Battle of Tashan
Encyclopedia
The battle of Tashan was a battle fought between the nationalist
and the communists
during the Chinese Civil War
in the post-World War II
era in Northeast China
, and resulted in communist victory. Tashan (塔山) with literal translation meaning Pagoda Mountain was short for Tashanbao (塔山堡), meaning Pagoda Mountain Bunker. Contrary to its name, there was neither pagoda nor mountain, and the only bunkers were the ones hastily built by the communists temporarily for the upcoming battle. The place was actually a village of one hundred or so households 30 km away from Jinzhou
and the road to Jinzhou
directly pass through the center of the village. The battle of Pagoda Mountain (Tashan, 塔山) was critical to determine the outcome of the Battle of Jinzhou
and consequently, that of the Liaoshen Campaign
. The battle is more commonly known as Blocking Action at Tashan (塔山阻击战), as called by the communists.
not counting the nationalist air and naval assets, the communists were well aware the importance of stopping the nationalist reinforcement and deployed a total of eight divisions and an artillery
brigade
at Pagoda Mountain (Ta Shan, 塔山) with Cheng Zihua (程子华), the commander of the communist II Corps in charge. In order to better assist local commanders, Luo Ronghuan
got approval from Lin Biao
to send Su Jing (苏静), a senior staff officer at general headquarter of the communist force in Northeast China
to Pagoda Mountain (Ta Shan, 塔山).
However, the local communist commanders especially those of the communist 4th Column resented Luo Ronghuan
’s decision after Su Jing (苏静) had reached the headquarter of the communist 4th Column, jokingly called Su Jing (苏静) as the equivalent of ancient overseer of the imperial Chinese army, feeling that Luo Ronghuan
and Lin Biao
were doubtful that they were competent enough to accomplish their assigned mission. Luckily, the excellent work of the political commissar
of the communist 4th Column, Mo Wenhua (莫文骅) was able to resolve the issue and the communists had avoided similar situations in the nationalist camp.
Order of battle
Attackers: nationalist order of battle
:
Defenders: communist order of battle
:
Although the nationalist aircraft dropped over 5,000 heavy bombs on the enemy position with the further help of naval shelling, the attack was not well coordinated because the local nationalist commanders on the ground lacked the authority to command nationalist air and naval assets, which were under the direct control of Chiang Kai-shek
and his high command. As a result, the enemy was able to escape underground without suffering significant casualties despite most of their fortifications above the ground was destroyed by the nationalist attack from air and sea. Despite nationalist encouragements including half a million dollar incentive rewards for each troop, the repeated nationalist army-sized charges on the enemy positions were beaten back. The enemy used nationalist cadavers to build temporary fortifications above the ground, which proved to be a psychological shock to the attacking nationalists.
On October 15, 1948, the news of the fall of Jinzhou
had reached the nationalist reinforcement stopped at Pagoda Mountain (Ta Shan, 塔山), realizing there was not any meaning for further attack and fearful of an all out counterattack by the enemy which by now had most of their troops freed after taking Jinzhou
, the nationalist reinforcement at Pagoda Mountain (Ta Shan, 塔山) made a hasty retreat at noon, leaving a total of 6,549 cadavers behind, and the battle concluded with communist victory. The price communists paid for their victory included 7827 killed, 15922 wounded, 3 captured and 22 missing.
, which resulted in the nationalist defeat in the Battle of Jinzhou
, and consequently, the nationalist defeat in Liaoshen Campaign
. It could be argued that the nationalist failure had much more to do with internal power struggles and problems among the nationalists themselves rather than the enemy’s action, and Chiang Kai-shek
, the nationalist supreme commander was the first to blame: the communists had little chance of stopping the nationalist reinforcement if Wei Lihuang’s original battle plan had been carried out by the capable nationalist commander, Chen Tie (陈铁), Wei Lihuang’s deputy. Putting the deputy commander-in-chief
in command of this battle illustrated that the local nationalists realized the importance of this battle but such attempted was completely negated by the nationalist supreme commander himself: Chiang Kai-shek selected Que Hanqian (阙汉骞) to replace Chen Tie (陈铁), and Que Hanqian (阙汉骞) was directly commanded by Chiang, not taking orders from Wei Lihuang, thus the original perfect nationalist plan was ruined. Chiang’s move also alienated other nationalists in Northeast China
who felt that Chiang did not trust them and believed that they were incompetent, and as a result, they lost incentives to work with Que Hanqian (阙汉骞) and help him, because Que Hanqian (阙汉骞) succeeded in defeating the enemy, it would strengthen Chiang Kai-shek
’s negative opinion about them. The commander of the nationalist 62nd Army, Lin Weichou (林伟俦) had openly clashed with Que Hanqian (阙汉骞) and refused to take his order.
Furthermore, not only the commanders sent by Chiang Kai-shek
could not get along with the local commanders, they could not get along with each other either. Que Hanqian (阙汉骞) was constantly interfered by Luo Qi (罗奇), the other senior commander who was also sent by Chiang Kai-shek
, and Luo Qi (罗奇) had constantly secretly reported to Chiang on local commanders’ behavior, including Que Hanqian (阙汉骞), who was accused by Luo Qi (罗奇) of not being enthusiastic about mission. It was obvious the nationalist commanders were not able to effectively direct the combat operations under such conditions. Not only the nationalist frontline commanders were unable to effectively command the nationalist army units, they were also completely incapable of directing any nationalist air and naval assets. Chiang Kai-shek
had ordered the nationalist air force and navy to provide support, but without giving any authorities to the local nationalist commanders on the ground to direct the naval and air assets, which only took orders from Chiang, even Que Hanqian (阙汉骞) and Luo Qi (罗奇), those two senior commanders Chiang had personally sent did not receive any authority from Chiang to direct air and naval assets.. As a result, the nationalist naval shellings and air strikes were not coordinated with the nationalist ground units to any great effect. Another reason of ineffective nationalist air and naval operations in the battle was that all nationalists including Chiang Kai-shek
himself had doubt on the success of the mission, and the nationalists were faced with a dilemma: should they risk the few valuable air and naval asset to a plausible lost cause (especially when the overall situation in Northeast China
would not change for the better even if the battle was won) or preserve these valuable assets to be used elsewhere in other Chinese battlefields where the nationalists had brighter prospect? The decision was difficult and this certainly had limited the usage of these assets.
The personality of the local nationalist commanders was also a contributor to the nationalist defeat. Hou Jingru (侯镜如) and Hui De’an (惠德安), the commander and deputy commander of the nationalist Qinhuangdao
-Jinxi garrison were capable commanders originally tasked to assist Chen Tie (陈铁), deputy commander-in-chief
of the nationalist force in Northeast China
to command, and this had certainly proved that the nationalists had put a heavy emphasis on the battle. However, despite their excellent capability, Hou Jingru (侯镜如) and Hui De’an (惠德安) were extremely loyal and obedient to Chiang Kai-shek
and in fact, after the 21st Division of the nationalist 92nd Army under the command of Hou Jingru (侯镜如) was annihilated by the enemy in the Autumn Offensive of 1947 in Northeast China
which was not his fault, Hou Jiru (侯镜如) did not voice any complaints to his superior Chen Cheng
and Chiang. As a capable military commander, Hou Jingru (侯镜如) had also reached the same conclusion of his superior Chen Cheng
: the Northeast China
was a lost cause for the nationalists who would be much better off if they had given up Northeast China
and use the freed troops elsewhere in China
where the nationalists were in better positions, and then take back Northeast China
when things had turned better. However, unlike his outspoken his superior Chen Cheng
who openly advocated this idea, Hou Jingru (侯镜如) kept quiet and faithfully carried on the impossible tasks for Chiang to the end. Hou Jingru (侯镜如) had earned Chiang’s deep trust by doing so but this would come at a heavy price: when Chiang Kai-shek
personally sent two of his senior officers to replace the much more capable Chen Tie (陈铁), deputy commander-in-chief
of the nationalist force in Northeast China
, Hou Jingru (侯镜如) and Hui De’an (惠德安) did not voice their concern despite the fact that the two new commanders were impotent in comparison to the much more capable Chen Tie (陈铁). At the same time, Hou Jingru (侯镜如) and Hui De’an (惠德安) were also well aware the nationalist problems they could not solve, and not wanting to be scapegoats of failure and not wanting to be blamed for wasting valuable troops by sending them to the impossible mission, the two chose to wait by not going to help the two new senior commanders, who did not want them to be involved anyway.
The primary reason Chiang Kai-shek
got personally involved and sent two of his own senior officers to direct battle was the result of strategic difference between him and Wei Lihuang, commander-in-chief
of nationalist force in Northeast China
: Chiang was still infatuated with holding on as much land as possible and as long as possible, while Wei Lihuang believed that nationalists should save as many troops as possible, even if that would mean giving up lands temporarily because troops saved could be later used to recover the land previously given up. For Chiang and most nationalists, however, giving up anymore lands was politically unacceptable at the time. Nationalists were well aware the importance of the battle, including Chiang Kai-shek
, who personally commanded in the hope of defeating the enemy and revert the situation in Northeast China
for the nationalists, but very unfortunately, despite his good intentions, his personally involvement, as well as the commanders he chose, turned out to be a disaster for the nationalists and caused them not only the Battle of Tashan (塔山), but also the Battle of Jinzhou
, as well as Liaoshen Campaign
.
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
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...
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 Northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
, and resulted in communist victory. Tashan (塔山) with literal translation meaning Pagoda Mountain was short for Tashanbao (塔山堡), meaning Pagoda Mountain Bunker. Contrary to its name, there was neither pagoda nor mountain, and the only bunkers were the ones hastily built by the communists temporarily for the upcoming battle. The place was actually a village of one hundred or so households 30 km away from Jinzhou
Jinzhou
Jinzhou , is a prefecture-level city of Liaoning province, China. It is a geographically strategic city located in the "Liaoxi Corridor" , which connects land transportation between North China and Northeast China. Jinzhou is China's northernmost seaport and the coastal economic center of West...
and the road to Jinzhou
Jinzhou
Jinzhou , is a prefecture-level city of Liaoning province, China. It is a geographically strategic city located in the "Liaoxi Corridor" , which connects land transportation between North China and Northeast China. Jinzhou is China's northernmost seaport and the coastal economic center of West...
directly pass through the center of the village. The battle of Pagoda Mountain (Tashan, 塔山) was critical to determine the outcome of the Battle of Jinzhou
Battle of Jinzhou
Battle of Jinzhou was a battle between the Communist People's Liberation Army and the Kuomintang's National Revolutionary Army during the Chinese Civil War...
and consequently, that of the Liaoshen Campaign
Liaoshen Campaign
Liaoshen Campaign , literally the abbreviation of Liaoning-Shenyang Campaign, was part of the three major campaigns launched by the People's Liberation Army during the late stage of the Chinese Civil War. This engagement is known in the Nationalist government as the Battle of Liaoshi...
. The battle is more commonly known as Blocking Action at Tashan (塔山阻击战), as called by the communists.
Prelude
Facing with the nationalist reinforcement of a total of eleven 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...
not counting the nationalist air and naval assets, the communists were well aware the importance of stopping the nationalist reinforcement and deployed a total of eight divisions and an artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
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...
at Pagoda Mountain (Ta Shan, 塔山) with Cheng Zihua (程子华), the commander of the communist II Corps in charge. In order to better assist local commanders, Luo Ronghuan
Luo Ronghuan
Luo Ronghuan was a Chinese communist military leader.-Biography:Luo was born in a village in Hengshan County, Hunan Province. He joined the Chinese Communist Youth League in April 1927 and the Chinese Communist Party later that year...
got approval from Lin Biao
Lin Biao
Lin Biao was a major Chinese Communist military leader who was pivotal in the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, especially in Northeastern China...
to send Su Jing (苏静), a senior staff officer at general headquarter of the communist force in Northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
to Pagoda Mountain (Ta Shan, 塔山).
However, the local communist commanders especially those of the communist 4th Column resented Luo Ronghuan
Luo Ronghuan
Luo Ronghuan was a Chinese communist military leader.-Biography:Luo was born in a village in Hengshan County, Hunan Province. He joined the Chinese Communist Youth League in April 1927 and the Chinese Communist Party later that year...
’s decision after Su Jing (苏静) had reached the headquarter of the communist 4th Column, jokingly called Su Jing (苏静) as the equivalent of ancient overseer of the imperial Chinese army, feeling that Luo Ronghuan
Luo Ronghuan
Luo Ronghuan was a Chinese communist military leader.-Biography:Luo was born in a village in Hengshan County, Hunan Province. He joined the Chinese Communist Youth League in April 1927 and the Chinese Communist Party later that year...
and Lin Biao
Lin Biao
Lin Biao was a major Chinese Communist military leader who was pivotal in the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, especially in Northeastern China...
were doubtful that they were competent enough to accomplish their assigned mission. Luckily, the excellent work 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 communist 4th Column, Mo Wenhua (莫文骅) was able to resolve the issue and the communists had avoided similar situations in the nationalist camp.
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...
Attackers: nationalist order of battleOrder of battle
In 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...
:
- The 54th Army (Three divisions)
- The 62nd Army (Three divisions)
- Two divisions of the 39th Army
- 21st Division of the 92nd Army
- The 62nd Division
- The Independent 95th Division
- Naval and air assets
Defenders: communist order of battle
Order of battle
In 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...
:
- The 4th Column (Three divisions)
- The 11th Column (Three divisions)
- ReheReheRehe , also known as Jehol, is a defunct Chinese Special administrative district and later province.-Administration:Rehe was located north of the Great Wall, west of Manchuria, and east of Mongolia. The capital of Rehe was the city of Chengde. The second largest city in the province was Chaoyang,...
Independent 4th Division - ReheReheRehe , also known as Jehol, is a defunct Chinese Special administrative district and later province.-Administration:Rehe was located north of the Great Wall, west of Manchuria, and east of Mongolia. The capital of Rehe was the city of Chengde. The second largest city in the province was Chaoyang,...
Independent 6th Division - An artillery brigade
Battle
The battle started before the dawn. On October 10, 1948 at 3:00 AM, the nationalists successfully launched a surprise attack with numerical and technical superiority, taking the Fishing Mountain (Da Yu Shan, 打鱼山) Island held by the enemy at low tide. The Fishing Mountain (Da Yu Shan, 打鱼山) Island was a critical position in that whoever controlled the islands would threaten flank of Pagoda Mountain (Ta Shan, 塔山). The grave danger was realized by the commander of the communist 4th Column, Wu Kehua (吴克华), who immediately ordered a counterattack to take back the island, which was successfully accomplished, and the island remained firmly in the communist hands for the entire battle.Although the nationalist aircraft dropped over 5,000 heavy bombs on the enemy position with the further help of naval shelling, the attack was not well coordinated because the local nationalist commanders on the ground lacked the authority to command nationalist air and naval assets, which were under the direct control of 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....
and his high command. As a result, the enemy was able to escape underground without suffering significant casualties despite most of their fortifications above the ground was destroyed by the nationalist attack from air and sea. Despite nationalist encouragements including half a million dollar incentive rewards for each troop, the repeated nationalist army-sized charges on the enemy positions were beaten back. The enemy used nationalist cadavers to build temporary fortifications above the ground, which proved to be a psychological shock to the attacking nationalists.
On October 15, 1948, the news of the fall of Jinzhou
Jinzhou
Jinzhou , is a prefecture-level city of Liaoning province, China. It is a geographically strategic city located in the "Liaoxi Corridor" , which connects land transportation between North China and Northeast China. Jinzhou is China's northernmost seaport and the coastal economic center of West...
had reached the nationalist reinforcement stopped at Pagoda Mountain (Ta Shan, 塔山), realizing there was not any meaning for further attack and fearful of an all out counterattack by the enemy which by now had most of their troops freed after taking Jinzhou
Jinzhou
Jinzhou , is a prefecture-level city of Liaoning province, China. It is a geographically strategic city located in the "Liaoxi Corridor" , which connects land transportation between North China and Northeast China. Jinzhou is China's northernmost seaport and the coastal economic center of West...
, the nationalist reinforcement at Pagoda Mountain (Ta Shan, 塔山) made a hasty retreat at noon, leaving a total of 6,549 cadavers behind, and the battle concluded with communist victory. The price communists paid for their victory included 7827 killed, 15922 wounded, 3 captured and 22 missing.
Outcome
The nationalist defeat at Pagoda Mountain (Ta Shan, 塔山) was one of the most important factors that contributed to the fall of JinzhouJinzhou
Jinzhou , is a prefecture-level city of Liaoning province, China. It is a geographically strategic city located in the "Liaoxi Corridor" , which connects land transportation between North China and Northeast China. Jinzhou is China's northernmost seaport and the coastal economic center of West...
, which resulted in the nationalist defeat in the Battle of Jinzhou
Battle of Jinzhou
Battle of Jinzhou was a battle between the Communist People's Liberation Army and the Kuomintang's National Revolutionary Army during the Chinese Civil War...
, and consequently, the nationalist defeat in Liaoshen Campaign
Liaoshen Campaign
Liaoshen Campaign , literally the abbreviation of Liaoning-Shenyang Campaign, was part of the three major campaigns launched by the People's Liberation Army during the late stage of the Chinese Civil War. This engagement is known in the Nationalist government as the Battle of Liaoshi...
. It could be argued that the nationalist failure had much more to do with internal power struggles and problems among the nationalists themselves rather than the enemy’s action, and 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....
, the nationalist supreme commander was the first to blame: the communists had little chance of stopping the nationalist reinforcement if Wei Lihuang’s original battle plan had been carried out by the capable nationalist commander, Chen Tie (陈铁), Wei Lihuang’s deputy. Putting the deputy 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...
in command of this battle illustrated that the local nationalists realized the importance of this battle but such attempted was completely negated by the nationalist supreme commander himself: Chiang Kai-shek selected Que Hanqian (阙汉骞) to replace Chen Tie (陈铁), and Que Hanqian (阙汉骞) was directly commanded by Chiang, not taking orders from Wei Lihuang, thus the original perfect nationalist plan was ruined. Chiang’s move also alienated other nationalists in Northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
who felt that Chiang did not trust them and believed that they were incompetent, and as a result, they lost incentives to work with Que Hanqian (阙汉骞) and help him, because Que Hanqian (阙汉骞) succeeded in defeating the enemy, it would strengthen 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....
’s negative opinion about them. The commander of the nationalist 62nd Army, Lin Weichou (林伟俦) had openly clashed with Que Hanqian (阙汉骞) and refused to take his order.
Furthermore, not only the commanders sent by 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....
could not get along with the local commanders, they could not get along with each other either. Que Hanqian (阙汉骞) was constantly interfered by Luo Qi (罗奇), the other senior commander who was also sent by 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....
, and Luo Qi (罗奇) had constantly secretly reported to Chiang on local commanders’ behavior, including Que Hanqian (阙汉骞), who was accused by Luo Qi (罗奇) of not being enthusiastic about mission. It was obvious the nationalist commanders were not able to effectively direct the combat operations under such conditions. Not only the nationalist frontline commanders were unable to effectively command the nationalist army units, they were also completely incapable of directing any nationalist air and naval assets. 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....
had ordered the nationalist air force and navy to provide support, but without giving any authorities to the local nationalist commanders on the ground to direct the naval and air assets, which only took orders from Chiang, even Que Hanqian (阙汉骞) and Luo Qi (罗奇), those two senior commanders Chiang had personally sent did not receive any authority from Chiang to direct air and naval assets.. As a result, the nationalist naval shellings and air strikes were not coordinated with the nationalist ground units to any great effect. Another reason of ineffective nationalist air and naval operations in the battle was that all nationalists including 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....
himself had doubt on the success of the mission, and the nationalists were faced with a dilemma: should they risk the few valuable air and naval asset to a plausible lost cause (especially when the overall situation in Northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
would not change for the better even if the battle was won) or preserve these valuable assets to be used elsewhere in other Chinese battlefields where the nationalists had brighter prospect? The decision was difficult and this certainly had limited the usage of these assets.
The personality of the local nationalist commanders was also a contributor to the nationalist defeat. Hou Jingru (侯镜如) and Hui De’an (惠德安), the commander and deputy commander of the nationalist Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao is a port city in northeastern Hebei province of North China. It is about 300 km east of Beijing, on the Bohai Sea, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea....
-Jinxi garrison were capable commanders originally tasked to assist Chen Tie (陈铁), deputy 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 nationalist force in Northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
to command, and this had certainly proved that the nationalists had put a heavy emphasis on the battle. However, despite their excellent capability, Hou Jingru (侯镜如) and Hui De’an (惠德安) were extremely loyal and obedient to 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....
and in fact, after the 21st Division of the nationalist 92nd Army under the command of Hou Jingru (侯镜如) was annihilated by the enemy in the Autumn Offensive of 1947 in Northeast China
Autumn Offensive of 1947 in Northeast China
The Autumn Offensive of 1947 in Northeast China was a series of battles initiated by the communists against the nationalists during the Chinese Civil War after World War II.-Prelude:...
which was not his fault, Hou Jiru (侯镜如) did not voice any complaints to his superior Chen Cheng
Chen Cheng
Chen Cheng , was a Chinese political and military leader, and one of the main National Revolutionary Army commanders during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. After moving to Taiwan at the end of the Civil War, he served as the Governor of Taiwan Province, Vice President and...
and Chiang. As a capable military commander, Hou Jingru (侯镜如) had also reached the same conclusion of his superior Chen Cheng
Chen Cheng
Chen Cheng , was a Chinese political and military leader, and one of the main National Revolutionary Army commanders during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. After moving to Taiwan at the end of the Civil War, he served as the Governor of Taiwan Province, Vice President and...
: the Northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
was a lost cause for the nationalists who would be much better off if they had given up Northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
and use the freed troops elsewhere in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
where the nationalists were in better positions, and then take back Northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
when things had turned better. However, unlike his outspoken his superior Chen Cheng
Chen Cheng
Chen Cheng , was a Chinese political and military leader, and one of the main National Revolutionary Army commanders during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. After moving to Taiwan at the end of the Civil War, he served as the Governor of Taiwan Province, Vice President and...
who openly advocated this idea, Hou Jingru (侯镜如) kept quiet and faithfully carried on the impossible tasks for Chiang to the end. Hou Jingru (侯镜如) had earned Chiang’s deep trust by doing so but this would come at a heavy price: when 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....
personally sent two of his senior officers to replace the much more capable Chen Tie (陈铁), deputy 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 nationalist force in Northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
, Hou Jingru (侯镜如) and Hui De’an (惠德安) did not voice their concern despite the fact that the two new commanders were impotent in comparison to the much more capable Chen Tie (陈铁). At the same time, Hou Jingru (侯镜如) and Hui De’an (惠德安) were also well aware the nationalist problems they could not solve, and not wanting to be scapegoats of failure and not wanting to be blamed for wasting valuable troops by sending them to the impossible mission, the two chose to wait by not going to help the two new senior commanders, who did not want them to be involved anyway.
The primary reason 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....
got personally involved and sent two of his own senior officers to direct battle was the result of strategic difference between him and Wei Lihuang, 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 nationalist force in Northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
: Chiang was still infatuated with holding on as much land as possible and as long as possible, while Wei Lihuang believed that nationalists should save as many troops as possible, even if that would mean giving up lands temporarily because troops saved could be later used to recover the land previously given up. For Chiang and most nationalists, however, giving up anymore lands was politically unacceptable at the time. Nationalists were well aware the importance of the battle, including 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....
, who personally commanded in the hope of defeating the enemy and revert the situation in Northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
for the nationalists, but very unfortunately, despite his good intentions, his personally involvement, as well as the commanders he chose, turned out to be a disaster for the nationalists and caused them not only the Battle of Tashan (塔山), but also the Battle of Jinzhou
Battle of Jinzhou
Battle of Jinzhou was a battle between the Communist People's Liberation Army and the Kuomintang's National Revolutionary Army during the Chinese Civil War...
, as well as Liaoshen Campaign
Liaoshen Campaign
Liaoshen Campaign , literally the abbreviation of Liaoning-Shenyang Campaign, was part of the three major campaigns launched by the People's Liberation Army during the late stage of the Chinese Civil War. This engagement is known in the Nationalist government as the Battle of Liaoshi...
.
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...