With the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Homma was appointed commander of the IJA 27th Division in China from 1938 to 1940 and directed the blockade of the foreign concessions in Tientsin, where he led the negotiations with the British.Budge, The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia After the fall of Nanjing, he declared publicly that "unless peace is achieved immediately it will be disastrous".Toland, p. 250 Homma was removed from his position at the front lines, and reassigned to become commander in chief of the Taiwan Army District from 1940 to 1941.
