What was the Siege of Changde and why does Chinese WW2 history regard it as heroic?
Answer
In late 1943, approximately 57,000 Japanese troops besieged 8,000 Chinese defenders at Changde. The garrison was reduced to 83 survivors but held long enough for relief forces to recapture the city within days
Did You Know?
The Chinese 57th Division fought to near-total annihilation with full knowledge they were sacrificing themselves as a delaying action. General Yu Chengwan, who ordered the last-stand defense, survived and was honored as a national hero. The story is barely known outside China.