Battle of Tianquan
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Tianquan was a battle fought between the communists
and the nationalists
during the Chinese Civil War
in the post World War II
era and resulted in communist victory. It is also called "The Battle to Defend Tianquan" (Tianquan Baoweizhan, 天全保卫战) by the communists.
Order of Battle
On February 14, 1950, Cheng Zhiwu (程志武) the nationalist commander of the Southwestern (China) Anticommunist National Salvation Army managed to convince the local bandits headed by Li Yuanheng (李元亨) to ally with him to attack the town of Tianquan County
(天全) in Xikang
(Present day Sichuan
). The attackers expected an immediate success because the town was guarded only by a single communist company of the 555th Regiment and as the attackers besieged the town on the same day, all communications to the outside was severed. However, the defenders decided to die with the town and put up a hard fight, despite their numerical and technical advantages.
On February 15, 1950, over a hundred attackers successfully penetrated into the town via Western Pass (Xi Guan, 西关) under the cover of heavy fire, but the defenders outflanked and routed the attackers, killing everyone. As a result, the attackers were gravely demoralized, and the battle reached a stalemate. Realizing that they were short on supply and low on morale, the nationalists attempted another and final assault on the town on February 20, 1950, when over a hundred attackers penetrated into the town and took a large bunker. The defenders, however, besieged the bunker and blew it up with dynamite, killing everyone inside. Hearing the news, the attackers’ resolve to fight completely collapsed and everyone abandoned their post and fled. The nationalist commanders were unable to stop their fleeing troops and had to withdraw, and taking the opportunity, the defenders counterattacked, inflicting further casualties on the enemy and taking more than a hundred prisoners.
The nationalist failure to take the town has been described as mainly due to their reliance on bandits who had no training in conventional warfare, and could not effectively utilize their numerical and technical advantages. Neither did the bandits have any resolve to fight to the end like their enemy defending the town, because they were only interested in keeping their own strength and saving their own lives so they could not be depended on in the heat of battle. The few dedicated anticommunists in the nationalist rank was not enough to make a difference for the attacking force and thus the nationalist attack resulted in the inevitable failure.
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...
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...
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 and resulted in communist victory. It is also called "The Battle to Defend Tianquan" (Tianquan Baoweizhan, 天全保卫战) by the communists.
Order of Battle
- Nationalists (3,000+)
- Southwestern (China) Anticommunist National Salvation Army
- Local bandits
- Communists (100+)
- A company of the 555th Regiments
On February 14, 1950, Cheng Zhiwu (程志武) the nationalist commander of the Southwestern (China) Anticommunist National Salvation Army managed to convince the local bandits headed by Li Yuanheng (李元亨) to ally with him to attack the town of Tianquan County
Tianquan County
Tianquan County is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of Ya'an city....
(天全) in Xikang
Xikang
Xikang or Sikang , is a defunct province of the Republic of China , comprising most of the Kham region of traditional Tibet, where Khampas, a subgroup of the Tibetan ethnicity, live. The area is also home to a small minority of Mongol ethnicity...
(Present day Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
). The attackers expected an immediate success because the town was guarded only by a single communist company of the 555th Regiment and as the attackers besieged the town on the same day, all communications to the outside was severed. However, the defenders decided to die with the town and put up a hard fight, despite their numerical and technical advantages.
On February 15, 1950, over a hundred attackers successfully penetrated into the town via Western Pass (Xi Guan, 西关) under the cover of heavy fire, but the defenders outflanked and routed the attackers, killing everyone. As a result, the attackers were gravely demoralized, and the battle reached a stalemate. Realizing that they were short on supply and low on morale, the nationalists attempted another and final assault on the town on February 20, 1950, when over a hundred attackers penetrated into the town and took a large bunker. The defenders, however, besieged the bunker and blew it up with dynamite, killing everyone inside. Hearing the news, the attackers’ resolve to fight completely collapsed and everyone abandoned their post and fled. The nationalist commanders were unable to stop their fleeing troops and had to withdraw, and taking the opportunity, the defenders counterattacked, inflicting further casualties on the enemy and taking more than a hundred prisoners.
The nationalist failure to take the town has been described as mainly due to their reliance on bandits who had no training in conventional warfare, and could not effectively utilize their numerical and technical advantages. Neither did the bandits have any resolve to fight to the end like their enemy defending the town, because they were only interested in keeping their own strength and saving their own lives so they could not be depended on in the heat of battle. The few dedicated anticommunists in the nationalist rank was not enough to make a difference for the attacking force and thus the nationalist attack resulted in the inevitable failure.
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...