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Battle of Tianquan

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1950 battle
Battle of Tianquan
Part of Chinese Civil War
DateFebruary 14–20, 1950
LocationTianquan County, Sichuan, China
Result Communist victory
Belligerents
 Republic of China  People's Republic of China
Commanders and leaders
Taiwan Cheng Zhiwu
Taiwan Li Yuanheng
Unknown
Strength
3,000+ including bandits 100
Casualties and losses
300+ killed
Over 100 captured
Minor
Campaigns of the Chinese Civil War
First Phase (1927–1937)
Resumption of hostilities (1945–1949)
Aftermath

The Battle of Tianquan was fought between the communists and the nationalists during the Chinese Civil War in the post World War II era and resulted in communist victory. It is also called "The Battle to Defend Tianquan" (Tianquan Baoweizhan, 天全保卫战) by the communists.

Order of Battle

  • Nationalists (3,000+)
    • Southwestern (China) Anticommunist National Salvation Army
    • Local bandits
  • Communists (100+)
    • A company of the 555th Regiment

On February 14, 1950, Cheng Zhiwu (程志武) the nationalist commander of the Southwestern (China) National Revolutionary Army Region negotiated with local bandits headed by Li Yuanheng (李元亨) to ally with him in an assault on the town of Tianquan County (天全) in Xikang (present-day Sichuan). The Nationalist forces expected an easy victory as the town was guarded by a single communist company of the 555th Regiment. The National Revolutionary Army besieged the town on the same day, severing all communications. The garrison was eventually overwhelmed by the Nationalist forces.

On February 15, 1950, over a hundred National Revolutionary Army successfully penetrated into the town via the Western Pass (Xi Guan, 西关) under cover of heavy fire. The People's Liberation Army managed to outflank and rout the attackers. This demoralized the National Revolutionary Arm] who were forced into a stalemate. However, the situation facing the People's Liberation Army defenders was one of short supply and low morale. The final assault which occurred on the February 20, 1950, with over a hundred National Revolutionary Army soldiers successfully taking over a bunker in the Tianquan. The defending company of the 555th Regiment then counterattacked and besieged the bunker. The successful dynamiting of the bunker by the People's Liberation Army resulted in a military rout for the National Revolutionary Army. The Cheng Zhiwu was unable to stop his fleeing troops, forcing a complete withdraw. Given the opportunity, the People's Liberation Army counterattacked, inflicting further casualties on the and taking over a hundred prisoners.

The[National Revolutionary Army's failure was due to the reliance on poorly trained bandits. The bandits themselves were poorly organised and unwilling to fight. The few dedicated anticommunists under Cheng Zhiwu were not able to change the tide of the battle.

See also

References

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Chinese Civil War
Principal belligerents and campaigns
Nationalist Party / Taiwan National Government ( National Revolutionary Army) Taiwan Constitutional ROC Government (ROC Armed Forces) Taiwan Republic of China on Taiwan

Communist Party / Soviet Republic ( Red Army) Liberated Area ( 8th Route Army, New Fourth Army, etc. People's Liberation Army)  People's Republic of China

Pre-1945Post-1945
1923 Sun–Joffe Manifesto
1924 First United Front
1926 Canton Coup
1927–1949 Chinese Communist Revolution
1927 Nanking incident
Shanghai Commune
Shanghai massacre
Nanjing–Wuhan split
715 Incident
Little Long March
Nanchang uprising
Autumn Harvest Uprising
Guangzhou Uprising
1930–1934 Encirclement campaigns
1931–1934 Chinese Soviet Republic
1933–1934 Fujian People's Government
1934–1936 Long March
1936 Xi'an Incident
1937–1946 Second United Front (Wartime perception of the Chinese Communists)
1941 New Fourth Army incident
1944 Dixie Mission
1945 Chongqing Negotiations
Double Tenth Agreement
Retrocession of Taiwan
1946 Jiaochangkou Incident
Peiping rape case
1945–1947 Marshall Mission
1945–1949 Operation Beleaguer
1947 Yu Zisan Incident
1948 SS Kiangya incident
Liaoshen campaign
1948–1949 Huaihai campaign
Pingjin campaign
1949 Taiping Steamer Incident
Yangtze River Crossing campaign
Amethyst Incident
ROC Government retreat to Taiwan
PRC incorporation of Xinjiang
1949–1953 Bombing of Shanghai
1950 Hainan Island campaign
Wanshan Archipelago Campaign
1950–1958 Kuomintang Islamic insurgency
1961–1972 Project National Glory

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