Capture of Nanjing - Nanjing Koryaku

Japanese: 南京攻略 - ナンキンこうりゃく

This was a strategy used by the Japanese army to capture Nanjing, the capital of China, during the Sino-Japanese War. When the Japanese army landed at Hangzhou Bay on November 5, 1937, the Chinese army (about 70 divisions, about 400,000 troops) near Shanghai began a full retreat towards Nanjing. Influenced by the strong opinions of the Central China Area Army (commander, General Iwane Matsui), who was pursuing them, the central government gave the order to capture Nanjing on December 1. The aim was to bring an early end to the war by occupying Nanjing. Six divisions (estimated to be about 200,000 troops) of the Central China Area Army surrounded and attacked the Chinese army of about 100,000 troops directly defending Nanjing, and the Chinese army began to retreat on December 12, and Nanjing fell on the 13th.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

日中戦争で日本軍が中国の首都であった南京を攻略した作戦。日本軍が1937年11月5日杭州湾に上陸すると，上海付近の中国軍(約70個師，約40万)は南京方向へ総退却に移った。これを追撃する中支那方面軍(司令官，松井石根大将)の強い意見に引きずられ中央は12月1日南京攻略の命令を下す。南京の占領により戦争を早期に終結しようとねらったのである。中支那方面軍のうち6個師団(推定約20万)は南京を直接防御した中国軍約10万を包囲攻撃し，中国軍は12月12日退却に移り，13日南京は陥落した。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: Nanjing Massacre

>>: Nanking Manipulation - Nanking Manipulation