of the campaign around 10,000. Chinese casualties were more than 100,000 but they held the City of Changde at a terrible price.

Re-implements:

• Growling Tigers under Siege: Defense of Changde 1943 (Board Wargame Magazine)