As Henan Province fell under Japanese control, Wuhan became the next defensive objective for the Chinese. Wuhan was the capital city of the Hubei Province, and it was actually consisted of three small cities of Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang. It was the second largest Chinese city by population. It sat in the midstream of the Yangtze River, and was strategically important both as an industrial center as well as a transportation hub. The Japanese understood its importance, and further ventured that should the Chinese regulars be defeated at Wuhan, coupled with the capture of top ranking Chinese leaders, Chinese resistance might be brought to an end entirely.
Aerial attacks on Wuhan began long before the actual ground invasion. The first air strike began on 28 Feb 1938, with rather inconsequential results. On 29 Apr, another aerial attack was called for in celebration of Emperor Showa's (Hirohito) birthday, but the prepared Chinese air units achieved a small tactical victory by shooting down 21 Japanese aircraft, losing only 12 of their own. To defend against the eventual ground invasion, the Chinese gathered one million men, 200 aircraft, and 30 naval vessels.
The battle of Wuhan invasion began on 11 Jun with the Japanese advance toward Anqing as a base for further advances. Anqing was captured two days later.
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