Houma Campaign
Encyclopedia
The Houma
Campaign (侯马战役), also dubbed as Houma
Counteroffensive (侯马反击战), was a series of battles fought between the nationalists
and the communists
during Chinese Civil War
in the post World War II
era, and resulted in the communist victory.
Communist order of battle:
ordered his 13th Army Group to deploy its 34th Army from Linfen
, and to strike southward along the Tatong
-Puzhou Railway. Yan believed that the communists would let their guard down due to the truce signed by Chiang Kai-shek
and Mao Zedong
in Chongqing
on January 10, 1946, and his surprise attack would eradicate communist in his targeted regions. On January 21, 1946, the nationalists succeeded in taking regions to the west of Houma
, including Eastern Height Hamlet (Donggaocun, 东高村), Western Height Hamlet (Xigaocun, 西高村), and Horse Village (Mazhuang, 马庄). The nationalists planned to carry out their next goal by driving the enemy into the region to the east of Quwo (曲沃), thus securing the southern section of Tatong
-Puzhou Railway. However, the nationalist force was thinly spread when they were dispersed to guard the newly conquered territory, and this weakness was immediately captured and exploited by the enemy.
In the evening of January 22, 1947, Chen Geng concentrated three brigades of the communist 4th Column and launched a surprise attack on the unsuspecting nationalists, who were completely caught off guard. Within a short period of several hours, the nationalist lost an entire division, with over three thousand troops captured by the enemy, including the commander of the 45th Division. After repeated nationalist attacks were beaten back by the stubborn enemy, Yan Xishan was forced to accept defeat by ordering Wang Jingguo to sign a truce with Chen Geng, and the condition prior to the campaign was restored. The biggest winner of the campaign, however, was neither Yan Xishan nor the communists, but Chiang Kai-shek
instead. The reason was that no matter who had won, the outcome always benefited Chiang’s central government: if Yan had won, the communists would be weakened, and when the communists won, warlord was weakened, and since Chiang’s troops were not involved, there was no political fallouts for breaking the truce for Chiang. The communist victory therefore had helped Chiang’s central government to reduce the problem of warlords
in weakening the local warlord in Shanxi
.
Houma, Shanxi
Houma is a city in the Shanxi province on the People's Republic of China, on the Fen River south of Linfen. It is 274 km large and has a population of 102,400....
Campaign (侯马战役), also dubbed as Houma
Houma, Shanxi
Houma is a city in the Shanxi province on the People's Republic of China, on the Fen River south of Linfen. It is 274 km large and has a population of 102,400....
Counteroffensive (侯马反击战), was a series of battles 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
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 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.
Order of battle
Nationalist order of battle:- 13th Army Group commanded by Wang Jingguo (王靖国)
- 34th Army commanded by Gao Zhuozhi (高卓之)
Communist order of battle:
- Three brigades of the fourth Column (commanded by Chen GengChen GengChen 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...
) 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
Campaign
On January 19, 1946, 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 his 13th Army Group to deploy its 34th Army 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 to strike southward along the Tatong
Tatong
Tatong is a small town located in north eastern Victoria, in Australia. It is located on the northern foothills of the Blue Ranges, part of the Great Dividing Range, beside the Holland Creek. At the 2006 census, Tatong had a population of 447.-History:...
-Puzhou Railway. Yan believed that the communists would let their guard down due to the truce signed 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 Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
in Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
on January 10, 1946, and his surprise attack would eradicate communist in his targeted regions. On January 21, 1946, the nationalists succeeded in taking regions to the west of Houma
Houma, Shanxi
Houma is a city in the Shanxi province on the People's Republic of China, on the Fen River south of Linfen. It is 274 km large and has a population of 102,400....
, including Eastern Height Hamlet (Donggaocun, 东高村), Western Height Hamlet (Xigaocun, 西高村), and Horse Village (Mazhuang, 马庄). The nationalists planned to carry out their next goal by driving the enemy into the region to the east of Quwo (曲沃), thus securing the southern section of Tatong
Tatong
Tatong is a small town located in north eastern Victoria, in Australia. It is located on the northern foothills of the Blue Ranges, part of the Great Dividing Range, beside the Holland Creek. At the 2006 census, Tatong had a population of 447.-History:...
-Puzhou Railway. However, the nationalist force was thinly spread when they were dispersed to guard the newly conquered territory, and this weakness was immediately captured and exploited by the enemy.
In the evening of January 22, 1947, Chen Geng concentrated three brigades of the communist 4th Column and launched a surprise attack on the unsuspecting nationalists, who were completely caught off guard. Within a short period of several hours, the nationalist lost an entire division, with over three thousand troops captured by the enemy, including the commander of the 45th Division. After repeated nationalist attacks were beaten back by the stubborn enemy, Yan Xishan was forced to accept defeat by ordering Wang Jingguo to sign a truce with Chen Geng, and the condition prior to the campaign was restored. The biggest winner of the campaign, however, was neither Yan Xishan nor the communists, but 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....
instead. The reason was that no matter who had won, the outcome always benefited Chiang’s central government: if Yan had won, the communists would be weakened, and when the communists won, warlord was weakened, and since Chiang’s troops were not involved, there was no political fallouts for breaking the truce for Chiang. The communist victory therefore had helped Chiang’s central government to reduce the problem of warlords
Warlord era
The Chinese Warlord Era was the period in the history of the Republic of China, from 1916 to 1928, when the country was divided among military cliques, a division that continued until the fall of the Nationalist government in the mainland China regions of Sichuan, Shanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia,...
in weakening the local warlord 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....
.
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...