History
The 88th Division (traditional Chinese: 第八十八師; simplified Chinese: 第八十八师; pinyin: Dì Bāshíbā Shī; Wade–Giles: Ti Pa-shih-pa Shih) was one of the eight fully German-trained and reorganized elite infantry division units in the Chinese National Revolutionary Army (NRA).
When Adolf Hitler became Chancellor in 1933 and disregarded the Treaty of Versailles, the Nazi Party and the KMT, united by their shared anti-communist ideals began closely cooperating, with Germany training Chinese troops and expanding Chinese infrastructure while China made its markets and natural resources available to Germany. In 1934, Hans von Seeckt, acting as advisor to Chiang, proposed a "60 Division Plan" for restructuring the NRA into 60 divisions of highly trained, well-equipped troops based on German doctrine. The 88th Division was one of the first divisions to be reorganized and, alongside the 36th Division and 87th Division became the most elite units of the NRA.
Before receiving German training, the 88th Division was present at the 1932 January 28 incident in Shanghai under the command of Yu Jishi as part of the 5th Army, fighting alongside the 19th Route Army.
In 1937, though still not completely trained and fully equipped with German weapons, the 88th Division under the command of Sun Yuanliang was rushed to the Battle of Shanghai alongside the other German-trained divisions. These divisions performed well, pushing the Japanese Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) back to the very shores of Shanghai.
When Adolf Hitler became Chancellor in 1933 and disregarded the Treaty of Versailles, the Nazi Party and the KMT, united by their shared anti-communist ideals began closely cooperating, with Germany training Chinese troops and expanding Chinese infrastructure while China made its markets and natural resources available to Germany. In 1934, Hans von Seeckt, acting as advisor to Chiang, proposed a "60 Division Plan" for restructuring the NRA into 60 divisions of highly trained, well-equipped troops based on German doctrine. The 88th Division was one of the first divisions to be reorganized and, alongside the 36th Division and 87th Division became the most elite units of the NRA.
Before receiving German training, the 88th Division was present at the 1932 January 28 incident in Shanghai under the command of Yu Jishi as part of the 5th Army, fighting alongside the 19th Route Army.
In 1937, though still not completely trained and fully equipped with German weapons, the 88th Division under the command of Sun Yuanliang was rushed to the Battle of Shanghai alongside the other German-trained divisions. These divisions performed well, pushing the Japanese Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) back to the very shores of Shanghai.
Featured Missions
| Campaign | Mission | Campaign | Mission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Shanghai | Towards the SNLF Barracks | Battle of Nanking | Yuhuatai Hills Assault |
| Battle of Shanghai | Barracks' Iron Line | Battle of Nanking | The South Gate |
| Battle of Shanghai | Train Station Push | Battle of Nanking | Breaching the Southern Gate |
| Battle of Shanghai | Sihang Warehouse Defense |