The Yellow River in China is prone to flooding, due to the broad expanse of largely flat land around it. The 1887 Yellow River floods devastated the area, killing between 900,000-2,000,000 people. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded.
For centuries, the farmers living near the Yellow River had built to contain the rising waters, caused by silt accumulation on the riverbed. In 1887, this rising riverbed, coupled with days of heavy rain, overcame the dikes, causing a massive flood.
The waters of the Yellow River are generally thought to have broken through the dikes in Huayankou, near the city of Zhengzhou in Henan province. Owing to the low-lying plains near the area, the flood spread very quickly throughout Northern China, covering an estimate 50,000 square miles, swamping agricultural settlements and commercial centers. After the flood, two million were left homeless. The resulting pandemic and lack of basic essentials claimed as many lives as those lost directly by the flood itself. It was one of the worst floods in history, though the later 1931 Yellow River flood may have killed as many as two million.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Second Encirclement Campaign against Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet
The Second Encirclement Campaign against Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet was a campaign launched by the Chinese Nationalist Government that was intended to destroy Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet and its Chinese Red Army in the local region. It was responded by the Communists’ Second Counter- at Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet , also called by the communists as the Second Counter- at Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Revolutionary Base , in which the local Chinese Red Army successfully defended their soviet republic in the border region of Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi provinces against the attacks from February 1935 to April 18, 1935.
Order of battle
*Nationalist
**115th Brigade
**2nd Garrison Brigade
**3rd Garrison Brigade
**local security forces
*Communists
**26th Army of Chinese Red Army
After the defeat in the First Encirclement Campaign against Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet, the immediately regrouped and launched their Second Encirclement Campaign against Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet in the hope of not letting their communist enemy to have enough time to rest, regroup and recover from the previous . The nationalists deployed the veteran unit of the First Encirclement Campaign against Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet, the 2nd Garrison Brigade as the force to chase the enemy main force, while the nationalist 115th Brigade and Garrison Regiment stationed at Blue Field , Shanyang , and Merchant County regions were also mobilized to attack the town of Gepai .
The campaign begun in mid February, 1935 when nationalist attack on town of Gepai . The 25th Army of Chinese Red Army was no match for their nationalist adversary which enjoyed both the numerical and technical superiorities, and decided to withdraw to the region of Yunxi in the south. While on their retreat, the communists took the towns of Ningshan and Foping , completely annihilating the security forces defending the towns in the process. On March 8, 1935, communist forces took Huayang Town. The nationalist 2nd Garrison Brigade followed closely behind, reaching the region to the east of Huayang Town in the same time, but two day later on March 10, 1935, it was ambushed in the region of Stone Pagoda Temple by the communists to the southeast of Huayang Town, with five battalions completely annihilated by the enemy. The communists managed to kill over six hundred nationalist troops and captured over five hundred guns, while the nationalist 2nd Garrison Brigade was forced out of action after suffering the disastrous defeat.
In late March, 1935, communist 25th Army returned to the region between Blue Field and the town of Gepai in the east, and although the nationalist 3rd Garrison Brigade at Zuoshui and Zheng’an could not stop their communist adversary, it did manage to follow closely in an attempt to catch up. However, on April 9, 1935, the nationalist 3rd Garrison Brigade was ambushed by the communists in the region of Nine Houses to the south of the town of Gepai , with two regiments completely annihilated by the enemy. The communists captured more than a thousand nationalist troops, including the brigade commander of the nationalist 3rd Garrison Brigade, and riding on their victory, the communists took the town of Luonan on April 18, 1935.
With more than three fifth of their force deployed in Second Encirclement Campaign against Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet out of action after continuous defeat, the nationalists were forced to call off the , which resulted in communist victory. Taking advantage of their victory, the communist further solidified their position in the Five Star , Shanyang , Zhenzuo , Yunxi , and Luonan counties, boosting their regular force to 3,700 and also established a 2,000 member strong guerrilla forces by the beginning of May, 1935. This second nationalist defeat in the resulted in no more further large scale nationalist operations against communist base of Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet centered around the region of Can Family’s Plot and the town of Gepai and the communists victory ensured that the nationalist would not launch anymore major offensives thus providing the valuable times for communists to rest, recover and regroup from Long March.
Order of battle
*Nationalist
**115th Brigade
**2nd Garrison Brigade
**3rd Garrison Brigade
**local security forces
*Communists
**26th Army of Chinese Red Army
After the defeat in the First Encirclement Campaign against Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet, the immediately regrouped and launched their Second Encirclement Campaign against Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet in the hope of not letting their communist enemy to have enough time to rest, regroup and recover from the previous . The nationalists deployed the veteran unit of the First Encirclement Campaign against Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet, the 2nd Garrison Brigade as the force to chase the enemy main force, while the nationalist 115th Brigade and Garrison Regiment stationed at Blue Field , Shanyang , and Merchant County regions were also mobilized to attack the town of Gepai .
The campaign begun in mid February, 1935 when nationalist attack on town of Gepai . The 25th Army of Chinese Red Army was no match for their nationalist adversary which enjoyed both the numerical and technical superiorities, and decided to withdraw to the region of Yunxi in the south. While on their retreat, the communists took the towns of Ningshan and Foping , completely annihilating the security forces defending the towns in the process. On March 8, 1935, communist forces took Huayang Town. The nationalist 2nd Garrison Brigade followed closely behind, reaching the region to the east of Huayang Town in the same time, but two day later on March 10, 1935, it was ambushed in the region of Stone Pagoda Temple by the communists to the southeast of Huayang Town, with five battalions completely annihilated by the enemy. The communists managed to kill over six hundred nationalist troops and captured over five hundred guns, while the nationalist 2nd Garrison Brigade was forced out of action after suffering the disastrous defeat.
In late March, 1935, communist 25th Army returned to the region between Blue Field and the town of Gepai in the east, and although the nationalist 3rd Garrison Brigade at Zuoshui and Zheng’an could not stop their communist adversary, it did manage to follow closely in an attempt to catch up. However, on April 9, 1935, the nationalist 3rd Garrison Brigade was ambushed by the communists in the region of Nine Houses to the south of the town of Gepai , with two regiments completely annihilated by the enemy. The communists captured more than a thousand nationalist troops, including the brigade commander of the nationalist 3rd Garrison Brigade, and riding on their victory, the communists took the town of Luonan on April 18, 1935.
With more than three fifth of their force deployed in Second Encirclement Campaign against Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet out of action after continuous defeat, the nationalists were forced to call off the , which resulted in communist victory. Taking advantage of their victory, the communist further solidified their position in the Five Star , Shanyang , Zhenzuo , Yunxi , and Luonan counties, boosting their regular force to 3,700 and also established a 2,000 member strong guerrilla forces by the beginning of May, 1935. This second nationalist defeat in the resulted in no more further large scale nationalist operations against communist base of Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet centered around the region of Can Family’s Plot and the town of Gepai and the communists victory ensured that the nationalist would not launch anymore major offensives thus providing the valuable times for communists to rest, recover and regroup from Long March.
Operation Ichi-Go
Operation Ichi-Go was a campaign of a series of major battles between the Imperial Japanese Army forces and the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China, fought from April to December 1944. It consisted of three separate battles in the Chinese provinces of Henan, Hunan and Guangxi, which were the Japanese Operation Kogo or Battle of Central Henan, Operation Togo 1 or the Battle of Changheng, and Operation Togo 2 and Togo 3 or the Battle of Guilin-Liuzhou respectively. The two primary goals of Ichi-go were to open a land route to French Indochina, and capture air bases in southeast China from which American bombers were attacking the Japanese homeland and shipping.
In the operation was called ''Tairiku Datsū Sakusen'' while the Chinese refer to it as the ''Battle of Henan-Hunan-Guangxi'' . The words Ichi-Go directly translate to "Number One".
There were two phases to the operation. In the first phase, the Japanese secured the Pinghan Railway between Beijing and Wuhan; in the second, they eliminate the US air forces stationed in Hunan province and reached the city of Liuzhou, near the border with Japanese-held Indochina. 17 divisions, including 400,000 men, 12,000 vehicles and 70,000 horses participated in this operation.
In the , 390,000 Chinese soldiers, led by General Tang Enbo , were deployed to defend the strategic position of Luoyang. The 3rd Tank Division of the IJA crossed the Yellow River around Zhengzhou in late April and defeated Chinese forces near Xuchang, then swung around clockwise and besieged Luoyang. Luoyang was defended by three Chinese divisions. The 3rd Tank Division began to attack Luoyang on May 13 and took it on May 25.
The second phase of Ichigo began in May, following the success of the first phase. Japanese forces advanced southward and occupied Changsha, Hengyang, Guilin and Liuzhou. In December 1944, Japanese forces reached French Indochina and achieved the purpose of the operation. Nevertheless, there were few practical gains from this offensive. US air forces moved inland from the threatened bases near the coast. The U.S. Fourteenth Air Force often disrupted the continuous railway between Beijing and Liuzhou that had been established in Operation Ichigo. Japan continued to attack airfields where US air forces stationed up to the spring of 1945.
The XX Bomber Command operating Strategic B-29 bombers of the Twentieth Air Force, which were attacking the Japan in Operation Matterhorn, were forced to move as well, but although this affected their efficiency for a short time, in early 1945 the Twentieth Air Force moved to newly established bases in the Marianas under the command of the newly established . This nullified the limited protection that the Japanese home islands had received from Operation Ichigo.
The failure to hold onto the coastal airfields led to a loss of confidence in the American General Joseph Stilwell by Chiang Kai-Shek and Stilwell was recalled to the United States in October 1944 by . He was replaced as Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-Shek and commander of the U.S. Forces, China Theater by Major General Albert Wedemeyer. His other command responsibilities in the were divided up and allocated to other officers.
A highly different interpretation of events was that General Joseph Stilwell, pressing for a more full engagement of Chinese forces, had made diplomatic inroads with the Chinese Communist Red Army commanded by Mao Zedong. He had gotten them to agree to follow an American commander. Because of the displeasure of Chiang Kai-Shek of being bypassed by the American general, he had Stilwell recalled to the United States. ''New York Times'' reporter Brooks Atkinson wrote at the time: The decision to relieve General Stilwell represents the political triumph of a moribund, anti-democratic regime that is more concerned with maintaining its political supremacy than in driving the Japanese out of China. America is now committed... to support a regime that has become increasingly unpopular and mistrusted in China, that maintains three secret police services and concentration camps for political prisoners, that stifles free speech and resists democratic forces... The Chinese Communists... have good armies that are now fighting guerrilla warfare against the Japanese in North China... The regards these armies as the chief threat to his supremacy... has made no sincere attempt to arrange at least a truce with them for the duration of the war... No diplomatic genius could have overcome the Generalissimo's basic unwillingness to risk his armies in battle with the Japanese....
But the ''Time Magazine'' article in which Atkinson was quoted went on to analyze the true failure of Stilwell's aims by stating that: The Chinese, exhausted by seven years of almost singlehanded war against Japan, were reluctant to give General Stilwell the troops he wanted for the Burma offensive; the Japs might suddenly crack down on them in earnest. When the Japs began the drive that last week seemed on the verge of cutting China in two, Chiang Kai-shek's Government might well have felt that its go-slow policy was justified..."
This devastating loss coupled with the negative public opinion in the U.S. that followed caused the U.S. to lose confidence in the Chinese troops' ability to fight the Japanese, and subsequently the China-Burma-India Theatre lost its priority. Instead the U.S. focussed all its resources on the Island-hopping offensive in the Pacific.
''Mountain Road'', by Theodore White, Time Magazine correspondent in China at the time, deals with a group of American soldiers retreating before this Japanese offensive.
In the operation was called ''Tairiku Datsū Sakusen'' while the Chinese refer to it as the ''Battle of Henan-Hunan-Guangxi'' . The words Ichi-Go directly translate to "Number One".
Course of the campaign
There were two phases to the operation. In the first phase, the Japanese secured the Pinghan Railway between Beijing and Wuhan; in the second, they eliminate the US air forces stationed in Hunan province and reached the city of Liuzhou, near the border with Japanese-held Indochina. 17 divisions, including 400,000 men, 12,000 vehicles and 70,000 horses participated in this operation.
In the , 390,000 Chinese soldiers, led by General Tang Enbo , were deployed to defend the strategic position of Luoyang. The 3rd Tank Division of the IJA crossed the Yellow River around Zhengzhou in late April and defeated Chinese forces near Xuchang, then swung around clockwise and besieged Luoyang. Luoyang was defended by three Chinese divisions. The 3rd Tank Division began to attack Luoyang on May 13 and took it on May 25.
The second phase of Ichigo began in May, following the success of the first phase. Japanese forces advanced southward and occupied Changsha, Hengyang, Guilin and Liuzhou. In December 1944, Japanese forces reached French Indochina and achieved the purpose of the operation. Nevertheless, there were few practical gains from this offensive. US air forces moved inland from the threatened bases near the coast. The U.S. Fourteenth Air Force often disrupted the continuous railway between Beijing and Liuzhou that had been established in Operation Ichigo. Japan continued to attack airfields where US air forces stationed up to the spring of 1945.
The XX Bomber Command operating Strategic B-29 bombers of the Twentieth Air Force, which were attacking the Japan in Operation Matterhorn, were forced to move as well, but although this affected their efficiency for a short time, in early 1945 the Twentieth Air Force moved to newly established bases in the Marianas under the command of the newly established . This nullified the limited protection that the Japanese home islands had received from Operation Ichigo.
Aftermath
The failure to hold onto the coastal airfields led to a loss of confidence in the American General Joseph Stilwell by Chiang Kai-Shek and Stilwell was recalled to the United States in October 1944 by . He was replaced as Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-Shek and commander of the U.S. Forces, China Theater by Major General Albert Wedemeyer. His other command responsibilities in the were divided up and allocated to other officers.
A highly different interpretation of events was that General Joseph Stilwell, pressing for a more full engagement of Chinese forces, had made diplomatic inroads with the Chinese Communist Red Army commanded by Mao Zedong. He had gotten them to agree to follow an American commander. Because of the displeasure of Chiang Kai-Shek of being bypassed by the American general, he had Stilwell recalled to the United States. ''New York Times'' reporter Brooks Atkinson wrote at the time: The decision to relieve General Stilwell represents the political triumph of a moribund, anti-democratic regime that is more concerned with maintaining its political supremacy than in driving the Japanese out of China. America is now committed... to support a regime that has become increasingly unpopular and mistrusted in China, that maintains three secret police services and concentration camps for political prisoners, that stifles free speech and resists democratic forces... The Chinese Communists... have good armies that are now fighting guerrilla warfare against the Japanese in North China... The regards these armies as the chief threat to his supremacy... has made no sincere attempt to arrange at least a truce with them for the duration of the war... No diplomatic genius could have overcome the Generalissimo's basic unwillingness to risk his armies in battle with the Japanese....
But the ''Time Magazine'' article in which Atkinson was quoted went on to analyze the true failure of Stilwell's aims by stating that: The Chinese, exhausted by seven years of almost singlehanded war against Japan, were reluctant to give General Stilwell the troops he wanted for the Burma offensive; the Japs might suddenly crack down on them in earnest. When the Japs began the drive that last week seemed on the verge of cutting China in two, Chiang Kai-shek's Government might well have felt that its go-slow policy was justified..."
This devastating loss coupled with the negative public opinion in the U.S. that followed caused the U.S. to lose confidence in the Chinese troops' ability to fight the Japanese, and subsequently the China-Burma-India Theatre lost its priority. Instead the U.S. focussed all its resources on the Island-hopping offensive in the Pacific.
''Mountain Road'', by Theodore White, Time Magazine correspondent in China at the time, deals with a group of American soldiers retreating before this Japanese offensive.
First Encirclement Campaign against Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet
The First Encirclement Campaign against Hubei-Henan-Sichuan Soviet was a campaign launched by the Chinese Nationalist Government that was intended to destroy Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet and its Chinese Red Army in the local region. It was responded by the Communists’ First Counter- at Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Soviet , also called by the communists as the First Counter- against Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Revolutionary Base , in which the local Chinese Red Army successfully defended their soviet republic in the border region of Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi provinces against the attacks from January 1935 to February 5, 1935.
Order of battle:
*s: :
**116th Brigade
**126th Brigade
**2nd Garrison Brigade
*s: :
**25th Army
In late January, 1935, nationalist 126th Brigade and the 2nd Garrison Brigade occupied regions to the east and to the south of Zhen’an County as they begun their 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 by marching northward from the border region of Shanyang and Yunxi . The communist force subsequently moved to the region of Phoenix Mouth , suddenly appearing directly behind the enemy line.
On January 31, 1935, the town of Zuoshui 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 , 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 Town to rest and regroup.
On February 5, 1935, the nationalist commander-in-chief of the encirclement campaign, Liu Yanbiao , the commander of the nationalist 116th Brigade, personally led the 251st Regiment and 248th Regiment of the nationalist 116th Brigade to attack Gepai 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 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.
Order of battle:
*s: :
**116th Brigade
**126th Brigade
**2nd Garrison Brigade
*s: :
**25th Army
In late January, 1935, nationalist 126th Brigade and the 2nd Garrison Brigade occupied regions to the east and to the south of Zhen’an County as they begun their 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 by marching northward from the border region of Shanyang and Yunxi . The communist force subsequently moved to the region of Phoenix Mouth , suddenly appearing directly behind the enemy line.
On January 31, 1935, the town of Zuoshui 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 , 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 Town to rest and regroup.
On February 5, 1935, the nationalist commander-in-chief of the encirclement campaign, Liu Yanbiao , the commander of the nationalist 116th Brigade, personally led the 251st Regiment and 248th Regiment of the nationalist 116th Brigade to attack Gepai 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 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.
Campaign at the Eastern Foothills of Funiu Mountain
Campaign at the Eastern Foothills of Funiu Mountain was a series of battles fought between the s and the communists during the Chinese Civil War after World War II for the control of western Hubei, and the border areas of Hubei, Henan and Shaanxi provinces. The campaign resulted in the communist victory.
In mid October 1947, the s had gathered forces included the V Corps centered at Luoyang at the east, and the Reorganized 1st and the Reorganized 36th at Tongguan County at the west for the preparation to reopen the Longhai railway transportation / communication line by first surrounding and then annihilating the communist force lead by commander Chen Geng and political commissar Xie Fuzhi. On October 20, 1947, the communist high command ordered Chen Geng and Xie Fuzhi to split their force into three: one part would remain along the railroad to distract the enemy, and the other would strike southern Shaanxi. The third part, the main force, should cross the railroad to push southward, and would strike regions included Nanzhao , Wuyang , and Square City in western Hubei to establish new bases. To carry out this strategy, Chen Geng and Xie Fuzhi decided to launch the Campaign at the Eastern Foothills of Funiu Mountain.
Both sides were equally matched in terms of numbers, but the s enjoyed significant technical advantage in terms of weaponry.
* order of battle: 9 s total
**The Reorganized 1st
**The Reorganized 3rd
**The Reorganized 10th
**The Reorganized 15th
**The 20th
**The Reorganized 36th
**The Reorganized 41st
**The 206th
**Local security brigades and regiments
*Communist order of battle: 9 s total
**The 4th Column
**The 9th Column
**The 38th Army
The campaign started on October 29, 1947 with the communist 55th of the 38th Army deployed along the Longhai Railroad to tie down the forces, and the rest units of the communist 38th Army and the 12th Brigade of the communist 4th Column struck toward southern Shaanxi. The rest units of the communist 4th Column and the communist 9th Column struck the controlled regions in multiple fronts. From November 1, 1947 thru November 4, 1947, Linru , Jia County, Dengfeng , Lushan , and Baofeng fell into the communist hands. The Reorganized 15th guarding these regions suffered greatly in the process, with more than 2,500 killed in the battle of Jia County alone on November 4, 1947. The s were forced to redeploy by dispatching the Reorganized 3rd and the 20th toward Baofeng and Jia County, the 124th Brigade of the Reorganized 41st toward Linru , and the 125th Brigade of the Reorganized 41st toward Xiang City in hope of luring the communists out to fight a decisive battle. However, the enemy would not take the bait and instead, took advantage of the redeployment by striking regions where defense was weakened by the redeployment.
On November 3, 1947, the communist 27th Brigade of the 9th Column besieged the town of Nanzhao , and launched the assault on the town at 1:00 AM on November 4, 1947. The strongest fortification at the Eastern Pass was blown up and attacking enemy subsequently penetrated into the town and annihilated most of the garrison consisted of two battalions. As the survivors attempted to flee via the western gate, they were ambushed by the waiting enemy and the entire 500 strong garrison was thus completely wiped out. After taking the town, the communists opened up the food depot and treasury to distribute food and money to the local populace, most of which was in severe poverty, and thus completely won over the local popular support. On November 5, 1947, the 75th Regiment of the 25th Brigade of the communist 9th Column reached the outskirt of the Square City . Although the s had built many fortifications both inside and outside the town, the local commander Wang Jingxiu was well aware that his four-regiments strong security brigade was not a match for the enemy, and in order to avoid annihilation, the garrison wisely abandoned the town without a fight, thus successfully retreated before the enemy besieged the town. After entering the town, the communist force with strict discipline discredited the negative propaganda about the communists and consequently, the local popular support drastically switched to the communist side.
The initial communist success was totally unexpected by the s, who was completely shocked by the rapid territorial expansion of the enemy. Chiang Kai-shek immediately ordered the of the 5th Corps Li Tiejun to personally lead the Reorganized 3rd and the 20th totaling seven brigades to pursuit the communists for the subsequent elimination. The communists held a conference in the town of Nanzhao on November 8, 1947 and decided not to engage the technically superior adversary. Instead, the s would be lured into the Funiu Mountains and tricked into dispersing themselves into smaller fragments first, and then when the situation allowed, the communists would annihilate these small fragments one by one. While some communist units would fake as the main force to lure the s into the mountains, the actual main force would take advantage of the overstretched defense by establishing new communist bases in the remote and rural regions.
The communist 13th Brigade of the 4th Column and the 25th Brigade of the 9th Column under the political commissar Huang Zhen and the deputy Huang Xiyou of the communist 9th Column had successfully tricked the s in believing that they were the main communist force by faking as a much larger force on their attack toward Zhenping , Internal Township and Western Gorge Entrance regions. The s were tricked to deploy the 3rd Reorganized and the 125th Brigade of the 41st to pursuit the fake enemy main force, and after wasting more than half a month at Summer Hotel and regions, the force not only failed to annihilate the enemy, but was also incapable of stopping the enemy from cutting the communication / transportation line between and Jingzi Pass . The enemy had planned to lure the s into the Funiu Mountains and then annihilate them in ambushes when the opportunity presented itself, but due to the lack of supplies, the s was forced to withdraw and thus escaped unscratched. The enemy did, however, successfully establish two new bases in the regions: the sixth military district by the communist 39th Regiment of the 13th Brigade in the region of Li Qing’s Hotel of Nanzhao county, under the command of the deputy commander of the communist 13th Brigade, Li Xifu , and the seventh military district by the communist 33rd Regiment of the 11th Brigade under the command of the political commissar of the 11th Brigade, Hu Rungui . Meanwhile, the main force of the communist 9th Column and the 22nd Brigade of the communist 4th Column threatened Luoyang by penetrating into the vicinity of the city, forcing the 206th to be redeployed to strengthen the defensive of the city. The 10th Brigade and the 11th Brigade of the communist 4th Column penetrated into regions of Wuyang , Square City , and Miyang , forcing the Reorganized 10th and the 124th Brigade of the Reorganized 41st to be redeployed to east of Beijing-Hankou railroad.
In order to take the initiative by luring the s to overstretch themselves, the newly taken towns of Square City and Nanzhao were intentionally abandoned by the communists, and the s subsequently fell for the trick by ordering Song Kezun , the of the sixth regional security command of Henan to reenter the Nanzhao as the new mayor of the town and the commander the local garrison. The former garrison of the Square City , meanwhile, was ordered back to the town under Wang Jingxiu , the commander. On November 1, 1947, the communist 10th Brigade of the 4th Column in the eastern foothills of the Funiu Mountain launched a surprise attack on Square City , and the defenders abandoned the town and fled, and the town fell into the enemy hands for the second time. On November 13, 1947, the fleeing s were caught up by the 31st Regiment of the 11th Brigade of the communist 4th Column at Temple, and were thus badly mauled by the pursuing enemy. The commander Wang Jingxiu learned that the 20th was moving toward Square City , so he ordered his surviving troops to move toward the town in an attempt to link up with his comrades-in-arms. Little did the s know that their enemy was waiting to ambush them.
On November 21, 1947, the communist 10th Brigade of the 4th Column suddenly struck the town of Nanzhao , and the garrison consisted on a security regiment and two companies was overwhelmed. After losing three companies, including more than 50 killed and over 270 captured alive by the attacking enemy, the surviving s were forced to abandon the town and flee, and thus town of Nanzhao had fallen into the enemy hands for the second time, and this time for good. On November 22, 1947, as the commander Wang Jingxiu ’s surviving Self Defense of the Square City reached Eight Mile Intersection , King Yu’s Village , and Eastern Qi Village regions south of Square City , it was ambushed by the communist 31st Regiment of the 11th Brigade of the 4th Column. Only 100 or so under the command of the commander of the force Bai Guixuan was lucky enough to escape, while all of the rest were annihilated by the waiting enemy. The s suffered 740 fatalities and another 400+ were captured alive by the enemy, including the deputy commander Ma Lianfu , who was able to successfully escape later during a forced march. After his escape, Ma Lianfu immediately went to Kaifeng to ask the provincial chairman Liu Maoen for help, but instead, he was executed on the spot for his failure as Liu Maoen ordered him to be shot in front of other commanders. On the other front, the communist 38th Army established a new base in the regions of Merchant County , Luonan and Merchant Southern , while the communist 12th Brigade established another new base in the regions of Mountain Sun , Yun Xi , Zhen’an , Upper Pass .
On November 23, 1947, the 133rd Brigade of the 20th under the al commander Yang Gancai begun its push toward Square City from Independent tree Town, but the progress was slow due to the stubborn resistance from the 10th Brigade and the 11th Brigade of the communist 4th Column at Yueyang Village , Zan Village , and Northern New Street regions. On November 24, 1947, the 134th Brigade of the 20th also begun its push toward Square City from Nanyang, Henan, and after some setback at Pengyao regions due to enemy resistance, managed to link up with the 133rd Brigade of the 20th in the region to east of Square City . The enemy gave up the town without a fight in attempt to lure the s into the mountain for an ambush but the s refused to be baited and would not venture out of the protection of the city wall. Realizing the isolated was in danger being besieged by the enemy and thus suffering possible annihilation, the s wisely decided to abandon Square City on November 25, 1947, and retreated toward Wuyang , and the campaign concluded with Square City fell into the enemy hands for a third time, and this time for good.
The s suffered more than 12,000 fatalities in their defeat, and a total of eighteen cities and towns had fallen into the enemy hands. In addition, the enemy had successfully turned the guerilla base in the Funiu Mountain into a new communist base, furthermore, the enemy was successful in establishing several brand new communist bases and thus further threatened the reign in the North China Plain. The communist success was mainly due to the correct strategy of first luring the technically superior opponent into dispersing its forces into many smaller fragments, and then to concentrate overwhelmingly numerically superior force in one battle on a single fragmented force for annihilation, and eventually, accumulate many small victories into large ones. The result of the communist strategy was that a total of eighteen towns and cities fell into the communist hands, and the communists had established themselves firmly in the border areas of Henan, Hubei and Shaanxi provinces.
Prelude
In mid October 1947, the s had gathered forces included the V Corps centered at Luoyang at the east, and the Reorganized 1st and the Reorganized 36th at Tongguan County at the west for the preparation to reopen the Longhai railway transportation / communication line by first surrounding and then annihilating the communist force lead by commander Chen Geng and political commissar Xie Fuzhi. On October 20, 1947, the communist high command ordered Chen Geng and Xie Fuzhi to split their force into three: one part would remain along the railroad to distract the enemy, and the other would strike southern Shaanxi. The third part, the main force, should cross the railroad to push southward, and would strike regions included Nanzhao , Wuyang , and Square City in western Hubei to establish new bases. To carry out this strategy, Chen Geng and Xie Fuzhi decided to launch the Campaign at the Eastern Foothills of Funiu Mountain.
Order of battle
Both sides were equally matched in terms of numbers, but the s enjoyed significant technical advantage in terms of weaponry.
* order of battle: 9 s total
**The Reorganized 1st
**The Reorganized 3rd
**The Reorganized 10th
**The Reorganized 15th
**The 20th
**The Reorganized 36th
**The Reorganized 41st
**The 206th
**Local security brigades and regiments
*Communist order of battle: 9 s total
**The 4th Column
**The 9th Column
**The 38th Army
First Stage
The campaign started on October 29, 1947 with the communist 55th of the 38th Army deployed along the Longhai Railroad to tie down the forces, and the rest units of the communist 38th Army and the 12th Brigade of the communist 4th Column struck toward southern Shaanxi. The rest units of the communist 4th Column and the communist 9th Column struck the controlled regions in multiple fronts. From November 1, 1947 thru November 4, 1947, Linru , Jia County, Dengfeng , Lushan , and Baofeng fell into the communist hands. The Reorganized 15th guarding these regions suffered greatly in the process, with more than 2,500 killed in the battle of Jia County alone on November 4, 1947. The s were forced to redeploy by dispatching the Reorganized 3rd and the 20th toward Baofeng and Jia County, the 124th Brigade of the Reorganized 41st toward Linru , and the 125th Brigade of the Reorganized 41st toward Xiang City in hope of luring the communists out to fight a decisive battle. However, the enemy would not take the bait and instead, took advantage of the redeployment by striking regions where defense was weakened by the redeployment.
On November 3, 1947, the communist 27th Brigade of the 9th Column besieged the town of Nanzhao , and launched the assault on the town at 1:00 AM on November 4, 1947. The strongest fortification at the Eastern Pass was blown up and attacking enemy subsequently penetrated into the town and annihilated most of the garrison consisted of two battalions. As the survivors attempted to flee via the western gate, they were ambushed by the waiting enemy and the entire 500 strong garrison was thus completely wiped out. After taking the town, the communists opened up the food depot and treasury to distribute food and money to the local populace, most of which was in severe poverty, and thus completely won over the local popular support. On November 5, 1947, the 75th Regiment of the 25th Brigade of the communist 9th Column reached the outskirt of the Square City . Although the s had built many fortifications both inside and outside the town, the local commander Wang Jingxiu was well aware that his four-regiments strong security brigade was not a match for the enemy, and in order to avoid annihilation, the garrison wisely abandoned the town without a fight, thus successfully retreated before the enemy besieged the town. After entering the town, the communist force with strict discipline discredited the negative propaganda about the communists and consequently, the local popular support drastically switched to the communist side.
The initial communist success was totally unexpected by the s, who was completely shocked by the rapid territorial expansion of the enemy. Chiang Kai-shek immediately ordered the of the 5th Corps Li Tiejun to personally lead the Reorganized 3rd and the 20th totaling seven brigades to pursuit the communists for the subsequent elimination. The communists held a conference in the town of Nanzhao on November 8, 1947 and decided not to engage the technically superior adversary. Instead, the s would be lured into the Funiu Mountains and tricked into dispersing themselves into smaller fragments first, and then when the situation allowed, the communists would annihilate these small fragments one by one. While some communist units would fake as the main force to lure the s into the mountains, the actual main force would take advantage of the overstretched defense by establishing new communist bases in the remote and rural regions.
Second Stage
The communist 13th Brigade of the 4th Column and the 25th Brigade of the 9th Column under the political commissar Huang Zhen and the deputy Huang Xiyou of the communist 9th Column had successfully tricked the s in believing that they were the main communist force by faking as a much larger force on their attack toward Zhenping , Internal Township and Western Gorge Entrance regions. The s were tricked to deploy the 3rd Reorganized and the 125th Brigade of the 41st to pursuit the fake enemy main force, and after wasting more than half a month at Summer Hotel and regions, the force not only failed to annihilate the enemy, but was also incapable of stopping the enemy from cutting the communication / transportation line between and Jingzi Pass . The enemy had planned to lure the s into the Funiu Mountains and then annihilate them in ambushes when the opportunity presented itself, but due to the lack of supplies, the s was forced to withdraw and thus escaped unscratched. The enemy did, however, successfully establish two new bases in the regions: the sixth military district by the communist 39th Regiment of the 13th Brigade in the region of Li Qing’s Hotel of Nanzhao county, under the command of the deputy commander of the communist 13th Brigade, Li Xifu , and the seventh military district by the communist 33rd Regiment of the 11th Brigade under the command of the political commissar of the 11th Brigade, Hu Rungui . Meanwhile, the main force of the communist 9th Column and the 22nd Brigade of the communist 4th Column threatened Luoyang by penetrating into the vicinity of the city, forcing the 206th to be redeployed to strengthen the defensive of the city. The 10th Brigade and the 11th Brigade of the communist 4th Column penetrated into regions of Wuyang , Square City , and Miyang , forcing the Reorganized 10th and the 124th Brigade of the Reorganized 41st to be redeployed to east of Beijing-Hankou railroad.
In order to take the initiative by luring the s to overstretch themselves, the newly taken towns of Square City and Nanzhao were intentionally abandoned by the communists, and the s subsequently fell for the trick by ordering Song Kezun , the of the sixth regional security command of Henan to reenter the Nanzhao as the new mayor of the town and the commander the local garrison. The former garrison of the Square City , meanwhile, was ordered back to the town under Wang Jingxiu , the commander. On November 1, 1947, the communist 10th Brigade of the 4th Column in the eastern foothills of the Funiu Mountain launched a surprise attack on Square City , and the defenders abandoned the town and fled, and the town fell into the enemy hands for the second time. On November 13, 1947, the fleeing s were caught up by the 31st Regiment of the 11th Brigade of the communist 4th Column at Temple, and were thus badly mauled by the pursuing enemy. The commander Wang Jingxiu learned that the 20th was moving toward Square City , so he ordered his surviving troops to move toward the town in an attempt to link up with his comrades-in-arms. Little did the s know that their enemy was waiting to ambush them.
On November 21, 1947, the communist 10th Brigade of the 4th Column suddenly struck the town of Nanzhao , and the garrison consisted on a security regiment and two companies was overwhelmed. After losing three companies, including more than 50 killed and over 270 captured alive by the attacking enemy, the surviving s were forced to abandon the town and flee, and thus town of Nanzhao had fallen into the enemy hands for the second time, and this time for good. On November 22, 1947, as the commander Wang Jingxiu ’s surviving Self Defense of the Square City reached Eight Mile Intersection , King Yu’s Village , and Eastern Qi Village regions south of Square City , it was ambushed by the communist 31st Regiment of the 11th Brigade of the 4th Column. Only 100 or so under the command of the commander of the force Bai Guixuan was lucky enough to escape, while all of the rest were annihilated by the waiting enemy. The s suffered 740 fatalities and another 400+ were captured alive by the enemy, including the deputy commander Ma Lianfu , who was able to successfully escape later during a forced march. After his escape, Ma Lianfu immediately went to Kaifeng to ask the provincial chairman Liu Maoen for help, but instead, he was executed on the spot for his failure as Liu Maoen ordered him to be shot in front of other commanders. On the other front, the communist 38th Army established a new base in the regions of Merchant County , Luonan and Merchant Southern , while the communist 12th Brigade established another new base in the regions of Mountain Sun , Yun Xi , Zhen’an , Upper Pass .
On November 23, 1947, the 133rd Brigade of the 20th under the al commander Yang Gancai begun its push toward Square City from Independent tree Town, but the progress was slow due to the stubborn resistance from the 10th Brigade and the 11th Brigade of the communist 4th Column at Yueyang Village , Zan Village , and Northern New Street regions. On November 24, 1947, the 134th Brigade of the 20th also begun its push toward Square City from Nanyang, Henan, and after some setback at Pengyao regions due to enemy resistance, managed to link up with the 133rd Brigade of the 20th in the region to east of Square City . The enemy gave up the town without a fight in attempt to lure the s into the mountain for an ambush but the s refused to be baited and would not venture out of the protection of the city wall. Realizing the isolated was in danger being besieged by the enemy and thus suffering possible annihilation, the s wisely decided to abandon Square City on November 25, 1947, and retreated toward Wuyang , and the campaign concluded with Square City fell into the enemy hands for a third time, and this time for good.
Outcome
The s suffered more than 12,000 fatalities in their defeat, and a total of eighteen cities and towns had fallen into the enemy hands. In addition, the enemy had successfully turned the guerilla base in the Funiu Mountain into a new communist base, furthermore, the enemy was successful in establishing several brand new communist bases and thus further threatened the reign in the North China Plain. The communist success was mainly due to the correct strategy of first luring the technically superior opponent into dispersing its forces into many smaller fragments, and then to concentrate overwhelmingly numerically superior force in one battle on a single fragmented force for annihilation, and eventually, accumulate many small victories into large ones. The result of the communist strategy was that a total of eighteen towns and cities fell into the communist hands, and the communists had established themselves firmly in the border areas of Henan, Hubei and Shaanxi provinces.
Battle of Yique
Battle of Yique 293 BC, levied by King Zhaoxiang of Qin against the alliance of and at Yique , commanded by general Bai Qi. With half of the alliance force, Bai Qi's army took the alliance's strongholds one by one. The battle ended with the capture of the alliance general Gongsun Xi ，240,000 casualties on the alliance side and the capture of 5 Han and Wei cities including Yique. After the battle, Han and Wei were forced to trade their land to ensure further peace.
Battle of Yinji
The battle of Yinji was a battle fought at the Yin Village of Wuyang County in southern Henan, and it was a clash between the communists and the former s turned Japanese puppet regime force who rejoined the s after World War II. The battle was one of the Chinese Civil War in the immediate post World War II era, and resulted in victory.
Like other similar clashes immediately after the end of World War II between the communists and the s in China, this conflict also rooted from the fact that Chiang Kai-shek had realized that his regime simply had neither the sufficient troops nor enough transportation assets to deploy his troops into the Japanese-occupied regions of China. Unwilling to let the communists who had already dominated most of the rural regions in China to further expand their territories by accepting the Japanese surrender and thus would consequently control the Japanese occupied regions, Chiang Kai-shek ordered the Japanese and their turncoat Chinese puppet regime not to surrender to the communists and kept their fighting capabilities to “maintain order” in the Japanese occupied regions, fighting off the communists as necessary, until the final arrivals and completion of the deployment of the troops. As a result, most members of the Japanese puppet regimes and their military forces rejoined the s.
However, it must be noted that most of these former s turned Japanese puppet regime forces were not from Chiang Kai-shek’s own clique, but instead, they were mainly consisted of troops of who were only nominally under the Chiang Kai-shek’s before World War II, since they were s in name only and mostly maintained their independent and semi-independent status. These were only interested in keeping their own power and defected to the Japanese side when Japanese invaders offered to let them keep their power in exchange for their collaborations. After the World War II, these forces of former Japanese puppet regimes once again returned to the camp for the same reason they defected to the Japanese invaders. Obviously, it was difficult for Chiang to immediately get rid of these warlords for good as soon as they surrendered to Chiang and rejoined s, because such move would alienate other factions within the ranks, and these former Japanese puppet regime's warlords could still help the s to gain more territories by holding on to what was under their control until Chiang completed the deployment of his own troops to takeover. Chiang Kai-shek’s objective was to simultaneously solve the problem that had plagued China for so long and the problem of the extermination of communism together, which proved to be an extremely fatal mistake for him and his regime later on, as shown in this conflict.
In accordance with his strategy to simultaneously solve the problem that had plagued China for so long and the problem of the extermination of communism together, Chiang Kai-shek and his followers had hoped that these former Japanese puppet regime's warlords who rejoined the s would be able to hold on to the regions long enough for Chiang to deploy his own troops by holding off communists. If the communists were victorious in such conflicts, however, the result would still benefit to Chiang and China because the power of these warlords would be reduced as their military forces were smashed by the communists, and the warlord problem plagued China for so long could thus be greatly reduced, while at the same time, communists would be weakened by the fights and Chiang's own troops would have easier time to take control.
For the former turned Japanese puppet regime forces, these s and their troops had no problem of following Chiang Kai-shek’s orders, and they were eager to prove themselves. These s and their troops were well aware that due to the collaboration with the Japanese invaders during the Second Sino-Japanese War, they were well hated by the general population in China, including those s who refused to surrender to the enemy and fought the enemy until the eventual victory. Therefore, in the impending demilitarization after World War II, they were certainly be disarmed and discharged, which would probably be the best outcome and the power of these would be reduced or even completely eliminated as a result. Chiang Kai-shek’s ordering them not surrendering to the communists and fighting off the communists was a savior for them because by carrying out such orders, these s and their troops could legitimize themselves and thus retain their power by fighting the communists who were targeted as rebels by Chiang Kai-shek and his regime.
The communist strategy was much simpler than that of the s because there was not any huge division within the communist rank like that of the . The communists already earned considerable popular support by being the only Chinese force left in the region fighting the Japanese invaders and their puppet regime after the withdrew, and after successfully establishing communist bases in the rural regions where better life was provided to the general populace in comparison to that of Japanese occupied regions, the general Chinese populace agreed that the communists were well deserved to represent the China to accept the invaders’ surrender in the region and takeover the regions occupied by the invaders.
On August 26, 1945, the 13th Brigade of the 5th Division of the communist New Fourth Army decided to take Yin Village of Wuyang County in southern Henan by force after the local defenders consisted of former s turned Japanese puppet regime force who rejoined the s after World War II refused to surrender. The 38th Regiment, 2 battalions of 39th Regiment, and 4 companies of the 4th Marching-on Regiment of the 13th Brigade of the 5th Division of the communist New Fourth Army attacked the village from both the east and the west. The communist 38th Regiment first annihilated a regiment of defenders at the outskirt of the village while at night, the two battalions of the communist 39th Regiment annihilated another regiment of defenders at Cypress Village Camp . After losing two regiments and all of strongholds outside the village, the remaining defenders lost the will to fight and escaped to Wuyang on August 27, 1945. The communists managed to capture more than 800 defenders alive and over 300 guns in their victory.
Like other similar clashes immediately after the end of World War II between the communists and the s in China, this conflict also showed that Chiang Kai-shek’s attempt to simultaneously solve the problem that had plagued China for so long and the problem of the extermination of communism together proved to be a fatal mistake. Although the result of the campaign turned out exactly like Chiang Kai-shek and his subordinates had predicted, and consequently the power of the in this region was indeed reduced as their military forces were smashed by the communists, so that the problem plagued China for so long was thus reduced for this particular region, and Chiang Kai-shek’s secondary objective was achieved here, any positive gains obtained by the nationalists were negated by the politic fallout. The reason was that this success of achieving the secondary objective came at a huge cost in nationalists’ loss of popular support in this region formerly dominated by the Japanese, because the local population had already blamed nationalilsts for losing the regions to the Japanese invaders, while reassigning these former Japanese puppet regime forces as the nationalist forces to fight the communists, the only Chinese force left in the regions, only further alienated the local populace and strengthened the popular resentment to Chiang Kai-shek and his nationalist government.
Prelude
Like other similar clashes immediately after the end of World War II between the communists and the s in China, this conflict also rooted from the fact that Chiang Kai-shek had realized that his regime simply had neither the sufficient troops nor enough transportation assets to deploy his troops into the Japanese-occupied regions of China. Unwilling to let the communists who had already dominated most of the rural regions in China to further expand their territories by accepting the Japanese surrender and thus would consequently control the Japanese occupied regions, Chiang Kai-shek ordered the Japanese and their turncoat Chinese puppet regime not to surrender to the communists and kept their fighting capabilities to “maintain order” in the Japanese occupied regions, fighting off the communists as necessary, until the final arrivals and completion of the deployment of the troops. As a result, most members of the Japanese puppet regimes and their military forces rejoined the s.
However, it must be noted that most of these former s turned Japanese puppet regime forces were not from Chiang Kai-shek’s own clique, but instead, they were mainly consisted of troops of who were only nominally under the Chiang Kai-shek’s before World War II, since they were s in name only and mostly maintained their independent and semi-independent status. These were only interested in keeping their own power and defected to the Japanese side when Japanese invaders offered to let them keep their power in exchange for their collaborations. After the World War II, these forces of former Japanese puppet regimes once again returned to the camp for the same reason they defected to the Japanese invaders. Obviously, it was difficult for Chiang to immediately get rid of these warlords for good as soon as they surrendered to Chiang and rejoined s, because such move would alienate other factions within the ranks, and these former Japanese puppet regime's warlords could still help the s to gain more territories by holding on to what was under their control until Chiang completed the deployment of his own troops to takeover. Chiang Kai-shek’s objective was to simultaneously solve the problem that had plagued China for so long and the problem of the extermination of communism together, which proved to be an extremely fatal mistake for him and his regime later on, as shown in this conflict.
Strategy
In accordance with his strategy to simultaneously solve the problem that had plagued China for so long and the problem of the extermination of communism together, Chiang Kai-shek and his followers had hoped that these former Japanese puppet regime's warlords who rejoined the s would be able to hold on to the regions long enough for Chiang to deploy his own troops by holding off communists. If the communists were victorious in such conflicts, however, the result would still benefit to Chiang and China because the power of these warlords would be reduced as their military forces were smashed by the communists, and the warlord problem plagued China for so long could thus be greatly reduced, while at the same time, communists would be weakened by the fights and Chiang's own troops would have easier time to take control.
For the former turned Japanese puppet regime forces, these s and their troops had no problem of following Chiang Kai-shek’s orders, and they were eager to prove themselves. These s and their troops were well aware that due to the collaboration with the Japanese invaders during the Second Sino-Japanese War, they were well hated by the general population in China, including those s who refused to surrender to the enemy and fought the enemy until the eventual victory. Therefore, in the impending demilitarization after World War II, they were certainly be disarmed and discharged, which would probably be the best outcome and the power of these would be reduced or even completely eliminated as a result. Chiang Kai-shek’s ordering them not surrendering to the communists and fighting off the communists was a savior for them because by carrying out such orders, these s and their troops could legitimize themselves and thus retain their power by fighting the communists who were targeted as rebels by Chiang Kai-shek and his regime.
Communist Strategy
The communist strategy was much simpler than that of the s because there was not any huge division within the communist rank like that of the . The communists already earned considerable popular support by being the only Chinese force left in the region fighting the Japanese invaders and their puppet regime after the withdrew, and after successfully establishing communist bases in the rural regions where better life was provided to the general populace in comparison to that of Japanese occupied regions, the general Chinese populace agreed that the communists were well deserved to represent the China to accept the invaders’ surrender in the region and takeover the regions occupied by the invaders.
Battle
On August 26, 1945, the 13th Brigade of the 5th Division of the communist New Fourth Army decided to take Yin Village of Wuyang County in southern Henan by force after the local defenders consisted of former s turned Japanese puppet regime force who rejoined the s after World War II refused to surrender. The 38th Regiment, 2 battalions of 39th Regiment, and 4 companies of the 4th Marching-on Regiment of the 13th Brigade of the 5th Division of the communist New Fourth Army attacked the village from both the east and the west. The communist 38th Regiment first annihilated a regiment of defenders at the outskirt of the village while at night, the two battalions of the communist 39th Regiment annihilated another regiment of defenders at Cypress Village Camp . After losing two regiments and all of strongholds outside the village, the remaining defenders lost the will to fight and escaped to Wuyang on August 27, 1945. The communists managed to capture more than 800 defenders alive and over 300 guns in their victory.
Outcome
Like other similar clashes immediately after the end of World War II between the communists and the s in China, this conflict also showed that Chiang Kai-shek’s attempt to simultaneously solve the problem that had plagued China for so long and the problem of the extermination of communism together proved to be a fatal mistake. Although the result of the campaign turned out exactly like Chiang Kai-shek and his subordinates had predicted, and consequently the power of the in this region was indeed reduced as their military forces were smashed by the communists, so that the problem plagued China for so long was thus reduced for this particular region, and Chiang Kai-shek’s secondary objective was achieved here, any positive gains obtained by the nationalists were negated by the politic fallout. The reason was that this success of achieving the secondary objective came at a huge cost in nationalists’ loss of popular support in this region formerly dominated by the Japanese, because the local population had already blamed nationalilsts for losing the regions to the Japanese invaders, while reassigning these former Japanese puppet regime forces as the nationalist forces to fight the communists, the only Chinese force left in the regions, only further alienated the local populace and strengthened the popular resentment to Chiang Kai-shek and his nationalist government.
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