Chinese Nationalists Army
The Nationalist army was the military arm of the Kuomintang politic party. It came into existence in 1922 for the purpose of forcefully taking control of China from the Warlords and creating a modern democracy. Warlords was the term given to the numerous region leaders of China that operated following the collapse of central authority in 1917.
By 1928 the Nationalist army had defeated the main Warlords, following this the national capital was established in Nanking and the Kuomintang army became the Nationalist Army of China.
The Nationalist summer uniform by the late 1930s was khaki with the winter uniform being blue-grey. A number of different helmet designs were worn such as the French Adrian or British WW1 model but the most popular was the German 1935 model which remained in use until the Nationalists defeat in 1949. 20 divisions were sent to India during WW2 to train for action in Burma, these troops were equipped with British and American equipment.
Following the major Japanese actions in 1937 the Nationalist and Communist forces allied under Nationalist control. For further details read the notes concerning the Communist army.
By 1942 both the Communists and Nationalist regarded each other as the major threat with the Japanese relegated to only nuisance value. Both believed that the Japanese would be defeated by the Western nations in due course and either wanted to weaken their forces for the show down between each other once the Japanese had been removed. Accordingly the Japanese were contained by both the Nationalists and Communists without either making an all out effort against it.
As the war progressed the Nationalists administration in general became increasing corrupt, to the extent that their field armies became ineffectual due to supplies being stolen. By the end of WW2 corruption and petty rivalries between Nationalist commanders had become epidemic. Following WW2 the level of Nationalists corruption had escalated to such an extent that their regional forces increasing resembled those of the Warlord period. It was not uncommon for rival Nationalist commanders after WW2 to withhold support from each other when dealing with Communist. The war between the Nationalist and Communists was more lost by the Nationalists than won by the Communists.
The Japanese aim in China was to force a collapse of centre government that would permit them to break up China into small region areas, each with a puppet government.
Nationalist Army Features:
In 1937 the Japanese commenced a major offensive against China, initial the Nationalist committed their best forces to containing the Japanese around Shanghai. Unfortunately for the Nationalist their forces were destroyed in a series of battles. The forces lost represented the most professional and well equipped elements of their army, being those trained by German officers.
Following their defeat the Nationalists made use of guerilla tactics against the Japanese, but never with the success enjoyed by the Communists.
Russians viewed the Chinese as a cheap means of diverting Japanese forces away from it own borders. By 1938, 60 thousand tonnes of supplies and war materials were leaving Odessa every month bound for Chinese ports. Upwards of 80 aircraft a month, together with Russian pilots were also supplied. Apart from Russian help little in the way of equipment was given to the Nationalists until WW2, they were forced to buy their equipment. For example the 100 P-40B planes used by the Flying Tigers was purchased from the USA government.
The Nationalist had a fleet of around 70 light ships by 1937.
The central Nationalist government had a number of elite formations, however all the regions of China retained a degree of independence and field their own units of very poor quality.
Following details were extracted from the “War of Resistance – Designer Notes” and have been reproduced here, unfortunately I am unable to obtain the original source:
The Chinese Central Army had three armoured battalions in 1937, two of which operated near Shanghai and the third near Nanking. These units contained small tanks and tankettes such as the machine-gun armed Vickers Carden-Loyd amphibious tankette, the Italian L3/35 light tank and the German PzKpfw IA. The largest tank in the Chinese arsenal was the British built Vickers 6 ton MkE & MkF medium tanks that supported a 47mm gun. In addition to the tanks, the Chinese used a few dozen German armoured cars such as the PSW 221 and 222 and a plethora of indigenous "armoured cars," cobbled together with whatever materials were at hand. The warlord armies in particular, used makeshift "armoured cars.
Chinese artillery consisted of a variety of gun types from a number of nations but largely from Germany and the Soviet Union. The German 3.7 cm PaK 35 was the standard antitank weapon of the nationalist forces.
China had about 7000 trucks in 1937. They appear in this game as SMP since they were used almost exclusively for the transportation of supplies. Many were employed in remote areas, such as the far-western caravan route to the Soviet Union across Sinkiang to Kazakstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Chinese Equipment at 1937
A definitive list of Chinese small arms and artillery is almost impossible to assemble. Every sort of import and captured weapon was employed. Standardisation was virtually non-existent. Generally, if available, each squad had an automatic weapon of some sort. A company might have a few machine guns, generally of .30 calibre. Larger units might have a 20mm anti-aircraft gun or even a 37mm anti-tank gun. Divisional weapons included bores ranging from 75mm to 155mm, but these were general antiquated or captured pieces and were always in seriously short supply.
Vehicles
At the outset of the conflict, the Chinese had a variety of antiquated AFVs and about 7000 trucks. Many smaller pre-war European models were on hand. The more significant version are listed.
VCL M1931 - 29 of this British manufactured amphibious tankette were purchased in 1935 and organised into the 1st Tank Battalion. Weight: 3 tonnes. Armament: One 7.92mm MG.
L3/35 - About 100 of this Italian tank were purchased. A number of them served with the 2nd Tank Battalion. Weight: 3.5 tonnes. Armament: One bow-mounted MG.
PzKpfw IA - A small number (possibly 10) of this German vehicle served with the 3rd Tank Battalion. Weight: 5.5 tonnes. Armament: two 7.92 LMG in the turret.
Vickers 6-Ton Mk E & F - About 20 of these British tanks were purchased and used in the 1st and 2nd Tank Battalions. Weight: 7 tonnes. Armament: One 47 mm gun and one bow MG.
VCL Mk VI Carrier - 24 of these vehicles were purchased by China in the mid-1930's and used as part of the 2nd Tank Battalion. These tiny vehicles were designed as a carrier to increase the mobility of the Vickers MG. Weight: 1.5 tonnes.
T-26 M33 - Some 88 of this Soviet tank was supplied in the 1938 to 1939 timeframe. Most were formed into the 1st Tank Regiment that was assigned to the newly forming 200th Infantry Division, the only totally motorised infantry formation in the Chinese Army during this period. Weight: 10.5 tonnes. Armament: One 45 mm gun and one bow mounted MG. Some had a second MG for AA purposes.
A variety of armoured cars were employed throughout China during the conflict. In addition to foreign purchases and aid, such as the German PSW 221 and Soviet Ba-20 and Ba-6, many indigenous versions assembled from materials on hand. Particularly in warlord armies, ordinary trucks would have metal plates bolted to the sides of the vehicle and a machine gun mounted on the top and thereby became an "armoured car." Put several of these vehicles together, and the warlord then commanded an armoured brigade.
The Chinese Navy:
At the outset of the conflict, the Chinese navy consisted of 66 ships and 12 torpedo boats totalling 59,000 tonnes. The bulk of these vessels were small patrol boats and river craft. The two largest ships were the sisters Ping Hai and Ning Hai. Displacing 2,500 tonnes each, these ships each supported six 5.5 inch guns, six 3.5 inch AA guns, and 8 machine-gun. They were 360 feet in length, capable of 22.25 knots, and had a total crew of 340 men. On September 23, 1937, Japanese aircraft sunk both of these ships near Chiang-yin while they were supporting ground operations along the Yangtzé River bank.
The Chinese Air Force:
The Chinese Air Force was relatively new in 1937. The retired American Colonel Chennault (later of AVG fame) who had been hired by the Chinese government for the purpose commanded it. The Chinese Air Force had 305 combat aircraft that had been imported from many different nations. Originally planning to deploy in North China, the eruption of hostilities in the Shanghai area caused the Chinese to keep virtually the entire air force in the Yangtzé River valley. The Mxd-F fighter unit represents an assortment of aircraft such as CR.32s, BA.27s, Boeing P-26s, and Corsair biplanes. The Mxd-B bomber unit contains CA.101s, Br 3s, SM.72s, and He111s. The Mxd-T transport unit represents a variety of transport aircraft both in military and civil service including predominantly DC-3s (the civilian version of the C-47). The Chinese National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) was often pressed into military service as need arose.
Sources:
Chinese Civil War Armies 1911 – 1949: Osprey Military
War in Peace: magazine series
War of Resistance – Designer Notes web site