Jiangqiao Campaign
Battle of the Nen Jiang Bridge - Jiangqiao campaign - Conquest of Jinzhou - Battle of Harbin
The Jiangqiao campaign was a series of battles and skirmishes smaller due to the Mukden incident during the Japanese occupation of Manchuria between the Imperial Japanese Army and the Chinese National Revolutionary Army in November 1931. It led to the conquest of China's Heilongjiang province.
Background
After the Mukden Incident, the Japanese Kwantung Army began from their local bases of liberal with the occupation of the Chinese provinces of Fengtian and Kirin. At that time, held the governor of Heilongjiang Province, Wan Fulin, currently in Beijing and was therefore not in a position to take control. The Chinese general and de facto ruler of Manchuria, Zhang Xueliang, asked in a telegram to the Chinese government in Nanjing for further instructions how he should proceed with the vacant provincial government, however, continued a short time later, on October 16, arbitrarily General Ma Zhanshan as a governor and military commander of Heilongjiang. Ma met a few days later, on 19 October, in Tsitsihar, the capital of the province, and took over on the day after the official business. He began the defenses of the city to visit and called an a military council. Administration officials and military officers were in favor of the surrender without a fight from the Japanese dismissed him from office.
Battle of the Nen Jiang Bridge
In early November decided to Ma, the government statement from Nanjing to avoid after any confrontation with the Japanese forces was to disobey and to prevent the Japanese at a railway bridge over the river Nen Jiang - on invasion in Heilongjiang. As these had been blown up earlier by Mas forces during the battles against the pro-Japanese General Zhang Haipeng, there was a Japanese pioneer unit, covered by about 800 soldiers, just going to put these back in state. On November 4, it came while gun battles between the Japanese and 2,500 Chinese soldiers, who held the other river bank occupied. Which side it first opened fire is unclear. After about three hours, the Chinese troops began to settle and retire to Tsitsihar. Later, Ma ordered a further advance under his personal leadership towards the bridge, which was repulsed by the Japanese because of their favorable positioning and possible support by tanks and artillery again. Whether the Japanese were really supported by heavy weapons, however, is unclear. Although his plan had failed, Ma was celebrated by the Chinese press for this battle as a hero, as he had ever dared to oppose the Japanese.
Battle of Tsitsihar
As a result of two defeats on the railway bridge over the Nen Jiang, the Japanese began to advance further on Tsitsihar and occupy the surrounding countryside. Until November 15, Ma had to complain so another 700 casualties, of which about 400 fell and 300 were wounded. Nevertheless, he had that day back an ultimatum to the Japanese to surrender the city without a fight. On November 17, the Japanese army began therefore under General Jiro Tamon, despite temperatures. Well below the freezing point, an attack on Tsitsihar From Tangchi moved from about 3,500 Japanese soldiers on a width of about eight kilometers to advance on the city. This is about 8,000 ill-equipped defenders had entrenched. The battle began with scattered cavalry attacks on both sides, a Chinese attack, which should get the right flank of the Japanese, was repulsed by Japanese artillery and air support. However, the Japanese cavalry could beat a first breach in the Chinese defense, which could penetrate into infantry units. Due to their superior firepower they could completely break apart the Chinese front and move to escape. On November 19 Ma finally ordered the evacuation of the city and ordered his troops to turn eastward and to gather in defense of Baiquan and Hailun. Due to the high losses and the general chaos these orders were not being followed. Many more began a general flight direction upstream on the Nen Jiang along. At its headwaters Ma his troops finally gained again. Japanese troops, which pursued the fugitives were repulsed and suffered through the bad weather on their retreat still further losses in Koshen. In parallel, however, the Japanese had already occupied Tsitsihar, which they had brought all three provincial capitals of Manchuria under its control. You put the pro-Japanese General Zhang Jinghui as the new governor and stationed troops in the city, which should protect the local section of the Chinese Eastern Railway.