March 24, 1938 · North China — Xuzhou Theater
March 24, 1938
At the small walled town of Taierzhuang in Shandong province, Chinese forces under General Li Zongren encircled and mauled two Japanese divisions that had overextended during their advance toward the railway hub of Xuzhou. Fighting in the rubble of the town's ancient walls, Chinese troops annihilated over 16,000 Japanese soldiers in what became China's first significant victory of the war — and a massive propaganda triumph.
Commanders