Datong-Puzhou Campaign
Encyclopedia
Datong
-Puzhou Campaign (同蒲战役) is a campaign communists
fought against the nationalist
during the Chinese Civil War
in the post-World War II
era in Shanxi
, and resulted in communist victory.
Communist:
, ordered the nationalist 34th Army under his command to attack communists from Jiexiu (介休) to help Hu Zongnan
’s attacks on the communists. The nationalists
planned to annihilate their communist enemy in the regions of Hongdong and Zhao (赵) City in southern Shanxi
. However, Hu Zongnan
, the nationalist commander-in-chief of the 1st War Zone was soundly defeated by the communists in the Wenxi-Xiaxian Campaign by late July, 1946, and was forced to retreated to Yuncheng and Wenxi (闻喜) regions to regroup and thus could not support Yan Xishan
's effort. Communists accordingly launched their Northern Shanxi Campaign to further expand their victory.
In order to reinforce nationalists in northern Shanxi
, Yan Xishan
had to redeploy his troops from southern Shanxi
, which provided the excellent opportunity for the enemy to strike in the vast region from Lingshi (灵石) to Hongdong along the Datong
-Puzhou Railway. The communist commanders were quick to seize the opportunity, and struck on August 14, 1946, after marching from Jiang (绛) county and Quwo (曲沃) county in secret on August 9 and August 10 respectively. The campaign progressed exactly as communists had planned and ended in their predicated victory. In addition to annihilating more than 10,000 nationalist troops, the victorious communists also succeeded in taking counties / towns including Hongdong on August 16 (killing more than a thousand nationalist troops in the process), Zhao (赵) City on August 17 (killing more than three thousands nationalist troops in the process), Huo (霍) county on August 24, Lingshi (灵石) on August 28, and Fenxi (汾西) on August 29. The communists ended the campaign on September 1, 1946 when they took Wealthy Family's Beach (Fu Jia Tan, 富家滩).
As a result of the defeat, over 130 km stretch of area along the southern section of Datong
-Puzhou Railway had fallen into the enemy hands, resulting the linkage between Yan Xishan
's 2nd War Zone and Hu Zongnan
's 1st War Zone was completely severed, thus making future operations more difficult. Five important local cities / towns were lost to the communists, where they would obtain plenty of supplies. Nationalists were also forced to be on the defensive for sometime after Datong
-Puzhou Campaign, while communists took the opportunity to consolidate their gains.
Datong
Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province of North China, located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of...
-Puzhou Campaign (同蒲战役) is a campaign communists
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
fought against 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...
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...
in the post-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...
era in Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
, and resulted in communist victory.
Order of battle
Nationalist:- The 34th Army
Communist:
- 4th Column of ShanxiShanxi' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
-HebeiHebei' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
-ShandongShandong' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
-HenanHenanHenan , 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...
Field armyField armyA Field Army, or Area Army, usually referred to simply as an Army, is a term used by many national military forces for a military formation superior to a corps and beneath an army group....
Campaign
In early July, 1946, nationalist commander-in-chief of the 2nd War Zone, Yan XishanYan Xishan
Yan Xishan, was a Chinese warlord who served in the government of the Republic of China. Yan effectively controlled the province of Shanxi from the 1911 Xinhai Revolution to the 1949 Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War...
, ordered the nationalist 34th Army under his command to attack communists from Jiexiu (介休) to help Hu Zongnan
Hu Zongnan
Hu Zongnan , courtesy name Shoushan , native of Zhenhai, Ningbo, born May 16, 1896. A general in the National Revolutionary Army and then the Republic of China Army. Together with Chen Cheng and Tang Enbo, he formed the triumvirate of Chiang Kai-shek's most trusted generals during the Second...
’s attacks on the communists. 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...
planned to annihilate their communist enemy in the regions of Hongdong and Zhao (赵) City in southern Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
. However, Hu Zongnan
Hu Zongnan
Hu Zongnan , courtesy name Shoushan , native of Zhenhai, Ningbo, born May 16, 1896. A general in the National Revolutionary Army and then the Republic of China Army. Together with Chen Cheng and Tang Enbo, he formed the triumvirate of Chiang Kai-shek's most trusted generals during the Second...
, the nationalist commander-in-chief of the 1st War Zone was soundly defeated by the communists in the Wenxi-Xiaxian Campaign by late July, 1946, and was forced to retreated to Yuncheng and Wenxi (闻喜) regions to regroup and thus could not support Yan Xishan
Yan Xishan
Yan Xishan, was a Chinese warlord who served in the government of the Republic of China. Yan effectively controlled the province of Shanxi from the 1911 Xinhai Revolution to the 1949 Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War...
's effort. Communists accordingly launched their Northern Shanxi Campaign to further expand their victory.
In order to reinforce nationalists in northern Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
, Yan Xishan
Yan Xishan
Yan Xishan, was a Chinese warlord who served in the government of the Republic of China. Yan effectively controlled the province of Shanxi from the 1911 Xinhai Revolution to the 1949 Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War...
had to redeploy his troops from southern Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
, which provided the excellent opportunity for the enemy to strike in the vast region from Lingshi (灵石) to Hongdong along the Datong
Datong
Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province of North China, located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of...
-Puzhou Railway. The communist commanders were quick to seize the opportunity, and struck on August 14, 1946, after marching from Jiang (绛) county and Quwo (曲沃) county in secret on August 9 and August 10 respectively. The campaign progressed exactly as communists had planned and ended in their predicated victory. In addition to annihilating more than 10,000 nationalist troops, the victorious communists also succeeded in taking counties / towns including Hongdong on August 16 (killing more than a thousand nationalist troops in the process), Zhao (赵) City on August 17 (killing more than three thousands nationalist troops in the process), Huo (霍) county on August 24, Lingshi (灵石) on August 28, and Fenxi (汾西) on August 29. The communists ended the campaign on September 1, 1946 when they took Wealthy Family's Beach (Fu Jia Tan, 富家滩).
As a result of the defeat, over 130 km stretch of area along the southern section of Datong
Datong
Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province of North China, located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of...
-Puzhou Railway had fallen into the enemy hands, resulting the linkage between Yan Xishan
Yan Xishan
Yan Xishan, was a Chinese warlord who served in the government of the Republic of China. Yan effectively controlled the province of Shanxi from the 1911 Xinhai Revolution to the 1949 Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War...
's 2nd War Zone and Hu Zongnan
Hu Zongnan
Hu Zongnan , courtesy name Shoushan , native of Zhenhai, Ningbo, born May 16, 1896. A general in the National Revolutionary Army and then the Republic of China Army. Together with Chen Cheng and Tang Enbo, he formed the triumvirate of Chiang Kai-shek's most trusted generals during the Second...
's 1st War Zone was completely severed, thus making future operations more difficult. Five important local cities / towns were lost to the communists, where they would obtain plenty of supplies. Nationalists were also forced to be on the defensive for sometime after Datong
Datong
Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province of North China, located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of...
-Puzhou Campaign, while communists took the opportunity to consolidate their gains.
See also
- List of Battles of 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...