Campaign along the Southern Section of Datong-Puzhou Railway
Encyclopedia
Campaign along the Southern Section of the Datong
-Puzhou Railway (同蒲路南段战役) was a campaign fought between the nationalists
and the communists during the Chinese Civil War
in the post-World War II
era and resulted in the communist victory.
, the nationalist commander-in-chief
of the 1st War Zone sent the nationalist Reorganized 1st Division
and the Reorganized 27th Division northward to link up with the nationalist force from Linfen
and Jiexiu (介休) under the command of Yan Xishan
, the nationalist commander-in-chief
of the 2nd War Zone, hoping that the nationalist would dislodge the communists controlling the southern section of the Datong
-Puzhou Railway. The communists under the command of Chen Geng
and his political commissar
Xie Fuzhi
in turn, planned to annihilate the nationalists before they could link up with each other. The communist 4th Column of the Shanxi
-Hebei
-Shandong
-Henan
(晋冀鲁豫) Military Region was tasked with this job with the help of units of the communist Taiyue (太岳) Military Region.
Order of battle
Nationalists:
Communists:
-Hebei
-Shandong
-Henan
Military Region concentrated two brigades to besiege the 31st Brigade of the nationalist Reorganized 27th Division, while the rest of the troops were deployed to stop the nationalist reinforcement. By July 14, 1946, the 31st Brigade of the nationalist Reorganized 27th Division was completely annihilated at Embankment Palm Town (Yan Zhang Zhen, 堰掌镇) and the Town of Hu and Zhang (Hu Zhang Zhen, 胡张镇) regions. In the mean time, the nationalist reinforcement of the nationalist Reorganized 1st Division from Wenxi (闻喜) and Water Head Town (Shui Tou Zhen, 水头镇) to reinforce their besieged comrades-in-arms was also ambushed on its way and was forced to retreat.
After suffering the defeat, the nationalist force under the command of Hu Zongnan
was forced out of action and had to regroup by withdrawing to the Wenxi (闻喜), Xia County, Shanxi
and Anyi (安邑) regions. However, the nationalist force under the command of Yan Xishan
was still on the move to the north in order to reinforce the nationalists in northern Shanxi
participating in the Northern Shanxi Campaign. As the majority of the nationalist force was sent to the north, the regions along the Datong–Puzhou Railway
from Lingshi (灵石) to Hongtong
was only defended by the nationalist 39th Division, 69th Division, and local security regiments. Taking the opportunity, the communist 4th Column of the Shanxi
-Hebei
-Shandong
-Henan
Military Region and units of the communist Taiyue (太岳) Military Region joined their forces and launched another round of assaults on August 9, 1946, taking Hongtong
, City of Zhao (Zhao Cheng, 赵城), Huo (霍) County, Lingshi (灵石) and Fenxi (汾西). The campaign finally concluded on September 1, 1946 when the communists took the region of Wealthy Family’s Beach (Fu Jia Tan, 富家滩).
in the south and the nationalist force under the command of Yan Xishan
in the north. The original gap between the two groups of the nationalist forces was greatly increased that there was no chance for the nationalists to link up again because a vast area along the 100 km southern section of the Datong
-Puzhou Railway had fallen into communist hands.
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 (同蒲路南段战役) was a campaign fought between 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...
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...
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 the communist victory.
Prelude
In early July, 1946, Hu ZongnanHu 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
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 1st War Zone sent the nationalist 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 27th Division northward to link up with the nationalist force from Linfen
Linfen
-Administrative divisions:The prefecture-level city of Linfen is divided in one district, two cities and fourteen counties. The information here presented uses the metric system and data from 2010 Census.-Pollution:...
and Jiexiu (介休) under the command of 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...
, the nationalist 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 2nd War Zone, hoping that the nationalist would dislodge the communists controlling the southern section of 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 communists under the command of 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...
and his 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...
in turn, planned to annihilate the nationalists before they could link up with each other. The communist 4th Column of the 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....
-Hebei
Hebei
' 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...
-Shandong
Shandong
' 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...
-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...
(晋冀鲁豫) Military Region was tasked with this job with the help of units of the communist Taiyue (太岳) Military Region.
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...
Nationalists:
- Reorganized 1st Division
- Reorganized 27th Division
- The 39th Division
- The 69th Division
Communists:
- The 4th Column of the 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...
Military Region - Units of the communist Taiyue (太岳) Military Region
Campaign
On June 12, 1946, the nationalist Reorganized 27th Division and two brigades of the nationalist Reorganized 1st Division had pushed to Wenxi (闻喜), Water Head Town (Shui Tou Zhen, 水头镇), Embankment Palm Town (Yan Zhang Zhen, 堰掌镇), and Summer (Xia, 夏) County, and the nationalist advance guard had penetrated over 70 km into the communist dominated areas. On July 13, 1946, the communist 4th Column of the 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....
-Hebei
Hebei
' 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...
-Shandong
Shandong
' 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...
-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...
Military Region concentrated two brigades to besiege the 31st Brigade of the nationalist Reorganized 27th Division, while the rest of the troops were deployed to stop the nationalist reinforcement. By July 14, 1946, the 31st Brigade of the nationalist Reorganized 27th Division was completely annihilated at Embankment Palm Town (Yan Zhang Zhen, 堰掌镇) and the Town of Hu and Zhang (Hu Zhang Zhen, 胡张镇) regions. In the mean time, the nationalist reinforcement of the nationalist Reorganized 1st Division from Wenxi (闻喜) and Water Head Town (Shui Tou Zhen, 水头镇) to reinforce their besieged comrades-in-arms was also ambushed on its way and was forced to retreat.
After suffering the defeat, the nationalist force under the command of 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...
was forced out of action and had to regroup by withdrawing to the Wenxi (闻喜), Xia County, Shanxi
Xia County, Shanxi
Xia is a county in the northern province of Shanxi in the People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of Yuncheng City , in the southernmost region of Shanxi.-See also:*List of administrative divisions of Shanxi...
and Anyi (安邑) regions. However, the nationalist force under the command of 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...
was still on the move to the north in order to reinforce the 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....
participating in the Northern Shanxi Campaign. As the majority of the nationalist force was sent to the north, the regions along the Datong–Puzhou Railway
Datong–Puzhou Railway
The Datong–Puzhou or Tongpu Railway , is a major trunkline railroad in northern China, and the main axial railway of Shanxi Province. The railway is located entirely within Shanxi and diagonally bisects the province from Datong in the northeast to Fenglingdu, near the village of Puzhou, in the...
from Lingshi (灵石) to Hongtong
Hongtong
Hongdong County is a county in Linfen, Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China.-Pronunciation of the name:The second ideograph in the name of Hongdong County is always pronounced Pinyin: Tóng, instead of Dòng by local people, including local people who speaks standard mandarin...
was only defended by the nationalist 39th Division, 69th Division, and local security regiments. Taking the opportunity, the communist 4th Column of the 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....
-Hebei
Hebei
' 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...
-Shandong
Shandong
' 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...
-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...
Military Region and units of the communist Taiyue (太岳) Military Region joined their forces and launched another round of assaults on August 9, 1946, taking Hongtong
Hongtong
Hongdong County is a county in Linfen, Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China.-Pronunciation of the name:The second ideograph in the name of Hongdong County is always pronounced Pinyin: Tóng, instead of Dòng by local people, including local people who speaks standard mandarin...
, City of Zhao (Zhao Cheng, 赵城), Huo (霍) County, Lingshi (灵石) and Fenxi (汾西). The campaign finally concluded on September 1, 1946 when the communists took the region of Wealthy Family’s Beach (Fu Jia Tan, 富家滩).
Outcome
The nationalists had suffered over 15,000 casualties in their defeat, and not only they had failed to achieve their original objective of linking up with their comrades-in-arms, but the original gap in the nationalist defense had greatly increased as the result of the nationalist defeat. In contrast, the communist victory had completely severed the link between the nationalist force under the command of Hu ZongnanHu 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...
in the south and the nationalist force under the command of 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...
in the north. The original gap between the two groups of the nationalist forces was greatly increased that there was no chance for the nationalists to link up again because a vast area along the 100 km southern section of 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 had fallen into communist hands.
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...