World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseAfter operations at the Chinese port city of Amoy in May 1938, the effort to blockade the entire Chinese coast continued in Oct as Admiral Koichi Shiozawa's fleet moved off Guangdong Province's coast in southern China. By operating the main Japanese naval group near the mouth of the Pearl River, China was deprived of another venue where supplies could possibly trickle in, while also achieving a secondary objective of isolating the British port of Hong Kong.

ww2dbaseWhile the naval operations commenced, three divisions and a flight group of the Japanese 21st Army under Lieutenant General Mikio Furusho attacked Guangdong on 12 Oct. Guangdong Province was defended by General Yu Hanmou's six divisions of the Fourth Route Army, who faced the attacking forces without any reinforcements from the rear because Chinese forces were occupied with a simultaneous Japanese attack in the Wuhan area. The Japanese landing took place in the Bias Bay area, east of Hong Kong. The landing achieved surprise, therefore Chinese resistance at the landing site was minimal. By 21 Oct, the city of Guangzhou (Canton) was captured by the Japanese. Humen and Samshui fell on 23 and 25 Oct, respectively. By Nov, Japanese operation in Guangdong entered mop-up phase, and by end of Dec, the conquest of Guangdong was considered complete.

Guangdong Operation Interactive Map

Guangdong Operation Timeline

Photographs