Shuangduiji Campaign

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Shuangduiji Campaign
partof=the Chinese Civil War
place=Anhui, China
date=November 22, 1948 - December 15, 1948
result=Communist victory
combatant1=
combatant2=
commander1=
commander2=
strength1= 120,000
strength2= 210,000+
casualties1= 46,000 killed
50,000 captured
5,500 defected
casualties2= 36,000 total|

Shuangduiji Campaign (双堆集战役) was a major campaign fought between the nationalists and the communists during the Chinese Civil War in the post-World War II era and resulted in communist victory. The campaign was part of Huaihai Campaign.

trategies

After Nianzhuangwei Campaign in which the nationalist Huang Baitao (黄百韬) Corps was completely annihilated, the communists were divided on deciding the next target. After fierce debate, it was finally decided on November 22, 1948 that the next target should be the nationalist Huang Wei (黄维) Corps commanded by Lieutenant General Huang Wei (黄维). A total of 7 columns (armies) of the communist Central China Field Army and 2 columns (armies) of the communist Eastern China Field Army would be tasked to annihilate the nationalist Huang Wei (黄维) Corps in the region to the south of Kuai (浍) River, while the main force of the communist Eastern China Field Army would be tasked to prevent any nationalist troops in Xuzhou and Bangbu (蚌埠) from reinforce the nationalist Huang Wei (黄维) Corps.

The nationalists, on the other hand, had much more solid objective of reestablish the communication / transportation line between Xuzhou and Bangbu (蚌埠) by eradicating the enemy force in the region. To achieve so, the nationalists would launch a pincer movement from both south and north, with Qiu Qingquan (邱清泉) Corps and Sun Yuanliang (孙元良) Corps in the north, and Li Yannian (李延年) Corps and Huang Wei (黄维) Corps in the south, with Huang Wei (黄维) Corps would be attacking toward Xiu (宿) County from Mengcheng.

Order of Battle

Nationalists
* Huang Wei (黄维) Corps commanded by Lieutenant General Huang Wei (黄维)
**10th Army
**14th Army
**18th Army
**85th ArmyCommunists
*Central China Field Army commanded by Liu Bocheng
**1st Column
**2nd Column
**3rd Column
**4th Column
**6th Column
**9th Column
**11th Column
*Eastern China Field Army commanded by Su Yu
**3rd Column
**7th Column
**13th Column
**Artillery units
*Independent Brigade of the Hubei – Anhui – Jiangsu Military District
*12th Brigade of the Southern Shaanxi Military District

Initial deployment

On November 23, 1948, the nationalist Huang Wei (黄维) Corps begun its attack on Nanping Village (Nanpingji, 南坪集) on the southern bank of Kuai (浍) River by deploying the 10th Army to the left, the 14th Army to the right, the 18th Army in the center and the 85th Army behind the 18th Army. The 4th Column of the communist Central China Field Army engaged the advancing nationalists, retreating gradually to lure the nationalists toward the communist trap by eventually abandoning Nanping Village (Nanpingji, 南坪集) in the evening of November 23, 1948. In the morning of November 24, 1948, the nationalist Huang Wei (黄维) Corps crossed Kuai (浍) River, and entered the trap communists had setup in the regions of Dongpine Village (Dongpingji, 东坪集), Ren Family’s Village (Renjiaji, 任家集), Seven Miles Bridge, (Qiliqiao, 七里桥), Red Mouth (Zhukou, 朱口). Realizing that his forces was trapped, Lieutenant General Huang Wei (黄维) ordered his troops to retreat southward, and planned to join another nationalist corps commanded by Lieutenant General Li Yannian (李延年) in Hu’s Ditch Village (Hugouji, 胡沟集) and Solid (Gu, 固) Town by traveling along the southern shore of Kuai (浍) River. Once the two nationalist corps had joined together, they would travel northward along the Tianjin-Pukou Railway.

At the dusk of November 24, 1948, the communists launched their full scale attack in three fronts. In the western front, the 3rd Column of the communist Central China Field Army attacked from Sunding Village (Sundingji, 孙町集), the 1st Column of the communist Central China Field Army attacked from Five Ditch Village (Wugouji, 五沟集), the 2nd Column of the communist Central China Field Army attacked from White Sand Village (Baishaji, 白沙集), and the 6th Column of the communist Central China Field Army attacked from Cao’s Market Village (Caoshiji, 曹市集). In the eastern front, the 11th Column of the communist Central China Field Army attacked from Jin County Village (Jinxianji, 靳县集). In the northern front, the 4th Column of the communist Central China Field Army attacked from the region of Wu Family’s Lake (Wujiahu, 伍家湖), and the 9th Column of the communist Central China Field Army attacked from the region of Shao’s House with Roof Tiles (Shaowafang, 邵瓦房). By the early morning of November 25, 1948, the nationalist Huang Wei (黄维) Corps was surrounded in a 7.5 km wide region centered at Shuangdui Village (Shuangduiji, 双堆集).

Breakout attempt

On November 26, 1948, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek gave the permission to breakout toward southeast before the enemy’s encirclement fully enclosed. Lieutenant General Huang Wei (黄维) ordered four divisions, the 11th Division and the 118th Division of the nationalist 18th Army, the 18th Division of the nationalist 10th Army and the 110th Division of the nationalist 85th Army, to attack the enemy position held by the communist 12th Brigade of the Southern Shaanxi Military District and the 6th Column of communist Central China Field Army. Despite supported by tanks and air cover, the nationalists were repeatedly beaten back by the stubborn enemy resistance.

The commander of the 110th Division of the nationalist 85th Army, Major General Liao Yunzhou (廖运周) suggested to Lieutenant General Huang Wei (黄维) that four divisions going together would create too big a target that was obvious for the enemy to converge on. Since the enemy had not mustered enough force to complete the encirclement and must deploy their force as mobile strike force, it would be unlikely for the enemy to bother to stop smaller nationalist force attempting to breakout. Therefore, the breakout attempt should be led by a single division instead so that the enemy would be fooled into believing such breakout was only attempted by a small unit as a decoy, and would not bother to waste their strength, saving their efforts to stop the perceived large scale breakout attempt. Once the single division had slipped through the opening, other units would follow, and when the enemy had finally realized the consecutive attempts of smaller nationalist forces were in fact, the breakdown of a larger attempt, hopefully it would be probably too late and most of the nationalists would have been succeeded in breaking out.

Facing with previous setbacks, Lieutenant General Huang Wei (黄维) felt that Major General Liao Yunzhou (廖运周)’s suggestion appeared to be worth a try and gave the go-ahead, and Major General Liao Yunzhou (廖运周) volunteered to lead his 110th Division of the nationalist 85th Army as the vanguard of such attempt. However, unbeknown to Lieutenant General Huang Wei (黄维), Major General Liao Yunzhou (廖运周) was actually a communist spy, and let his 110th Division of the nationalist 85th Army to defect to the communist side after the latter allowed his division to pass through safely. Witnessing what they believed to be the successful breakthrough, other nationalist divisions followed, but they were immediately ambushed by the waiting enemy and were forced to turn back.

Redeployment

After the failed attempt to breakout, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek ordered Lieutenant General Huang Wei (黄维) to hold his position and wait for reinforcement. Lieutenant General Huang Wei (黄维) made the following new plans to consolidate his positions: the nationalist 18th Army was deployed to guard the regions of Gudui (谷堆) and Jiangu (尖谷堆), the nationalist 85th Army was deployed in the west to guard the region from Waist Size (Yaozhouwei, 腰周围) to Li’s Village (Lizhuang, 李庄), the nationalist 14th Army was deployed in the east to guard the regions of Zhanweizi (张围子) and Yangsimazi (杨四麻子), and the nationalist 10th Army was deployed in the south to guard the region from Maweizi (马围子) to Yang’s Village (Yangzhuang, 杨庄) and Li Village (Lizhuang, 李庄). Lieutenant General Huang Wei (黄维)’s corps headquarter was setup in Little Horse Village (Xiaomazhuang, 小马庄) to the north of Shuangdui Village (Shuangduiji, 双堆集).

To counter the nationalist defense tactic that depended on bunkers and other fortifications, the communists adopted what themselves called “Bunkers to bunkers and trenches to trenches” tactic to breach the nationalist defense: the communists would built their own bunkers and trenches to protect themselves as they approach the nationalist positions and fight the defenders in close-quarter combats. By the early December, 1948, the nationalist defense sector was further shrunk, and with the exception of only seven or eight regiments that were still capable of fighting a mobile warfare, all other nationalist units were only capable of static defense.

The End

At 4:30 PM on December 6, 1948, the communist Central China Field Army launched its final assault on the besieged nationalists in three fronts: the eastern front was consisted of the 4th Column, the 9th Column, and the 11th Column of communist Central China Field Army, augmented by most of the artillery units of communist Eastern China Field Army and the Independent Brigade of communist Hubei – Anhui – Jiangsu Military District. The western front was consisted of the 1st Column and the 3rd Column of the communist Central China Field Army, augmented by the 13th Column and the remaining artillery units of communist Eastern China Field Army. The southern front was consisted of the 6th Column of communist Central China Field Army, augmented by the 7th Column communist Eastern China Field Army and the 12th Brigade of communist Southern Shaanxi Military District. The fighting was extremely brutal and bloody and communists were able to gradually gaining more ground.

By December 13, 1948, nationalist force under the command of Lieutenant General Huang Wei (黄维) only held a small area of 1.5 km across. Liu Bocheng and Chen Yi issued an ultimatum to Lieutenant General Huang Wei (黄维), ordering his immediate surrender, but Lieutenant General Huang Wei (黄维) refused and organized the last but futile attempt to breakout. The nationalists put a gallant fight which was not expected by their enemy, and as result, the communists had to reinforce their southern front by deploying additional troops of the 3rd Column and 13th Column of the communist Eastern China Field Army. However, the end was inevitable and luck was not on the nationalist side: as Lieutenant General Huang Wei (黄维) attempted to breakout, his tank broke down and he was captured alive by his communist enemy, and his corps was totally annihilated at the dusk on December 15, 1948.

Outcome

The communist victory of Shuangduiji Campaign (双堆集战役) further ensured their victory of Huaihai Campaign, and the victory at Shuangdui Village (Shuangduiji, 双堆集) resulted in killing more than 46,000 nationalists, and capturing over 50,000, including the nationalist Lieutenant General Huang Wei (黄维), the nationalist commander-in-chief of Huang Wei (黄维) Corps. A huge quantity of hardware was also captured by the communists, including 870 pieces of artillery, 15 tanks, and over 300 motor vehicles, and large amounts of munitions, all of which were immediately used against their former nationalist owners. The communists suffered 36,000 casualties, with the 4th Column of the Central China Field Army suffering the most casualties: 6,827 wounded and 1,853 killed.

The campaign had a very significant for the communists, particularly the communist Central China Field Army which faced absolute technical inferiority due to the lack of artillery and other heavy weapons, and the communist victory of Shuangduiji Campaign (双堆集战役) not only annihilated a significant portion of nationalist troops deployed in Huaihai Campaign, thus ensuring final victory, but also provided the communist Central China Field Army with much needed heavy weapons.

ee also

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

References

*Zhu, Zongzhen and Wang, Chaoguang, "Liberation War History", 1st Edition, Social Scientific Literary Publishing House in Beijing, 2000, ISBN 7801492072 (set)
*Zhang, Ping, "History of the Liberation War", 1st Edition, Chinese Youth Publishing House in Beijing, 1987, ISBN 750060081X (pbk.)
*Jie, Lifu, "Records of the Libration War: The Decisive Battle of Two Kinds of Fates", 1st Edition, Hebei People's Publishing House in Shijiazhuang, 1990, ISBN 7202007339 (set)
*Literary and Historical Research Committee of the Anhui Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, "Liberation War", 1st Edition, Anhui People's Publishing House in Hefei, 1987, ISBN 7212000078
*Li, Zuomin, "Heroic Division and Iron Horse: Records of the Liberation War", 1st Edition, Chinese Communist Party History Publishing House in Beijing, 2004, ISBN 7801990293
*Wang, Xingsheng, and Zhang, Jingshan, "Chinese Liberation War", 1st Edition, People's Liberation Army Literature and Art Publishing House in Beijing, 2001, ISBN 750331351X (set)
*Huang, Youlan, "History of the Chinese People's Liberation War", 1st Edition, Archives Publishing House in Beijing, 1992, ISBN 7800193381
*Liu Wusheng, "From Yan'an to Beijing: A Collection of Military Records and Research Publications of Important Campaigns in the Liberation War", 1st Edition, Central Literary Publishing House in Beijing, 1993, ISBN 7507300749
*Tang, Yilu and Bi, Jianzhong, "History of Chinese People's Liberation Army in Chinese Liberation War", 1st Edition, Military Scientific Publishing House in Beijing, 1993 – 1997, ISBN 7800217191 (Volum 1), 7800219615 (Volum 2), 7800219631 (Volum 3), 7801370937 (Volum 4), and 7801370953 (Volum 5)