Zhoucun-Zhangdian Campaign

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Zhoucun-Zhangdian Campaign
Part of the Chinese Civil War
Date March 11, 1948 - March 21, 1948
Location Shandong, China
Result Communist victory
Combatants
Flag of the National Revolutionary Army
National Revolutionary Army
PLA
Chinese Red Army
Commanders
Flag of the National Revolutionary Army ? PLA Xu Shiyou 许世友
PLA Tan Zhenlin 谭震林
Strength
40,000 45,000
Casualties
38,000  ?

Zhoucun-Zhangdian Campaign (周张战役), short for the Campaign of Zhou’s Village (Zhou Cun, 周村) and Zhang’s Hotel (Zhang Dian, 张店) consisted of two major battles and a series smaller battles followed was fought between the communists and the nationalists in Shandong during the Chinese Civil War in the post-World War II era, and resulted in communist victory. The campaign is also called the Campaign at the Western Section of the QingdaoJinan Railway (胶济路西段战役).

Contents

[edit] Prelude

In the beginning of 1948, the nationalists in Shandong were forced to adopt new defensive posture to strengthen the defense of the Tianjin-Pukou Railway. In February, 1948, the nationalist army-sized Reorganized 12th Division guarding the western section of the QingdaoJinan Railway was redeployed to Yanzhou (兖州), and its original task was reassigned to the nationalist army-sized Reorganized 32nd Division and other nationalist units. The communists decided to deploy their 13th Column to threaten the nationalists in Qingdao so that they could not reinforce nationalists elsewhere, and concentrate units from their 7th Column, 9th Column, Bohai Column, and units from the communist central Shandong and Bohai military districts to launch an offensive in the regions of Zhou’s Village (Zhou Cun, 周村) and Zhang’s Hotel (Zhang Dian, 张店) to dislodge the nationalists.

[edit] Order of battle

Defenders: nationalist order of battle:

  • Army-sized Reorganized 12th Division
  • Army-sized Reorganized 32nd Division
  • Other units

Attackers: communist order of battle:

  • Units from the 7th Column
  • Units from the 9th Column
  • Units from the Bohai Column
  • Units from the Bohai Military District
  • Units from the central Shandong Military District

[edit] Campaign

Units of the communist 7th Column and 9th Column secretly marched westward from Ye (掖) County, and by March 8, 1948, they had regrouped in Guangrao (广饶). On March 11, 1948, under the cover of heavy rain, the communist 7th Column suddenly besieged the town of Zhang’s Hotel (Zhang Dian, 张店) before dawn, as the defenders attempted to breakout westward, they fell into the trap set up by the waiting enemy and the entire nationalist garrison was annihilated. The next morning, nationalists abandoned their positions outside the town of Zhou’s Village (Zhou Cun, 周村), but was caught up by the approaching communist 9th Column, which launched their surprise attack on the retreating nationalist immediately. Taking advantage of the chaos, the enemy successfully penetrated into the town and after an eighteen hour long fierce street fights, majority of the nationalist Reorganized 32nd Division was annihilated with over 15,000 casualties, and the town fell. The two consecutive losses of two major battles completely demoralized the rest of the nationalist local garrisons, which abandoned their positions around the two towns in a domino effect. Capitalizing on this advantage, the communist 7th Column took Zichuan and Zouping (邹平), annihilating the nationalist garrison and reinforcement in the process. Meanwhile, communist Bohai Column and units from communist central Shandong and Bohai Military Districts (communist bases) also badly mauled their nationalist opponents in a series smaller battles followed, and the campaign concluded on March 21, 1948 when the enemy had successfully linked up two previously separated and isolated communist bases.

[edit] Outcome

The nationalists lost over 38,000 troops in this defeat and the important QingdaoJinan railway transportation / communication line was severed. Additionally, fourteen cities and towns had fallen into the enemy hands, and the enemy was able to combine the previously two separate communist base in central Shandong and in coastal region into a single one with larger size.

[edit] See also