Atlas of Battles

campaign, interwar and Second World War

Canton Operation

Canton Operation was a campaign fought in 1938 at Guangdong, in what is now China. It was part of Second Sino-Japanese War, which ran from 1937 to 1945. The recorded result: Japanese victory.

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Fought1938
WhereGuangdong, China23.090N, 113.300E
OutcomeJapanese victory
BelligerentsEmpire of JapanagainstRepublic of China (1912–1949)
Part ofSecond Sino-Japanese War1937 to 1945

Where it sits in Second Sino-Japanese War

Japanese invasion of Manchuria, 1931Jiangqiao campaign, 1931Jinzhou Operation, 1931Defense of Harbin, 1932Battle of Wenzaobang, 1932Suiyuan Campaign, 1936Battle of Nanking, 1937Bombing of Songjiang, 1937Siege of Shanghai, 1937Battle of Luodian, 1937Bombing of Nanjing, 1937Marco Polo Bridge incident, 1937Battle of Beiping–Tianjin, 1937Operation Chahar, 1937Battle of Zhangjiakou, 1937Battle of Nankou, 1937Battle of Shanghai, 1937Bloody Saturday (Shanghai), 1937Battle of Wusong, 1937Battle of Taiyuan, 1937Battle of Datong, 1937Battle of Jining, 1937Battle of Xinkou, 1937Battle of Pingxingguan, 1937Defense of Sihang Warehouse, 1937Battle of Jinshanwei, 1937USS Panay incident, 1937Amoy Operation, 1938Bombing of Chengdu, 1938Defense of Linyi, 1938Siege of Xuzhou, 1938Battle of Northern and Eastern Henan, 1938Bombing of Chongqing, 1938Defense of Teng County, 1938Battle of Taierzhuang, 1938Battle of Xuzhou, 1938Canton Operation, 1938Battle of Wuhan, 1938Battle of Changsha, 1939Swatow Operation, 1939Hainan Island Operation, 1939Battle of Nanchang, 1939Battle of Suixian–Zaoyang, 1939Battle of South Guangxi, 1939Battle of Baotou, 1939Battle of Kunlun Pass, 1939Battle of West Suiyuan, 19401939–1940 Winter Offensive, 1940Battle of Wuyuan, 1940Battle of Zaoyang–Yichang, 1940Hundred Regiments Offensive, 1940Battle of South Henan, 1941Battle of Shanggao, 1941Battle of South Shanxi, 1941Battle of Changsha, 1941proposed Japanese invasion of Sichuan, 1942Battle of Changsha, 1942Battle of Tachiao, 1942Battle of Oktwin, 1942Battle of Toungoo, 1942Battle of Yenangyaung, 1942Battle of Lashio, 1942Battle of Yunnan-Burma Road, 1942Battle of West Hubei, 1943Battle of Northern Burma and Western Yunnan, 1943Battle of Changde, 1943Battle of Longling, 1944Battle of Dushan, 1944Battle of Central Henan, 1944Operation Ichi-Go, 1944Battle of Changsha, 1944Defense of Hengyang, 1944Battle of Guilin–Liuzhou, 1944Second Guangxi campaign, 1945Battle of West Hunan, 194519311945Canton Operation, 1938
77 placed engagements of Second Sino-Japanese War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1938 (year precision)
to 1938
PlaceGuangdong, China
23.090N, 113.300E
KindCampaign, interwar and Second World War
StrengthEmpire of Japan: 70,000 men; 27,000 horses; Army aircraft: 4 direct support aircraft; 24 fighters; 27 light bombers; Total aircraft: 55; Empire of Japan: 2 aircraft carriers; 1 light aircraft carrier; 1 heavy cruiser; 8 light cruisers; 23 destroyers; 2 seaplane tenders; 3 gunboats; 6 minesweepers; Navy aircraft: 39 carrier fighters; 45 carrier bombers; 43 carrier torpedo bombers; 6 naval reconnaissance aircraft; 9 medium bombers; Total aircraft: 142; Transports: 80 daihatsu; 180 shohatsu; 300 motorized sampans; 250 barges; 200-250 fishing ships; 10 tugboats; 20-25 sea trucks; 10 launches80,000 men
Casualties and lossesOfficial Japanese war records claim: 173 killed; 493 wounded; 1,264 sick; Total casualties: 1,930; 1,069 horses killed, wounded or sick; 5 aircraftChinese claim: 2,954 killed; 5,645 wounded; 2,643 missing; Total casualties: 11,242; Official Japanese war records claim 1,340 captured. Another official Japanese military source claimed 5,203 Chinese troops killed.; Official Japanese war records claim: 2,371 rifles; 214 heavy and light machineguns; 134 artillery pieces; 53 coastal artillery pieces; 21 tanks and light armored vehicles; 151 vehicles
Commanders
  • Motoo Furusho
  • Kōichi Shiozawa
  • Yu Han-mou
Canton OperationCanton OperationCapture of the French Folly FortBattle of GuangzhouBattle of CantonBattle of Macao FortSecond Battle of GuangzhouBattle of GuangzhouBattle of Macao FortSecond Battle of GuangzhouShenzhenZhuhaiMacauQingyuanJiangmenHeyuanHong Kong100 km23.090N, 113.300E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 9 times between 1841 and 1938.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1938

Canton Operation is one of 4,429 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 448 in present-day China.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q5033913, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Canton Operation, revision 1383135214, read 2026-11-15, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.