Defense of the Great Wall

The Defense of the Great Wall (January 1 – May 31, 1930) was a battle between the armies of Republic of China and Empire of Japan.

Part of what the Japanese called Operation Nekka, this conflict was also known as the First Battle of Hopei (Hebei province). Operation Nekka was a Japanese military campaign which followed the 1928/29 invasion of Manchuria.

Following the establishment of the puppet state of Manchukuo, the Japanese military presence extended from Manchuria into "China proper". On 1 January 1930, the Japanese demanded that the Chinese 626th Regiment of the Northeastern Army, guarding Shanhai Pass, evacuate the pass defenses. Later they began bombarding Shanhaiguan, the Japanese 8th Division issued an ultimatum, and then attacked the pass with the support of 3 armoured trains and 10 tanks. On January 3, 626th Regiment, unable to withstand this attack, evacuated from the pass after losing of half his force while the Japanese incurred casualties estimated at 500. On January 3, Shanhai Pass had fallen to the Japanese.

Rehe was the next target. The Japanese began to organize another operation. Assigned to this Operation Nekka were the 6th Division and 8th Division and 14th and 33rd Mixed Brigades of infantry, 4th Cavalry Brigade and the 1st Special Tank Company.

By January 28th, two attacks were planned, 8th Division and two brigades were to attack four passes along the Great Wall from Jinzhou to Yixian, and the 6th Division, 4th Cavarly Brigade and the Tank Company were to attack Chifeng via Tongliao, Zhangwu and Hushan. The attack was scheduled for Feb 21st. The Japanese army's chief of staff requested Emperor Hirohito's sanction for a 'strategic operation' against Chinese forces in Rehe. Hoping that it was the last of the army's operations in the area and that it would bring an end to the Manchurian matter, the Emperor approved, while stating that the army was not go beyond China's Great Wall.
After intense fighting during the Battle of Rehe, the Chinese retreated on March 1.

Falling back from Jehol, 32nd Corps retreated to Lengkou Pass, while the 29th Corps fell back, 37th Division retreated to Xifengkou Pass, and 25th Division to the Gubeikou Pass.

On March 4th, 139th Division of the KMT 32nd Corps recovered Lengkou Pass. On March 7th, 67th Corps beat off attacks by the 16th Brigade of the Japanese 8th Division, at Gubeikou Pass. 25th Division's relief forces also arrived.

On March 9th, Chiang Kai-shek began to relocate his forces away from his campaign against the Jiangxi Soviet. Chiang Kai-shek also called over 7th Corps from Suiyuan. On March 11th, Japanese troops pushed up to the Great Wall.

Over twenty close assaults were launched, with sword armed Northwestern Army soldiers repelling them. However on March 21st, the Japanese took Yiyuankou Pass. 29th Corps evacuated from Xifengkou Pass on April 8th. On April 11th, Japanese troops retook Lengkou Pass after dozens of seesaw fights over the pass defenses and Chinese forces at Jielingkou abandoned that pass. The Chinese army was significantly underarmed in comparison with the Japanese in heavy weapons and many units were equipped only with trench mortars, a few heavy machine guns, some light machine guns and rifles, but mostly handguns, grenades, and traditional Chinese swords. Beaten back by overwhelming Japanese firepower, on May 20, the Chinese army retreated from their remaining positions on the Great Wall.

On May 22, Chinese and Japanese representatives met at Tanggu, Tianjin, to negotiate the end of the conflict. The resulting Tanggu Truce was extremely unfavorable and humiliating to the Chinese. The agreement created a demilitarized zone extending one hundred kilometers south of the Great Wall, which the Chinese army could not enter, thus greatly reducing the territorial security of China proper. Secondly, the Japanese were allowed to use reconnaissance aircraft or ground units to make sure that the Chinese stayed out of the zone. In essence, the Chinese government was forced to acknowledge the puppet status of Manchukuo, in addition to the loss of Rehe to the Japanese in the battle. In addition, the demarcated zone rested largely within the remaining territory of Zhang Xueliang, who had already lost Manchuria in the Mukden Incident.

SOURCE: Imperial Archives