Liaoshen Campaign

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Liaoshen Campaign
partof=the Chinese Civil War


caption=People's Liberation Army clearing the skirts of Shenyang.
date=12 September, 1948 - 12 November, 1948
place=Manchuria
result=Decisive Communist victory; fall of Manchuria for the Nationalist government
combatant1=
combatant2=flagicon|China|army People's Liberation Army Northeast Field Army
commander1=Wei Lihuang, Fan Hanjie
commander2=Lin Biao, Luo Ronghuan
strength1=550,000
strength2=700,000
casualties1=~472,000 (including non-combat losses)
casualties2=70,000

Liaoshen Campaign (zh-tsp|s=辽沈战役|t=遼瀋戰役|p=Líaoshên Zhànyì), literally the abbreviation of Liaoning-Shenyang Campaign, was part of the three major campaigns launched by the People's Liberation Army during the late stage of the Chinese Civil War. This engagement is known in the Nationalist government as the Battle of Liaoshi (Traditional Chinese: 遼西會戰). The campaign began on September 12, 1948, and ended in the same year on November 2, lasting 52 days. This campaign is the first of the three (The other two being Huaihai Campaign and Pingjin Campaign) campaigns that marked the end of nationalist dominance in northern China.

Background

By August 1948, after years of brief advances throughout the Chinese Northeast region, the Northeast Field Army of the People's Liberation Army had 13 armies columns of infantry, one artillery army, and 15 independent divisions as well as 3 cavalry divisions, approximately 54 divisions consisting of over 700,000 men. The communists also had approximately 300,000 troops in non Field Army formations. They also held control of 97% percent of the area in the Northeast and 86% of the population. The Nationalists on the other hand, had four armies consisting of 14 corps and 44 divisions. With the local security forces, they had over 550,000 men. However, they were cut apart in Shenyang, Changchun and Jinzhou, three major cities that are not geographically connected. Because the Beining Railway was controlled by the People's Liberation Army, the land routes through Shanhai Pass to Changchun and Shenyang were cut off completely. Supplies had to be airlifted to these two cities. The Northeast was the only place where the Communist had superior military strength over the Nationalists at the time. Therefore, the Chinese Communist Military Committee had chosen the Northeast as the place for the first decisive engagement between the two sides.

Objectives

Nationalists: To withdraw from Changchun and Shenyang, as the supply routes were cut off for these two cities, prevent the Communists from entering Shanhai Pass, stabilize the situation and launch counter-offensive on the Northeast region when the time was right.

Communists: Encircle the city first, then attack it. Cut off the line between Jinzhou and Tashan from the south, intercept the Beining Railway to seal the Nationalists force in the Northeast.

Course of campaign

The entire Liaoshen Campaign was divided into three stages:

First stage

On September 12 1948, People's Liberation Army Northeast Field Army marched south and began to attack along the Beining Railway. After capturing Changli, Tashan, the Nationalist's Beining supply route was successfully cut off. During the battle in Yixian, the commander of North Field Artillery Army Zhu Rei was killed in action when he stepped on a mine. Beginning in October 3, the Northeast Field Army gathered up 250,000 men to encircle Jinzhou. Chiang Kai-shek ordered the Nationalist defenders in Huludao and the army group in Shenyang led by Liao Yaoxiang to reinforce and rescue Jinzhou. However, Ho Jingru, the commander of 17th Army Group in Huludao, was dissatisfied with Chiang's constant interfering of command, and was afraid of being ambushed on the way; he refused to follow the order. Liao Yaoxiang in Shenyang was afraid of leaving fortified defensive positions and delayed the attack. After Chiang took command himself, the Nationalist forces in Huludao marched to Jinzhou, but was blocked by the People's Liberation Army in the area of Tashan, and was unable to advance further. The Northeast Field Army launched the final assault on Jinzhou On October 14, and occupied the city next evening, killed & captured 100,000 defenders including Fan Hanjie, the vice-commander of Nationalist force in the Northeast. The land route for the Nationalists to retreat to North China Plain was cut.

Meanwhile, the People's Liberation Army encircled Changchun. Zeng Zesheng, the vice commander of the nationalist forces defending Changchun was originally a subordinate of Zhang Xueliang, and like his fellow soldiers of the 60th Army, he was deeply dissatisfied with Chiang Kai-shek's treatment. Capitalizing on this opportunity, communists infiltrated Zeng's inner circle and convinced him to rebel against the nationalists and that was exactly what Zeng did after the pressure from the fall of Jinzhou. The remaining Nationalist units in the 1st Army Group consequently also gave up their arms. Zheng Dongguao, commander of the Nationalist forces in Changchun, surrendered as well along with 100,000 men on October 21.

econd stage

After the Nationalist forces were destroyed in Jinzhou and Changchun, the situation turned worse for the Nationalists in the Northeast. Liao Yaoxiang decided to abandon Shenyang, he attempted to lead the main force south to the seaport Yinkou, and return to North China Plain via the sea. However, they were unable to break through the defensive line of the People's Liberation Army around Heshan and Dahushan, and lost a considerable amount of time. Between October 20 to October 28, the People's Liberation Army launched the Battle of Liaoxi in the area east of Heshan, Dahushan, and west of Raoyanghe, and destroyed twelve Nationalist divisions, including the elite New 1st Army, totaling up to 100,000 men, and captured the commander, Liao Yaoxiang.

Final stage

Beginning in October 29, the People's Liberation Army encircled Shenyang from four sides, penetrated Yinkou with three columns and attacked the defending 52nd Army. On October 30, Wei Lihuang, the commander-in-chief of all Nationalist forces in the Northeast, left Shenyang via plane. He turned command over to Zhou Fucheng, the commander of the 8th Army Group. On November 1, the People's Liberation Army launched the final assault on the city of Shenyang, capturing the city the very next day. They annihilated 2 armies, totaling up to 134,000 men. Zhou Fucheng was also taken prisoner. Yinkou was captured the same day. The PLA killed 14,000 men from the defending 52nd Army. The remnants of the 52nd Army retreated to Huludao via sea. The Liaoshen Campaign was over.

After the fall of Shenyang, the Nationalists in the area of Jinxi and Huludao retreated back to the North China Plain via sea. The Communist force captured these two ports the next day, and the entire Northeast was now under the Communist control. Up to this point, the National Revolutionary Army lost four army groups, eleven armies and thirty-three divisions, approximately 472,000 men. Only the New 5th Army, 52nd Army and the 54th Army were able to retreat. The rest of the Nationalist forces in the Northeast were all destroyed. The balance of military power for the Nationalists and the Communists were reversed, and for the first time, the total strength for the Nationalists was less than that of the People's Liberation Army.

Review

"Reasons for Nationalist defeat"：

1. During the period of March to June, the Nationalists were unable to move their main force southwards to combine with the North China corp and make the balance of forces more favorable to them.

2. Inability of the different Nationalist forces to coordinate their attacks on the Communists.

3. Inability to break through the Communist defensive line, lack of will.

4. Chiang's constant interference with the command: Chiang personally approved his commanders' battle plans during meetings, but after the battles begun, Chiang often changed his mind and gave orders to the nationalist troops in the field down the division level directly, bypassing the chain of command. The uninformed nationalist commanders above the division level were rarely told about the changes by Chiang in time, and instead, they usually found out about the changes after their subordinates had already carried out Chiang's direct orders.

"Reasons for Communist victory"：

1. Initiative to seize strategic junctures, captured Jinzhou, and besieged the Nationalists in the Northeast to inflict their destruction.

2. Ability to make quick adjustments and destroy Nationalist forces that did not retreat in time.

3. Encircled the Nationalist defenders in Shenyang from multiple sides and swiftly destroyed them.

4. North China Communist forces successfully contained Nationalist forces in North China so they were unable to reinforce the Nationalists in the Northeast.

5. Effectively mobilized, long-term management.

ee also

*List of Battles of Chinese Civil War
*National Revolutionary Army
*History of the People's Liberation Army
*Chinese Civil War

References

* [http://www.yifan.net/yihe/novels/wars/xuehong/xuehong.html 《雪白血红》] 張正隆 解放軍出版社 1989年8月 ISBN 7-01-000381-5/ISBN 7-01-000413-7
*《辽沈战役概述》杜聿明, 文史资料选辑 第二十辑，1961年8月
*《东北战场与辽沈战役》韩先楚，《辽沈决战》人民出版社
*《第十二纵队在辽沈战役中》 袁升平，《辽沈决战》人民出版社
*《辽沈决战》（上、下）人民出版社 ISBN 7-01-000381-5/ISBN 7-01-000413-7

External links

* [http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_museum/2003-09/24/content_30594.htm Memorial of Liaoshen Campaign]