Tianjin Falls to Japanese Forces

Meanwhile on the coast at dawn of 29 July, the IJA 5th Division and Japanese naval forces separately attacked Tianjin and the port at Tanggu, which were defended by units of Chinese 38th Division and volunteers under acting commander Liu Wen-tien.

General Huang Wei-kang's brigade defended the Taku Forts gallantly and also attacked a nearby Japanese airfield, destroying many aircraft. However, with increasing Japanese reinforcements his position was untenable, and that night (30 July) General Zhang Zizhong was ordered to withdraw toward Machang and Yangliuching south of Tianjin, abandoning the city and Taku Forts to the Japanese.

Among Japanese Strategies to humiliate the Chinese Nation and break the peoples will to fight (as had been done in Korea) was a policy to attack and destroy China's Institutes of higher learning, and where possible imprison or execute high scholars. Among things, Nankai University in Tianjin was bombed several times by Japanese Aircraft and after the Japanese had established control over the City, the remainders of the University were set ablaze using Kerosine.