Battle of Jinzhou

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 Liaoshen Campaign in the Chinese Civil War. The battle was a turning point in the campaign, which eventually led to capture of Northeast China by the Communist Party.

Battle of Jinzhou
Part of the Liaoshen Campaign of the Chinese Civil War

People's Liberation Army launches final assault on Jinzhou
DateOctober 7 – 15, 1948
Location
Jinzhou, Liaoning
41.0957°N 121.1258°E / 41.0957; 121.1258
Result Communist victory
Belligerents
National Revolutionary Army

People's Liberation Army

Commanders and leaders
Fan Hanjie (POW) Lin Biao
Luo Ronghuan
Liu Yalou
Strength
~150,000 250,000
Casualties and losses
20,000 deaths, 80,000 captured 24,000

Background

Jinzhou is a key strategic point where the main route from central China through Shanhai Pass enters Manchuria. The fall of Jinzhou to the Communists would allow the Communist to drive 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 the city

To attack Jinzhou, it was necessary for the PLA to clear away the Nationalist positions in the outskirts of Jinzhou. Between October 8 to October 13, the Communists captured all the Nationalist strongholds outside Jinzhou, which set up the final assault on October 14. In the meantime, in the Battle of Tashan nine PLA divisions defeated eleven NRA divisions attempting to reinforce Jinzhou.

Final assault

The PLA massed 900 artillery pieces, and launched the final assault on Jinzhou on October 14, 1948. The entire defensive line of Jinzhou was broken through soon after. Nationalist resistance ended the next day on October 15.

References

Citations
  1. Mao Zedong Military Anthology, Page 480-482

Bibliography
  • Lary, Diana (2015). China's Civil War: A Social History, 1945-1949. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107294417.
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