Huai-Hai campaign

Huai-Hai campaign (China) A decisive campaign in the Chinese Civil War, fought in the valley of the River Huai in the Shandong and Jiangsu provinces, November 1948–January 1949. In September 1948 Chen Yi had swept south and captured Jinan (Chinan) with its garrison of 80,000 Nationalist troops under General Tu Li-ming, who then withdrew to defend the railway town of Xuzhou (Hsuchow). A series of engagements followed. Chen defeated Huang Po-tao around the railway town of Nianzhuang (6–22 November), and advanced towards Xuzhou, which fell on 1 December. The decisive battle against Tu followed from 6 December to 6 January 1949 around Yungchung. Chen won and captured 327,000 Nationalist prisoners, including Tu. In a separate move, the Communist general Liu Bocheng moved against the Nationalist forces in their stronghold of Ch'inglungchi to the north-east. It fell on 22 January, leaving the way open for an advance on Nanjing (Nanking) and Shanghai, which fell in the spring. The Chinese Communists had conquered China, much sooner than even they had anticipated. Nationalist losses in this campaign amounted to over half a million.