First Encirclement Campaign against Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet
Encyclopedia
The First Encirclement Campaign
against the Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet
was a campaign launched by the Chinese Nationalist Government
intended to destroy Communist Party of China
's Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet and its local Red Army. It was met by the Communists' First Counter-Encirclement Campaign at Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet . The Red Army successfully defended their border region territory against the Government attacks from January to February 5, 1935.
against the local communists. The 25th Army of the Chinese Red Army only number around 2,500 and simply could not face an enemy almost twice its strength. The communists decided to trick the enemy into dispersing its forces and then destroy their enemy by concentrating their own forces. To do so, the communists deployed their forces to the region of the End of Yuan Family’s Ditch (Yuanjiagoukou, 袁家沟口) by marching northward from the border region of Shanyang (山阳) and Yunxi (郧西). The communist force subsequently moved to the region of Phoenix Mouth (Fenghuangzui, 凤凰嘴), suddenly appearing directly behind the enemy line.
On January 31, 1935, the town of Zuoshui (柞水) fell into the communist hands, forcing the nationalist 2nd Garrison Brigade to move westward to reinforce the region, thus communists had successfully achieved their objective of dispersing the enemy. On February 1, 1935, as the 252nd Regiment of the nationalist 116th Brigade reached the region of Caiyuyao (蔡玉窑), it was ambushed by the waiting enemy and one battalion of the 252nd Regiment of the nationalist 116th Brigade completely annihilated while the other two were badly mauled. The communists subsequently withdrew to Gepai (葛牌) Town to rest and regroup.
On February 5, 1935, the nationalist commander-in-chief of the encirclement campaign, Liu Yanbiao (柳彦彪), the commander of the nationalist 116th Brigade, personally led the 251st Regiment and 248th Regiment of the nationalist 116th Brigade to attack Gepai (葛牌) Town, in attempt to avenge the previous annihilation of the 252nd Regiment of the nationalist 116th Brigade. The communists first checked the nationalist advance at the Wengo (文公) Ridge by taking advantage of the terrain, and then launched their counterassault on the front and left flank. After two battalions were completely annihilated by the communist onslaught, the nationalist morale collapsed and the nationalist troops fled southward. This final nationalist defeat marked the end of the First Encirclement Campaign
against Hubei
-Henan
-Sichuan
Soviet.
The nationalist defeat in the campaign cost them over 1,200 casualties and in addition, five counties in southern Shaanxi
that were originally plagued heavily with communist guerrilla activities had since become communist bases, resulting in the expansion of the communist Hubei
-Henan
-Sichuan
Soviet.
First Encirclement Campaign
The First Encirclement Campaign is an abbreviated name used for several different encirclement campaigns launched by the Nationalist Government with the goal of destroying the developing Chinese Red Army and its communist bases in several separate locations in China during the early stage of...
against the Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet
Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet
The Hubei–Henan–Shaanxi Soviet was a communist controlled region in north-central China in the mid-1930s, a constituent part of the Chinese Soviet Republic, a self-declared sovereign state....
was a campaign launched by the Chinese Nationalist Government
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...
intended to destroy Communist Party of China
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...
's Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet and its local Red Army. It was met by the Communists' First Counter-Encirclement Campaign at Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet . The Red Army successfully defended their border region territory against the Government attacks from January to February 5, 1935.
Order of battle
- 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...
s: (6,500 total):- 116th Brigade
- 126th Brigade
- 2nd Garrison Brigade
- CommunistCommunist Party of ChinaThe 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...
s: (2,500 total):- 25th Army
Situation
In late January, 1935, nationalist 126th Brigade and the 2nd Garrison Brigade occupied regions to the east and to the south of Zhen’an (镇安) County as they began their encirclement campaignEncirclement Campaigns
Encirclement Campaigns is a term used to describe several different campaigns launched by forces of the Chinese Nationalist Government against forces of the Communist Party of China during the Chinese Civil War. The campaigns were launched between the late 1920s to the mid-1930s with the goal of...
against the local communists. The 25th Army of the Chinese Red Army only number around 2,500 and simply could not face an enemy almost twice its strength. The communists decided to trick the enemy into dispersing its forces and then destroy their enemy by concentrating their own forces. To do so, the communists deployed their forces to the region of the End of Yuan Family’s Ditch (Yuanjiagoukou, 袁家沟口) by marching northward from the border region of Shanyang (山阳) and Yunxi (郧西). The communist force subsequently moved to the region of Phoenix Mouth (Fenghuangzui, 凤凰嘴), suddenly appearing directly behind the enemy line.
On January 31, 1935, the town of Zuoshui (柞水) fell into the communist hands, forcing the nationalist 2nd Garrison Brigade to move westward to reinforce the region, thus communists had successfully achieved their objective of dispersing the enemy. On February 1, 1935, as the 252nd Regiment of the nationalist 116th Brigade reached the region of Caiyuyao (蔡玉窑), it was ambushed by the waiting enemy and one battalion of the 252nd Regiment of the nationalist 116th Brigade completely annihilated while the other two were badly mauled. The communists subsequently withdrew to Gepai (葛牌) Town to rest and regroup.
On February 5, 1935, the nationalist commander-in-chief of the encirclement campaign, Liu Yanbiao (柳彦彪), the commander of the nationalist 116th Brigade, personally led the 251st Regiment and 248th Regiment of the nationalist 116th Brigade to attack Gepai (葛牌) Town, in attempt to avenge the previous annihilation of the 252nd Regiment of the nationalist 116th Brigade. The communists first checked the nationalist advance at the Wengo (文公) Ridge by taking advantage of the terrain, and then launched their counterassault on the front and left flank. After two battalions were completely annihilated by the communist onslaught, the nationalist morale collapsed and the nationalist troops fled southward. This final nationalist defeat marked the end of the First Encirclement Campaign
First Encirclement Campaign
The First Encirclement Campaign is an abbreviated name used for several different encirclement campaigns launched by the Nationalist Government with the goal of destroying the developing Chinese Red Army and its communist bases in several separate locations in China during the early stage of...
against 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...
-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...
Soviet.
The nationalist defeat in the campaign cost them over 1,200 casualties and in addition, five counties in 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...
that were originally plagued heavily with communist guerrilla activities had since become communist bases, resulting in the expansion of the communist 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...
-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...
Soviet.
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...