A faction of the Japanese military had been looking for an excuse to extend Japanese control deeper into the Chinese mainland. When several Chinese monks were beaten, this faction paid thugs to fan anti-Japanese activities in the Chinese sector of Shanghai. Seizing the "opportunity", a small force of naval infantry invaded Chapei, the all-Chinese northern section of the city of Shanghai. But the Japanese had not counted on the quick reaction and effective fighting of the Nationalist Chinese forces from nearby Nanjing. The initial Japanese thrust was thrown back quickly. It took repeated reinforcements over the next five weeks for the Japanese to push the Chinese out of the city and away from the Huangpo and Yangtze Rivers. Shanghai would become a major springboard for further Japanese advances, but the battle had taken its toll. This game covers those five weeks of fighting.