1937年，因盧溝橋事件，引發中日八年的對抗戰爭。日軍經由淞滬攻下南京，進而占領武漢。但國民政府堅不妥協，退守重慶，持續抗戰。1941年底日本偷襲珍珠港，迫使美、英加入戰爭，引發了所謂大東亞戰爭。1942年，由於美國的反攻，迫使日本急欲解決中國戰事，以便能抽調在中國之兵員船隻，投入對美之作戰。鄂西會戰由此爆發，日軍全力進攻，其目的為攻破石牌要塞，以便經由三峽攻打重慶占領四川，以迫使中國投降，唯因防守石牌要塞的江防軍第18軍，經由方天軍長指揮，誓與要塞共存亡，奮勇抵抗而使日本敗退無法得逞，並遭受重大傷亡。而此石牌戰役被譽為中國之史大林格勒，一舉而揚名中外。

In 1937, Sino-Japanese War was commenced because of Lugo bridge〈盧溝橋〉incident. Japanese defeated the army of Nanjing〈南京〉and occupied Wuhan〈武漢〉. But national government was not compromising and continuing to fight by retreating to Chungching〈重慶〉. In 1941, Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and this forced US and UK to join the War. The Pacific War was commenced after attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1942, because of demanding more forces to fight with US, Japanese wanted to end the war on Mainland China as soon as possible. The converging battle at the western part of Hupei province〈湖北省〉was then commenced. And Japan was strongly attached Shihpai〈石牌〉to capture Chungching and to force China to surrender. At that time, the 18th corps of the Yangtze River defense military was responsible to take the precautions at Shihpai strategic point. Tien Fang〈方天〉, who was the commander of the 18th corps, commanded his army bravely in fighting enemy troops. The 18th corps resisted until the last minite and defeated Japanese finally. This war is known widely and Shihpai is called as "China's Starlingler" afterwards.