Campaign at the Eastern Foothills of Funiu Mountain
Encyclopedia
Campaign at the Eastern Foothills of Funiu Mountain (伏牛山东麓战役) was a series of battles fought between the nationalists
and the communists during the Chinese Civil War
after World War II
for the control of western Hubei
, and the border areas of Hubei
, Henan
and Shaanxi
provinces. The campaign resulted in the communist victory.
had gathered forces included the V Corps centered at Luoyang
at the east, and the Reorganized 1st Division
and the Reorganized 36th Division
at Tongguan County
at the west for the preparation to reopen the Longhai railway transportation / communication line by first surrounding and then annihilating the communist force led by commander Chen Geng
(陈赓) and political commissar
Xie Fuzhi
. On October 20, 1947, the communist high command ordered Chen Geng (陈赓) and Xie Fuzhi
to split their force into three: one part would remain along the railroad to distract the enemy, and the other would strike southern Shaanxi
. The third part, the main force, should cross the railroad to push southward, and would strike regions included Nanzhao (南召), Wuyang (舞阳), and Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城) in western Hubei
to establish new bases. To carry out this strategy, Chen Geng (陈赓) and Xie Fuzhi
decided to launch the Campaign at the Eastern Foothills of Funiu Mountain.
enjoyed significant technical advantage in terms of weaponry.
of the 38th Army deployed along the Longhai Railroad to tie down the nationalist
forces, and the rest units of the communist 38th Army and the 12th Brigade
of the communist 4th Column struck toward southern Shaanxi
. The rest units of the communist 4th Column and the communist 9th Column struck the nationalist
controlled regions in multiple fronts. From November 1, 1947 thru November 4, 1947, Linru (临汝), Jia (郏) County, Dengfeng (登封), Lushan (鲁山), and Baofeng (宝丰) fell into the communist hands. The nationalist
Reorganized 15th Division
guarding these regions suffered greatly in the process, with more than 2,500 killed in the battle of Jia (郏) County alone on November 4, 1947. The nationalists
were forced to redeploy by dispatching the Reorganized 3rd Division
and the 20th Division
toward Baofeng (宝丰) and Jia (郏) County, the 124th Brigade
of the nationalist
Reorganized 41st Division
toward Linru (临汝), and the 125th Brigade
of the nationalist
Reorganized 41st Division
toward Xiang City (Xiang Cheng, 襄城) in hope of luring the communists out to fight a decisive battle. However, the enemy would not take the bait and instead, took advantage of the nationalist
redeployment by striking regions where nationalist
defense was weakened by the redeployment.
On November 3, 1947, the communist 27th Brigade
of the 9th Column besieged the town of Nanzhao (南召), and launched the assault on the town at 1:00 AM on November 4, 1947. The strongest fortification at the Eastern Pass (Dong Guan, 东关) was blown up and attacking enemy subsequently penetrated into the town and annihilated most of the nationalist
garrison consisted of two battalions. As the survivors attempted to flee via the western gate, they were ambushed by the waiting enemy and the entire 500 strong nationalist
garrison was thus completely wiped out. After taking the town, the communists opened up the nationalist
food depot and treasury to distribute food and money to the local populace, most of which was in severe poverty, and thus completely won over the local popular support. On November 5, 1947, the 75th Regiment
of the 25th Brigade
of the communist 9th Column reached the outskirt of the Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城). Although the nationalists
had built many fortifications both inside and outside the town, the local nationalist
commander Wang Jingxiu (王敬修) was well aware that his four-regiment
s strong security brigade
was not a match for the enemy, and in order to avoid annihilation, the nationalist
garrison wisely abandoned the town without a fight, thus successfully retreated before the enemy besieged the town. After entering the town, the communist force with strict discipline discredited the negative nationalist
propaganda about the communists and consequently, the local popular support drastically switched to the communist side.
The initial communist success was totally unexpected by the nationalists
, who was completely shocked by the rapid territorial expansion of the enemy. Chiang Kai-shek
immediately ordered the commander-in-chief
of the 5th Corps Li Tiejun (李铁军) to personally lead the nationalist
Reorganized 3rd Division
and the 20th Division
totaling seven brigade
s to pursuit the communists for the subsequent elimination. The communists held a conference in the town of Nanzhao (南召) on November 8, 1947 and decided not to engage the technically superior nationalist
adversary. Instead, the nationalists
would be lured into the Funiu Mountains and tricked into dispersing themselves into smaller fragments first, and then when the situation allowed, the communists would annihilate these small fragments one by one. While some communist units would fake as the main force to lure the nationalists
into the mountains, the actual main force would take advantage of the overstretched nationalist
defense by establishing new communist bases in the remote and rural regions.
of the 4th Column and the 25th Brigade
of the 9th Column under the political commissar
Huang Zhen (黄镇) and the deputy commander-in-chief Huang Xiyou (黄新友, unrelated to the political commissar
Huang Zhen 黄镇) of the communist 9th Column had successfully tricked the nationalists
in believing that they were the main communist force by faking as a much larger force on their attack toward Zhenping (镇平), Internal Township (Nei Xiang, 内乡) and Western Gorge Entrance (Xi Xia Kou, 西峡口) regions. The nationalists
were tricked to deploy the 3rd Reorganized Division
and the 125th Brigade
of the 41st Division
to pursuit the fake enemy main force, and after wasting more than half a month at Summer Hotel (Xia Guang, 夏馆) and (Xi Xia Kou, 西峡口) regions, the nationalist
force not only failed to annihilate the enemy, but was also incapable of stopping the enemy from cutting the communication / transportation line between (Xi Xia Kou, 西峡口) and Jingzi Pass (Jing Zi Guang, 荆紫关). The enemy had planned to lure the nationalists
into the Funiu Mountains and then annihilate them in ambushes when the opportunity presented itself, but due to the lack of supplies, the nationalists
was forced to withdraw and thus escaped unscratched. The enemy did, however, successfully establish two new bases in the regions: the sixth military district by the communist 39th Regiment
of the 13th Brigade
in the region of Li Qing’s Hotel (Li Qing Dian, 李青店) of Nanzhao (南召) county, under the command of the deputy commander of the communist 13th Brigade
, Li Xifu (黎锡福), and the seventh military district by the communist 33rd Regiment
of the 11th Brigade
under the command of the political commissar
of the 11th Brigade
, Hu Rungui (胡荣贵). Meanwhile, the main force of the communist 9th Column and the 22nd Brigade
of the communist 4th Column threatened Luoyang
by penetrating into the vicinity of the city, forcing the nationalist
206th Division
to be redeployed to strengthen the defensive of the city. The 10th Brigade
and the 11th Brigade
of the communist 4th Column penetrated into regions of Wuyang (舞阳), Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城), and Miyang (泌阳), forcing the nationalist
Reorganized 10th Division
and the 124th Brigade
of the nationalist
Reorganized 41st Division
to be redeployed to east of Beijing
-Hankou
railroad.
In order to take the initiative by luring the nationalists
to overstretch themselves, the newly taken towns of Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城) and Nanzhao (南召) were intentionally abandoned by the communists, and the nationalists
subsequently fell for the trick by ordering Song Kezun (宋可尊), the nationalist
chief-of-staff of the sixth regional security command of Henan
to reenter the Nanzhao (南召) as the new mayor of the town and the commander the local garrison. The former nationalist
garrison of the Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城), meanwhile, was ordered back to the town under Wang Jingxiu (王敬修), the commander. On November 11, 1947, the communist 10th Brigade
of the 4th Column in the eastern foothills of the Funiu Mountain launched a surprise attack on Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城), and the nationalist
defenders abandoned the town and fled, and the town fell into the enemy hands for the second time. On November 13, 1947, the fleeing nationalists
were caught up by the 31st Regiment
of the 11th Brigade of the communist 4th Column at Erlang
Temple, and were thus badly mauled by the pursuing enemy. The nationalist
commander Wang Jingxiu (王敬修) learned that the nationalist
20th Division
was moving toward Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城), so he ordered his surviving troops to move toward the town in an attempt to link up with his nationalist
comrades-in-arms. Little did the nationalists
know that their enemy was waiting to ambush them.
On November 21, 1947, the communist 10th Brigade of the 4th Column suddenly struck the town of Nanzhao (南召), and the nationalist
garrison consisted on a security regiment and two companies was overwhelmed. After losing three companies, including more than 50 killed and over 270 captured alive by the attacking enemy, the surviving nationalists
were forced to abandon the town and flee, and thus town of Nanzhao (南召) had fallen into the enemy hands for the second time, and this time for good. On November 22, 1947, as the nationalist
commander Wang Jingxiu (王敬修)’s surviving Self Defense of the Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城) reached Eight Mile Intersection (Ba Li Cha, 八里岔), King Yu’s Village (Wang Yu Zhuang, 王禹庄), and Eastern Qi Village (Dong Qi Zhuang, 东齐庄) regions south of Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城), it was ambushed by the communist 31st Regiment
of the 11th Brigade
of the 4th Column. Only 100 or so under the command of the commander of the nationalist
force Bai Guixuan (白桂煊) was lucky enough to escape, while all of the rest were annihilated by the waiting enemy. The nationalists
suffered 740 fatalities and another 400+ were captured alive by the enemy, including the deputy commander Ma Lianfu (马廉府), who was able to successfully escape later during a forced march. After his escape, Ma Lianfu (马廉府) immediately went to Kaifeng
to ask the nationalist
provincial chairman Liu Maoen (刘茂恩) for help, but instead, he was executed on the spot for his failure as Liu Maoen (刘茂恩) ordered him to be shot in front of other nationalist
commanders. On the other front, the communist 38th Army established a new base in the regions of Merchant County (Shang Xian, 商县), Luonan (洛南) and Merchant Southern (Shang Nan, 商南), while the communist 12th Brigade
established another new base in the regions of Mountain Sun (Shan Yang, 山阳), Yun Xi (郧西), Zhen’an (Zhen An, 镇安), Upper Pass (Shang Guan, 上关).
On November 23, 1947, the nationalist
133rd Brigade
of the 20th Division
under the Divisional
commander Yang Gancai (杨干才) begun its push toward Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城) from Independent tree (Du Shu, 独树) Town, but the progress was slow due to the stubborn resistance from the 10th Brigade
and the 11th Brigade of the communist 4th Column at Yueyang Village (Yue Yang Zhuang, 岳杨庄), Zan Village (Zan Zhuang, 昝庄), and Northern New Street (Bei Xin Jie, 北新街) regions. On November 24, 1947, the nationalist
134th Brigade
of the 20th Division
also begun its push toward Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城) from Nanyang, Henan
, and after some setback at Pengyao (盆窑) regions due to enemy resistance, managed to link up with the nationalist
133rd Brigade
of the 20th Division
in the region to east of Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城). The enemy gave up the town without a fight in attempt to lure the nationalists
into the mountain for an ambush but the nationalists
refused to be baited and would not venture out of the protection of the city wall. Realizing the isolated was in danger being besieged by the enemy and thus suffering possible annihilation, the nationalists
wisely decided to abandon Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城) on November 25, 1947, and retreated toward Wuyang (舞阳), and the campaign concluded with Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城) fell into the enemy hands for a third time, and this time for good.
suffered more than 12,000 fatalities in their defeat, and a total of eighteen cities and towns had fallen into the enemy hands. In addition, the enemy had successfully turned the guerilla base in the Funiu Mountain into a new communist base, furthermore, the enemy was successful in establishing several brand new communist bases and thus further threatened the nationalist
reign in the North China Plain
. The communist success was mainly due to the correct strategy of first luring the technically superior nationalist
opponent into dispersing its forces into many smaller fragments, and then to concentrate overwhelmingly numerically superior force in one battle on a single fragmented nationalist
force for annihilation, and eventually, accumulate many small victories into large ones. The result of the communist strategy was that a total of eighteen towns and cities fell into the communist hands, and the communists had established themselves firmly in the border areas of Henan
, Hubei
and Shaanxi
provinces.
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
and the communists during the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
for the control of western Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
, and the border areas of Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
and Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
provinces. The campaign resulted in the communist victory.
Prelude
In mid October 1947, the nationalistsKuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
had gathered forces included the V Corps centered at Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
at the east, and the Reorganized 1st Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
and the Reorganized 36th Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
at Tongguan County
Tongguan County
Tongguan County is a county in Weinan, Shaanxi, China. It is located in the east of the Central Plain, north of the Qin Mountains, south of Wei and Luo River, east of the Mount Hua and in between the three provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi and Henan...
at the west for the preparation to reopen the Longhai railway transportation / communication line by first surrounding and then annihilating the communist force led by commander Chen Geng
Chen Geng
Chen Geng was a Chinese communist military leader.-Early life:Born in Hunan province, Chen was second of 12 siblings. However, because his elder brother died early due to illness, Chen became the eldest son. His grandfather, Chen Yiqong was an officer in the imperial Chinese army and was rewarded...
(陈赓) and political commissar
Commissar
Commissar is the English transliteration of an official title used in Russia from the time of Peter the Great.The title was used during the Provisional Government for regional heads of administration, but it is mostly associated with a number of Cheka and military functions in Bolshevik and Soviet...
Xie Fuzhi
Xie Fuzhi
Xie Fuzhi was a Communist Party of China military commander, political commissar, and national security specialist. He was born in 1909 in Hong'an County, Hubei and died in Beijing in 1972. He was married to Liu Xiangping...
. On October 20, 1947, the communist high command ordered Chen Geng (陈赓) and Xie Fuzhi
Xie Fuzhi
Xie Fuzhi was a Communist Party of China military commander, political commissar, and national security specialist. He was born in 1909 in Hong'an County, Hubei and died in Beijing in 1972. He was married to Liu Xiangping...
to split their force into three: one part would remain along the railroad to distract the enemy, and the other would strike southern Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
. The third part, the main force, should cross the railroad to push southward, and would strike regions included Nanzhao (南召), Wuyang (舞阳), and Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城) in western Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
to establish new bases. To carry out this strategy, Chen Geng (陈赓) and Xie Fuzhi
Xie Fuzhi
Xie Fuzhi was a Communist Party of China military commander, political commissar, and national security specialist. He was born in 1909 in Hong'an County, Hubei and died in Beijing in 1972. He was married to Liu Xiangping...
decided to launch the Campaign at the Eastern Foothills of Funiu Mountain.
Order of battle
Both sides were equally matched in terms of numbers, but the nationalistsKuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
enjoyed significant technical advantage in terms of weaponry.
- NationalistKuomintangThe Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
order of battleOrder of battleIn modern use, the order of battle is the identification, command structure, strength, and disposition of personnel, equipment, and units of an armed force participating in field operations. Various abbreviations are in use, including OOB, O/B, or OB, while ORBAT remains the most common in the...
: 9 divisionsDivision (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
total- The Reorganized 1st DivisionDivision (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
- The Reorganized 3rd DivisionDivision (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
- The Reorganized 10th DivisionDivision (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
- The Reorganized 15th DivisionDivision (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
- The 20th DivisionDivision (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
- The Reorganized 36th DivisionDivision (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
- The Reorganized 41st DivisionDivision (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
- The 206th DivisionDivision (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
- Local security brigadeBrigadeA brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s and regimentRegimentA regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s
- The Reorganized 1st Division
- Communist order of battleOrder of battleIn modern use, the order of battle is the identification, command structure, strength, and disposition of personnel, equipment, and units of an armed force participating in field operations. Various abbreviations are in use, including OOB, O/B, or OB, while ORBAT remains the most common in the...
: 9 divisionsDivision (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
total- The 4th Column
- The 9th Column
- The 38th Army
First stage
The campaign started on October 29, 1947 with the communist 55th DivisionDivision (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
of the 38th Army deployed along the Longhai Railroad to tie down the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
forces, and the rest units of the communist 38th Army and the 12th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the communist 4th Column struck toward southern Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
. The rest units of the communist 4th Column and the communist 9th Column struck the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
controlled regions in multiple fronts. From November 1, 1947 thru November 4, 1947, Linru (临汝), Jia (郏) County, Dengfeng (登封), Lushan (鲁山), and Baofeng (宝丰) fell into the communist hands. The nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
Reorganized 15th Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
guarding these regions suffered greatly in the process, with more than 2,500 killed in the battle of Jia (郏) County alone on November 4, 1947. The nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
were forced to redeploy by dispatching the Reorganized 3rd Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
and the 20th Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
toward Baofeng (宝丰) and Jia (郏) County, the 124th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
Reorganized 41st Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
toward Linru (临汝), and the 125th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
Reorganized 41st Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
toward Xiang City (Xiang Cheng, 襄城) in hope of luring the communists out to fight a decisive battle. However, the enemy would not take the bait and instead, took advantage of the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
redeployment by striking regions where nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
defense was weakened by the redeployment.
On November 3, 1947, the communist 27th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the 9th Column besieged the town of Nanzhao (南召), and launched the assault on the town at 1:00 AM on November 4, 1947. The strongest fortification at the Eastern Pass (Dong Guan, 东关) was blown up and attacking enemy subsequently penetrated into the town and annihilated most of the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
garrison consisted of two battalions. As the survivors attempted to flee via the western gate, they were ambushed by the waiting enemy and the entire 500 strong nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
garrison was thus completely wiped out. After taking the town, the communists opened up the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
food depot and treasury to distribute food and money to the local populace, most of which was in severe poverty, and thus completely won over the local popular support. On November 5, 1947, the 75th Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the 25th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the communist 9th Column reached the outskirt of the Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城). Although the nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
had built many fortifications both inside and outside the town, the local nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
commander Wang Jingxiu (王敬修) was well aware that his four-regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s strong security brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
was not a match for the enemy, and in order to avoid annihilation, the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
garrison wisely abandoned the town without a fight, thus successfully retreated before the enemy besieged the town. After entering the town, the communist force with strict discipline discredited the negative nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
propaganda about the communists and consequently, the local popular support drastically switched to the communist side.
The initial communist success was totally unexpected by the nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
, who was completely shocked by the rapid territorial expansion of the enemy. Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
immediately ordered the commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the 5th Corps Li Tiejun (李铁军) to personally lead the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
Reorganized 3rd Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
and the 20th Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
totaling seven brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s to pursuit the communists for the subsequent elimination. The communists held a conference in the town of Nanzhao (南召) on November 8, 1947 and decided not to engage the technically superior nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
adversary. Instead, the nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
would be lured into the Funiu Mountains and tricked into dispersing themselves into smaller fragments first, and then when the situation allowed, the communists would annihilate these small fragments one by one. While some communist units would fake as the main force to lure the nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
into the mountains, the actual main force would take advantage of the overstretched nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
defense by establishing new communist bases in the remote and rural regions.
Second stage
The communist 13th BrigadeBrigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the 4th Column and the 25th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the 9th Column under the political commissar
Commissar
Commissar is the English transliteration of an official title used in Russia from the time of Peter the Great.The title was used during the Provisional Government for regional heads of administration, but it is mostly associated with a number of Cheka and military functions in Bolshevik and Soviet...
Huang Zhen (黄镇) and the deputy commander-in-chief Huang Xiyou (黄新友, unrelated to the political commissar
Commissar
Commissar is the English transliteration of an official title used in Russia from the time of Peter the Great.The title was used during the Provisional Government for regional heads of administration, but it is mostly associated with a number of Cheka and military functions in Bolshevik and Soviet...
Huang Zhen 黄镇) of the communist 9th Column had successfully tricked the nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
in believing that they were the main communist force by faking as a much larger force on their attack toward Zhenping (镇平), Internal Township (Nei Xiang, 内乡) and Western Gorge Entrance (Xi Xia Kou, 西峡口) regions. The nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
were tricked to deploy the 3rd Reorganized Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
and the 125th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the 41st Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
to pursuit the fake enemy main force, and after wasting more than half a month at Summer Hotel (Xia Guang, 夏馆) and (Xi Xia Kou, 西峡口) regions, the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
force not only failed to annihilate the enemy, but was also incapable of stopping the enemy from cutting the communication / transportation line between (Xi Xia Kou, 西峡口) and Jingzi Pass (Jing Zi Guang, 荆紫关). The enemy had planned to lure the nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
into the Funiu Mountains and then annihilate them in ambushes when the opportunity presented itself, but due to the lack of supplies, the nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
was forced to withdraw and thus escaped unscratched. The enemy did, however, successfully establish two new bases in the regions: the sixth military district by the communist 39th Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the 13th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
in the region of Li Qing’s Hotel (Li Qing Dian, 李青店) of Nanzhao (南召) county, under the command of the deputy commander of the communist 13th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
, Li Xifu (黎锡福), and the seventh military district by the communist 33rd Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the 11th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
under the command of the political commissar
Commissar
Commissar is the English transliteration of an official title used in Russia from the time of Peter the Great.The title was used during the Provisional Government for regional heads of administration, but it is mostly associated with a number of Cheka and military functions in Bolshevik and Soviet...
of the 11th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
, Hu Rungui (胡荣贵). Meanwhile, the main force of the communist 9th Column and the 22nd Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the communist 4th Column threatened Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
by penetrating into the vicinity of the city, forcing the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
206th Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
to be redeployed to strengthen the defensive of the city. The 10th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
and the 11th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the communist 4th Column penetrated into regions of Wuyang (舞阳), Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城), and Miyang (泌阳), forcing the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
Reorganized 10th Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
and the 124th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
Reorganized 41st Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
to be redeployed to east of Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
-Hankou
Hankou
Hankou was one of the three cities whose merging formed modern-day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers where the Han falls into the Yangtze...
railroad.
In order to take the initiative by luring the nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
to overstretch themselves, the newly taken towns of Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城) and Nanzhao (南召) were intentionally abandoned by the communists, and the nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
subsequently fell for the trick by ordering Song Kezun (宋可尊), the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
chief-of-staff of the sixth regional security command of Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
to reenter the Nanzhao (南召) as the new mayor of the town and the commander the local garrison. The former nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
garrison of the Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城), meanwhile, was ordered back to the town under Wang Jingxiu (王敬修), the commander. On November 11, 1947, the communist 10th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the 4th Column in the eastern foothills of the Funiu Mountain launched a surprise attack on Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城), and the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
defenders abandoned the town and fled, and the town fell into the enemy hands for the second time. On November 13, 1947, the fleeing nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
were caught up by the 31st Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the 11th Brigade of the communist 4th Column at Erlang
Erlang Shen
Erlang Shen , or Erlang is a Chinese God with a third truth-seeing eye in the middle of his forehead.Er-lang Shen may be a deified version of several semi-mythical folk heroes who help regulate China's torrential floods, dating variously from the Qin, Sui and Jin dynasties...
Temple, and were thus badly mauled by the pursuing enemy. The nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
commander Wang Jingxiu (王敬修) learned that the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
20th Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
was moving toward Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城), so he ordered his surviving troops to move toward the town in an attempt to link up with his nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
comrades-in-arms. Little did the nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
know that their enemy was waiting to ambush them.
On November 21, 1947, the communist 10th Brigade of the 4th Column suddenly struck the town of Nanzhao (南召), and the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
garrison consisted on a security regiment and two companies was overwhelmed. After losing three companies, including more than 50 killed and over 270 captured alive by the attacking enemy, the surviving nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
were forced to abandon the town and flee, and thus town of Nanzhao (南召) had fallen into the enemy hands for the second time, and this time for good. On November 22, 1947, as the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
commander Wang Jingxiu (王敬修)’s surviving Self Defense of the Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城) reached Eight Mile Intersection (Ba Li Cha, 八里岔), King Yu’s Village (Wang Yu Zhuang, 王禹庄), and Eastern Qi Village (Dong Qi Zhuang, 东齐庄) regions south of Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城), it was ambushed by the communist 31st Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the 11th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the 4th Column. Only 100 or so under the command of the commander of the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
force Bai Guixuan (白桂煊) was lucky enough to escape, while all of the rest were annihilated by the waiting enemy. The nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
suffered 740 fatalities and another 400+ were captured alive by the enemy, including the deputy commander Ma Lianfu (马廉府), who was able to successfully escape later during a forced march. After his escape, Ma Lianfu (马廉府) immediately went to Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
to ask the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
provincial chairman Liu Maoen (刘茂恩) for help, but instead, he was executed on the spot for his failure as Liu Maoen (刘茂恩) ordered him to be shot in front of other nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
commanders. On the other front, the communist 38th Army established a new base in the regions of Merchant County (Shang Xian, 商县), Luonan (洛南) and Merchant Southern (Shang Nan, 商南), while the communist 12th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
established another new base in the regions of Mountain Sun (Shan Yang, 山阳), Yun Xi (郧西), Zhen’an (Zhen An, 镇安), Upper Pass (Shang Guan, 上关).
On November 23, 1947, the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
133rd Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the 20th Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
under the Divisional
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
commander Yang Gancai (杨干才) begun its push toward Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城) from Independent tree (Du Shu, 独树) Town, but the progress was slow due to the stubborn resistance from the 10th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
and the 11th Brigade of the communist 4th Column at Yueyang Village (Yue Yang Zhuang, 岳杨庄), Zan Village (Zan Zhuang, 昝庄), and Northern New Street (Bei Xin Jie, 北新街) regions. On November 24, 1947, the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
134th Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the 20th Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
also begun its push toward Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城) from Nanyang, Henan
Nanyang, Henan
Nanyang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Henan province, People's Republic of China. The city with the largest administrative area in Henan, Nanyang borders Xinyang to the southeast, Zhumadian to the east, Pingdingshan to the northeast, Luoyang to the north, Sanmenxia to the...
, and after some setback at Pengyao (盆窑) regions due to enemy resistance, managed to link up with the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
133rd Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the 20th Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
in the region to east of Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城). The enemy gave up the town without a fight in attempt to lure the nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
into the mountain for an ambush but the nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
refused to be baited and would not venture out of the protection of the city wall. Realizing the isolated was in danger being besieged by the enemy and thus suffering possible annihilation, the nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
wisely decided to abandon Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城) on November 25, 1947, and retreated toward Wuyang (舞阳), and the campaign concluded with Square City (Fang Cheng, 方城) fell into the enemy hands for a third time, and this time for good.
Outcome
The nationalistsKuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
suffered more than 12,000 fatalities in their defeat, and a total of eighteen cities and towns had fallen into the enemy hands. In addition, the enemy had successfully turned the guerilla base in the Funiu Mountain into a new communist base, furthermore, the enemy was successful in establishing several brand new communist bases and thus further threatened the nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
reign in the North China Plain
North China Plain
The North China Plain is based on the deposits of the Yellow River and is the largest alluvial plain of eastern Asia. The plain is bordered on the north by the Yanshan Mountains and on the west by the Taihang Mountains edge of the Shanxi plateau. To the south, it merges into the Yangtze Plain...
. The communist success was mainly due to the correct strategy of first luring the technically superior nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
opponent into dispersing its forces into many smaller fragments, and then to concentrate overwhelmingly numerically superior force in one battle on a single fragmented nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
force for annihilation, and eventually, accumulate many small victories into large ones. The result of the communist strategy was that a total of eighteen towns and cities fell into the communist hands, and the communists had established themselves firmly in the border areas of Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
and Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
provinces.
See also
- List of battles of the Chinese Civil War
- National Revolutionary ArmyNational Revolutionary ArmyThe National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...
- History of the People's Liberation ArmyHistory of the People's Liberation ArmyThe history of the People's Liberation Army began in 1927 with the start of the Chinese Civil War and spans to the present, having developed from a peasant guerrilla force into the largest armed force in the world.-Historical background:...
- Chinese Civil WarChinese Civil WarThe Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...