In 1937 , Wang led his unit in the Battle of Shanghai . His regiment commander was Zhang Lingfu , whom he had just bailed out of prison . In late November , the Chinese army lost the battle for Shanghai and the Japanese Central China Area Army under General Iwane Matsui advanced toward Nanjing . During the Battle of Nanjing , Wang 's 51st division suffered heavy casualties and his superior General Tang Shengzhi fled the city without even notifying him and the other senior commanders . Wang barely escaped the city and only 3,000 troops under his command managed to breakout from the Japanese onslaught . In 1938 he took part in the Battle of Lanfeng to fight against the Japanese 14th Division ( Imperial Japanese Army ) led by General Kenji Doihara , one of the masterminds of the Manchurian Incident . The failure to hold off the Japanese attacks also led the nationalist government open dykes on the Yellow River , causing the 1938 Yellow River flood . During the Battle of Wanjialing , Wang 's unit fought against the Japanese attempts to break out from the Chinese encirclement , in which the 106th Division ( Imperial Japanese Army ) under Lieutenant General Junrokurō Matsuura was almost wiped out . In 1939 , Wang led his unit to participate in the Battle of Nanchang , but Chinese forces failed to hold the city . Wang , however , distinguished himself during the Battle of Changsha and was promoted to the command of the 74th corps . Under his command , the 74th corps became one of the elite units of the Chinese government forces and fought in almost every engagement in the remaining period of the War . By the war 's end , General Wang was promoted to command the 4th area army and became a member of the KMT central committee
1938 Yellow River flood
1938 Yellow River flood
Wang Yaowu