 When Japanese forces struck in the Battle of Beiping–Tianjin, he covered the retreat of General Song Zheyuan's 29th Army into Shandong Province.In December 1937 his unit became part of the 5th war zone under General Li Zongren, and from March 16 to April 17, 1938 he and General Zhang Zizhong fought a bloody defensive action against General Seishirō Itagaki which contributed to the Chinese victory in the Battle of Taierzhuang.After the Battle of Xuzhou he was transferred again to North China, and engaged heavily against the Japanese forces in the region.