Zhoucun-Zhangdian Campaign
Encyclopedia
The Zhoucun-Zhangdian Campaign (周张战役), short for the Campaign of Zhou’s Village (Zhou Cun, 周村) and Zhang’s Hotel (Zhang Dian, 张店), consisted of two major battles and a series of smaller battles that followed, fought between the Communists and the Nationalists
in Shandong
during the Chinese Civil War
in the post–World War II
era. The outcome was a Communist victory. This campaign is also called the Campaign at the Western Section of the Qingdao
–Jinan
Railway (胶济路西段战役).
guarding the western section of the Qingdao–Jinan Railway was redeployed to Yanzhou (兖州), and its original task was reassigned to the Nationalist Reorganized 32nd Division and other Nationalist units. The Communists decided to deploy their 13th Column to threaten the Nationalists in Qingdao
so that they could not reinforce Nationalists elsewhere, and to concentrate units from their 7th Column, 9th Column, Bohai
Column, and units from the Communist central Shandong and Bohai military districts to launch an offensive in the regions of Zhou’s Village and Zhang’s Hotel to dislodge the Nationalists.
Order of battle
Defenders: Nationalist order of battle
:
Attackers: Communist order of battle:
westward, they fell into the trap set up by the waiting enemy and the entire Nationalist garrison was annihilated. The next morning, the Nationalists abandoned their positions outside the town of Zhou’s Village, but were caught up by the approaching Communist 9th Column, who immediately launched a surprise attack on the retreating Nationalists. Taking advantage of the chaos, the Communists successfully penetrated into the town, and after an eighteen-hour-long fierce street fight, most of the Nationalist Reorganized 32nd Division was destroyed, with over 15,000 casualties, and the town fell. The consecutive losses of two major battles completely demoralized the rest of the local Nationalist garrisons, who abandoned their positions around the two towns in a domino effect. Capitalizing on this advantage, the Communist 7th Column took Zichuan
and Zouping (邹平), annihilating the Nationalist garrisons and their reinforcements in the process. Meanwhile, the Communist Bohai Column and units from the Communist central Shandong and Bohai Military Districts (Communist bases) also badly mauled their Nationalist opponents in a series of smaller battles that followed, and the campaign concluded on March 21, 1948, by which time the Communists had successfully linked up two previously separated and isolated bases.
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...
in 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...
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. The outcome was a Communist victory. This campaign is also called the Campaign at the Western Section of the Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
–Jinan
Jinan
Jinan is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub...
Railway (胶济路西段战役).
Prelude
In the beginning of 1948, the Nationalists in Shandong were forced to adopt a new defensive posture to strengthen the defense of the Tianjin-Pukou Railway. In February, 1948, the Nationalist Reorganized 12th DivisionDivision (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...
guarding the western section of the Qingdao–Jinan Railway was redeployed to Yanzhou (兖州), and its original task was reassigned to the Nationalist Reorganized 32nd Division and other Nationalist units. The Communists decided to deploy their 13th Column to threaten the Nationalists in Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
so that they could not reinforce Nationalists elsewhere, and to concentrate units from their 7th Column, 9th Column, Bohai
Bohai Sea
Bohai Sea , also known as Bohai Gulf, Bohai, or Bo Hai, is the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea on the coast of Northeastern and North China. It is approximately 78,000 km2 Bohai Sea , also known as Bohai Gulf, Bohai, or Bo Hai, is the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea on the coast of...
Column, and units from the Communist central Shandong and Bohai military districts to launch an offensive in the regions of Zhou’s Village and Zhang’s Hotel to dislodge the Nationalists.
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...
Defenders: 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...
:
- Army-sized Reorganized 12th Division
- Army-sized Reorganized 32nd Division
- Other units
Attackers: Communist order of battle:
- Units from the 7th Column
- Units from the 9th Column
- Units from the Bohai Column
- Units from the Bohai Military District
- Units from the central Shandong Military District
Campaign
Units of the Communist 7th Column and 9th Column secretly marched westward from Ye (掖) County, and by March 8, 1948, they had regrouped in Guangrao (广饶). On March 11, 1948, under the cover of heavy rain, the Communist 7th Column suddenly besieged the town of Zhang’s Hotel before dawn. As the defenders attempted to break outBreakout (military)
A breakout is a military operation to end a situation of encirclement or siege. It is used in contexts such as: "The British breakout attempt from Normandy"....
westward, they fell into the trap set up by the waiting enemy and the entire Nationalist garrison was annihilated. The next morning, the Nationalists abandoned their positions outside the town of Zhou’s Village, but were caught up by the approaching Communist 9th Column, who immediately launched a surprise attack on the retreating Nationalists. Taking advantage of the chaos, the Communists successfully penetrated into the town, and after an eighteen-hour-long fierce street fight, most of the Nationalist Reorganized 32nd Division was destroyed, with over 15,000 casualties, and the town fell. The consecutive losses of two major battles completely demoralized the rest of the local Nationalist garrisons, who abandoned their positions around the two towns in a domino effect. Capitalizing on this advantage, the Communist 7th Column took Zichuan
Zichuan District
The Zichuan District is one of eight divisions within the city of Zibo in the Chinese province of Shandong. As the largest district of Zibo, it is composed of a central urban zone of over 23 square kilometers...
and Zouping (邹平), annihilating the Nationalist garrisons and their reinforcements in the process. Meanwhile, the Communist Bohai Column and units from the Communist central Shandong and Bohai Military Districts (Communist bases) also badly mauled their Nationalist opponents in a series of smaller battles that followed, and the campaign concluded on March 21, 1948, by which time the Communists had successfully linked up two previously separated and isolated bases.
Outcome
The Nationalists lost over 38,000 troops in this defeat, and the important Qingdao–Jinan railway transportation and communication line was severed. Additionally, fourteen cities and towns had fallen into Communist hands, and the Communists were able to combine their two separate bases in central Shandong and the coastal region into a single larger one.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...