88年前的今天，也就是1937年8月13日，中國抗日戰爭中規模最龐大、戰況最慘烈的會戰之一——淞滬會戰正式爆發。這場戰役不僅是全面抗戰爆發後的第一場大型會戰，更是中日雙方在正面戰場上首次進行的正規大規模對決，成為中國近代史上極為重要的一頁。

1937年七七事變後，日軍迅速擴大侵略行動，試圖以武力徹底吞併中國。上海作為當時中國最重要的國際都市和經濟中心，同時也是通往長江中下游的戰略要地，成為日軍必爭之地。國民政府為守住上海，並爭取國際同情與援助，決定在此與日軍展開正面交鋒。8月13日，日軍藉口保護僑民，向駐守上海的中國守軍發動進攻，中方隨即全面反擊，淞滬會戰由此拉開序幕。

這場戰役歷時三個多月，中國方面動員包括德械師在內的最精銳部隊，如第87師、第88師以及教導總隊，投入兵力超過70萬人。中國守軍在淞滬地區展開殊死抵抗，從市區巷戰到郊區陣地戰，戰鬥極為激烈。日軍方面則動用海、陸、空三軍的龐大力量，並依靠艦炮與空襲對中國陣地進行狂轟濫炸。雙方在四行倉庫、閘北、寶山、羅店等地多次反覆爭奪，每一寸土地幾乎都是用鮮血換來的。

在戰役中，國軍將士展現驚人的英勇與犧牲精神。著名的「四行倉庫保衛戰」中，僅有數百名守軍孤軍奮戰，堅守四天四夜，不僅重挫日軍士氣，更在國際媒體的報導下，鼓舞全國人民的抗戰決心。儘管國軍最終因日軍兵力與火力的絕對優勢而不得不撤退，淞滬會戰仍成功牽制日軍三個月，使其無法迅速西進攻陷南京，為全國其他戰場的防禦贏得了寶貴時間。

淞滬會戰的代價極為慘重。中國軍隊陣亡、負傷與失蹤人數估計高達30餘萬人，日軍也付出重大損失，僅死亡人數就達到數萬。戰後的上海市區幾乎滿目瘡痍，無數平民在戰火中流離失所。儘管如此，淞滬會戰彰顯中國軍民在國難當頭之際「以命換時間」的決心與膽魄，成為中國抗戰史上的重要象徵。

今天，當我們回顧1937年8月13日的淞滬會戰，不僅是在緬懷那段血與火的歷史，更是在向那些在戰場上英勇犧牲的抗日英雄致敬。他們用生命捍衛民族的尊嚴，為後人留下堅韌不屈的精神遺產。淞滬會戰雖已遠去，但它所凝聚的愛國情懷與抗戰精神，將永遠銘刻在中華民族的記憶中。

Eighty-eight years ago today, on August 13, 1937, one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the Second Sino-Japanese War — the Battle of Shanghai — broke out. This battle was not only the first large-scale engagement after the full-scale outbreak of the war, but also the first regular, massive confrontation between Chinese and Japanese forces on the front lines, marking a pivotal chapter in modern Chinese history.

After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in July 1937, Japan quickly escalated its aggression, seeking to completely conquer China by force. Shanghai, then China’s most important international city and economic hub, and a key gateway to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, became a strategic target. The Nationalist Government, determined to defend Shanghai and to win international sympathy and aid, decided to engage the Japanese in a direct confrontation there. On August 13, under the pretext of protecting its nationals, Japan attacked Chinese troops stationed in Shanghai, prompting a full-scale counteroffensive from the Chinese side and igniting the Battle of Shanghai.

The battle lasted more than three months. China deployed over 700,000 troops, including its most elite German-trained divisions such as the 87th Division, the 88th Division, and the Training Division. Fierce fighting erupted across the Shanghai region, ranging from street battles in the city to entrenched warfare in the suburbs. The Japanese committed massive naval, land, and air forces, bombarding Chinese positions relentlessly with naval artillery and air raids. Locations such as the Sihang Warehouse, Zhabei, Baoshan, and Luodian changed hands repeatedly, with every inch of ground paid for in blood.

Chinese soldiers displayed extraordinary courage and sacrifice. In the famous “Defense of Sihang Warehouse,” only a few hundred defenders held out for four days and nights, dealing a significant blow to Japanese morale. The stand, widely reported in the international press, inspired the entire Chinese populace to continue resisting. Although the Chinese forces ultimately had to withdraw due to the Japanese advantage in manpower and firepower, the battle successfully pinned down Japanese troops for three months, preventing them from quickly advancing westward to capture Nanjing and buying valuable time for the defense of other fronts.

The cost was devastating. Chinese military casualties — killed, wounded, or missing — are estimated to have exceeded 300,000, while Japanese losses also numbered in the tens of thousands. Shanghai’s urban areas were left in ruins, and countless civilians were displaced by the fighting. Yet the Battle of Shanghai demonstrated the Chinese military and people’s determination to “trade lives for time” in the face of national crisis, becoming a powerful symbol in the history of the War of Resistance.

Today, as we remember the Battle of Shanghai of August 13, 1937, we are not only recalling a chapter of blood and fire, but also paying tribute to the anti-Japanese heroes who fought and died on the battlefield. They defended the dignity of the nation with their lives, leaving behind a legacy of unyielding spirit for future generations. Though the battle has long passed, the patriotism and resistance it represents remain forever etched in the collective memory of the Chinese people.