Battle of Jinzhou

Battle of Jinzhou
Part of the Chinese Civil War
People's Liberation Army launches final strike on Jinzhou
Date October 7 - October 15, 1948 Location Jinzhou and proximity Result Fall of Jinzhou for the Nationalist Government
Belligerents
National Revolutionary Army	People's Liberation Army Northeast Field Army
Commanders
Fan Hanjie	Lin Biao Luo Ronghuan Liu Yalou
Strength
~150,000	250,000
Casualties and losses
20,000 deaths, 80,000 captured	24,000

Battle of Jinzhou (simplified Chinese: 锦州之战; traditional Chinese: 錦州之戰; pinyin: Jînzhou Zhīzhàn) was a battle between the People's Liberation Army and the National Revolutionary Army during the Chinese Civil War. Being one of the most decisive battle during the war in Northeast, it was literally an epitome of the Liaoshen Campaign.

Background

Jinzhou is a major juncture of Shanhai Pass, and its geographical position made it a key strategic point. The fall of Jinzhou to the opposition would allow the communist opposition to drive deep into the North China Plain. Mao Zedong addressed the importance of capturing Jinzhou in a telegram to the Communist commanders in the Northeast, saying that the key to the success of the entire Liaoshen Campaign is "to strive to capture Jinzhou in one week". ^[1]

Outside of the city

To strike the Jinzhou city, it was necessary for the People's Liberation Army to clear away the Nationalist positions in the outskirts of Jinzhou. Between October 8 to October 13, the Communist captured all the Nationalist stronghold outside of Jinzhou, which sets up the final assault on October 14. In the meantime, a total of nine communist divisions had successfully defeated the nationalist reinforcement totaling eleven divisions from reinforcing Jinzhou after six days of fierce fighting in the Battle of Tashan, thus sealing the fate of the defenders of the city.

Main article: Battle of Tashan

Final assault

The People's Liberation Army gather up 900 cannons, and launched the final assault on Jinzhou on October 14, 1948. Entire defensive line of Jinzhou was breakthrough shortly after. The Nationalist's resistance ended the next day on October 15.

References

• Huang, Youlan, History of the Chinese People's Liberation War, 1st Edition, Archives Publishing House in Beijing, 1992, ISBN 7800193381
• 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)
• 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
• 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
• 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 (Volume 5)
• 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)
• Zhang, Ping, History of the Liberation War, 1st Edition, Chinese Youth Publishing House in Beijing, 1987, ISBN 750060081X (pbk.)
• Zhu, Zongzhen and Wang, Chaoguang, Liberation War History, 1st Edition, Social Scientific Literary Publishing House in Beijing, 2000, ISBN 7801492072 (set)

Notes

See also

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