The Huaihai Campaign was a large-scale strategic offensive campaign against the Kuomintang army carried out by the Central Plains Field Army, the East China Field Army, as well as other military region troops and local armed forces during the Liberation War, in a vast area centered on Xuzhou from November 6, 1948 to January 10 of the following year. In this campaign, the Kuomintang Army completely annihilated 1 "suppression general" advance headquarters, 5 corps, and 1 "appeasement" area, totaling 56 divisions and more than 550,000 people.
1. Background of the campaign.
Before the Huaihai Campaign, the Central Plains Field Army and the East China Field Army had already fought a series of battles and eliminated a large number of Kuomintang troops. At the same time, the situation in the liberated areas has also undergone major changes, and major victories have been won in the battlefields of North China and East China. In order to further expand the results of the war, the CCP decided to conduct a large-scale campaign in the Huaihai region.
Second, the course of the campaign.
1.Xuzhou offensive.
The first stage of the Huaihai Campaign was the Xuzhou Offensive. Xuzhou was an important strategic stronghold of the Kuomintang in the Central Plains, and the Central Plains Field Army and the East China Field Army carried out many offensive operations around Xuzhou, gradually narrowing the encirclement.
2.The main force of the Shounian Corps and the Huang Baitao Corps in the encirclement and annihilation area.
The second stage of the Huaihai Campaign was the encirclement and annihilation of the main force of the Shounian Corps and the Huang Baitao Corps. In the battle to encircle and annihilate the main force of the Shounian Corps in the district, our army adopted the tactics of dividing and encircling and annihilating them one by one, and divided the Shounian Corps into several sections and encircled and annihilated them separately. At the same time, our army also adopted the tactics of sending reinforcements to block the reinforcements of the Kuomintang army.
In the battle to encircle and annihilate Huang Baitao's corps, our army adopted the tactics of long-distance attack and surprise, quickly surrounded Huang Baitao's corps, and annihilated it in the movement.
3.Encircled and annihilated Du Yuming's group.
The third stage of the Huaihai Campaign was the encirclement and annihilation of Du Yuming's group. Du Yuming's group is the elite unit of the Kuomintang in the Huaihai region and has strong combat effectiveness. Our army adopted the tactics of dividing and encircling and annihilating one by one, dividing Du Yuming's group into several sections and encircling and annihilating them separately. At the same time, our army also adopted the tactics of sending reinforcements to block the reinforcements of the Kuomintang army.
In the battle to encircle and annihilate Du Yuming's group, our army also used the method of tunnel operation, excavated a large number of tunnels and tunnels, and formed underground passages and hidden positions, which provided a strong guarantee for the victory of the battle.
3. The significance of the campaign.
The Huaihai Campaign was a large-scale strategic offensive campaign carried out by the Central Plains Field Army, the East China Field Army, and other military region troops and local armed forces against the Kuomintang army in a vast area centered on Xuzhou during the War of Liberation. In this campaign, more than 550,000 people in 56 divisions of the Kuomintang Army were annihilated, and a vast part of the area north of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River was liberated, laying the foundation for the liberation of the whole of China. At the same time, the Huaihai Campaign was also the largest, most intense, largest and most far-reaching battle in the War of Liberation.