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The key battle of the Huaihai Campaign: the Battle of Cao Baji
The Battle of Cao Baji in the Huaihai Campaign was a key duel at the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1948. Located in the western part of Jiangsu Province, Cao Baji's geographical location is of great strategic value to both sides. The terrain of this area is complex, and it is surrounded by dense moats and rural areas, forming a natural defensive system. The small rivers and trenches surrounding the village of Cao Baji make any military operation necessary to be carefully planned, especially during the cold winter months, when the frozen ground and rivers pose additional challenges to the movement of chariots and infantry.
In the deep winter of 1948, Cao Baji's strategic location made it a focal point of contention between the PLA and the Kuomintang army. After receiving Su Yu's decision-making order, the 13th Column of the East China Field Army quickly mobilized the forces of the entire column and prepared for an all-out attack on Cao Baji. This order required them to capture Cao Baji at all costs, which meant that even in the face of great difficulties and sacrifices, the task must be completed.
The adjustment of the 13th Column's forces and strategic deployment began immediately, and all preparatory activities were carried out in an intense and orderly manner. They must cross a distance of a hundred miles, and this is not only a battle against the enemy, but also a race against time and distance.
In the face of Su Yu's order, the command of the 13th Column quickly formulated a detailed battle plan. They opted for night marches to reduce the likelihood of being detected by the enemy, but also to avoid the fatigue and risk of exposure that come with long day marches. The troops set off quietly under the cover of night, through the icy and biting wind and snow, and the soldiers walked with determination and speed, and despite the long and challenging journey, everyone knew the importance of the trip.
During the march, the troops of the 13th column had to face complex and changeable terrain. They first need to cross several wide canals, which is especially difficult during the icy winter months. The uneven thickness of the ice in the canal meant that the troops had to choose the safest method of transition – some soldiers were responsible for scouting the front to ensure a safe crossing, while the follow-up troops quickly followed. Even so, during the crossing, some soldiers inevitably fell into the icy water, and the cold river made them lose their physical strength in an instant, but the soldiers supported each other and persevered on their way.
And Huang Baitao, the commander of the Kuomintang 7th Corps in Cao Baji, was also fully prepared for war. Huang Baitao clearly knew that once Cao Baji was breached, the entire defensive line of the Western Front would be at risk of collapsing. Therefore, he ordered all his troops to defend tightly, and every soldier was required to be vigilant and steadfast, even to the point of saying that he would hold his position even if he died. Huang Baitao's order was conveyed among the troops, and each defensive point was strengthened for combat readiness, and a large number of fire points were arranged from improvised trenches to strong bunkers to form a dense network of firepower.
Huang Baitao also made a special emphasis on taking advantage of Cao Baji's terrain, such as water trenches and natural barriers, which are natural aids when defending. Kuomintang engineers, under the command of Huang Baitao, reinforced the defenses around the village, erecting multiple levels of obstacles, such as barbed wire and wooden stakes, aimed at slowing down the PLA's offensive.
Fierce battles and breakthroughs
The beacon of battle was first lit at the north gate of Cao Baji. As the night gradually receded, a glimmer of light appeared in the sky, and the 114th Regiment of the 13th Column had set up an attack line outside the north gate. The 114th Regiment, as the vanguard of this offensive, took on the heavy responsibility of the charge. Facing them was the 100th Division of the Kuomintang 44th Army, a force known for its tenacity, rich combat experience, and strong morale.
With the opening of the first round of artillery fire, the 114th Regiment quickly launched an offensive. Their goal is clear, that is, to break through the defense line of the north gate as soon as possible and open a breakthrough on the battlefield. However, the 44th Division had taken advantage of the terrain and constructed a series of strong fortifications, including staggered bunkers, water trenches, and barbed wire. These defenses not only greatly reduced the speed of the attack, but also increased the casualties of the attackers.
In the fierce exchange of fire, the 114 battalion of the 1st regiment showed extremely high combat effectiveness, and with the support of heavy artillery fire, they at one time managed to break through the defense line of the north gate, which was made of sandbags and wooden piles. The soldiers of the 1 battalion quickly rushed into the enemy position, trying to expand the breakthrough so that the follow-up units could continue to advance. However, this action immediately caused a high degree of alert in the 44 Division.
The 44th Division of the Kuomintang, after discovering the breakthrough, quickly mobilized death squads to counterattack. These veteran death squads, fully equipped and experienced, quickly assembled at the breach point under the leadership of their commanders using the communication systems already in place. Using the preset machine-gun nests and bunkers, the death squads fired heavily at the 1 battalion, which rushed into the position. The battle became extremely fierce at this moment, and the soldiers on both sides engaged in hand-to-hand combat at close range.
Despite the fierce counterattack, the 1st Battalion made some initial progress with passion and momentum, but soon found themselves in a siege. Due to the effective blockade of the death squads, reinforcements from the 1 battalion did not arrive in time, leaving their position precarious. The 44th Division, having reorganized its defensive line, began to exert more intensive fire suppression on the 1st Battalion. The intertwining of machine guns and rifles, coupled with the occasional throwing of grenades, put the soldiers of the 1 battalion in a difficult position.
At this time, the other battalions of the 114th Regiment were also trying to break through the defense line at the North Gate, but due to the solidity and strategy of the 44th Division's defense, every attack was met with stubborn resistance. Around Cao Baji's village, the Kuomintang forces used deep-dug trenches and underground bunkers to connect each other, forming an intricate network of defenses that provided a solid backing for their defenses.
A turning point at a critical moment
Just as the battle of the 114th Regiment at the North Gate was at a stalemate and the troops suffered heavy casualties, the timely arrival of the 112th Regiment brought about a crucial turn in the tide of the battle. The 112th Regiment, exhausted after a day-long continuous march, did not hesitate to quickly plunge into the battle after receiving an update on the battlefield.
On the western side of the battlefield, the arrival of the 112 regiment breathed new life into the entire offensive. They quickly deployed, taking advantage of the terrain and the cover of night, to launch an assault on the weak links of the Kuomintang defensive line. The 112th Regiment acted quickly and decisively, and they adopted the tactic of dispersing and breaking through, and the group separately put pressure on the Kuomintang defensive line, so that the Kuomintang troops, who had originally formed a siege on the 114th Regiment, had to readjust the defensive line to deal with the sudden new threat.
With the support of heavy artillery fire, the 112th Regiment broke through the outer defenses of the Kuomintang army and created a breakthrough. Immediately, they quickly advanced to the position where the 114th Battalion of the 1st Regiment was trapped. In a series of quickly coordinated operations, the 112th Regiment not only managed to reach the 1st Battalion, but also took advantage of its firepower and mobility to open the encirclement besieging the 1st Battalion. With strong fire support and the cooperation of the commandos, the trapped soldiers of the 1st Battalion were able to evacuate to safety and temporarily escape from the direct threat of enemy forces.
The actions of the 112 regiment did not stop there. After rescuing the 1st Battalion, they continued to advance, capturing several key Kuomintang defensive points. These defensive points included a number of pre-set bunkers and firepower points, which had been important positions used by the Kuomintang to control the entire theater of operations. Through fierce fighting, the 112th Regiment not only captured these key points, but also ensured that the defenses in these positions could be used to strengthen the PLA's defensive lines, thus gradually turning the tide of the battlefield.
The continuous offensive of the 112 regiment had a profound effect on the defense of the Kuomintang. The Kuomintang defensive line was stretched thin by the need to deal with multiple attacks from both the north gate and the west flank. In particular, the defensive points captured by the 112th Regiment directly weakened the Kuomintang's control over the entire Cao Baji area.
With the breakthrough and occupation of the 112th Regiment, the whole situation began to tilt significantly. The Kuomintang command had to reassess the situation on the battlefield, adjust the deployment of troops, and try to block the broken defensive lines. The People's Liberation Army (PLA), on the other hand, took advantage of this opportunity to further intensify its offensive, expanding the results of the battle around the breakthrough made by the 112th Regiment, gradually compressing the Kuomintang's space for activities, and ensuring the continuous advancement of the campaign.
The end and impact of the Battle of Cao Baji
After a fierce battle for a day and a night, Cao Baji's battle situation reached a white-hot stage. After the effective breakthrough of the 112th Regiment, the 13th Column quickly organized forces for a full-scale assault. The 114th Regiment and the 112th Regiment worked together to continuously expand the breakthroughs that had been obtained, and made every effort to capture all the defensive points of Cao Baji.
As the battle deepened, other battalions of the 13th Column also arrived on the battlefield one after another, and they used the captured defensive points as a springboard to launch a new offensive towards the center of Cao Baji and other key areas. The addition of these new forces further increased the pressure on the Kuomintang defensive line. As the People's Liberation Army continued to advance, the fighting within Cao Baji became more intense.
After the 44th Division of the 100th Army of the Kuomintang experienced initial holdout, due to continuous fighting and attrition of troops, its defense system began to show flaws. Although the soldiers of the 44th Division fought hard, their defensive line was gradually compressed in the face of multi-directional pressure from the PLA. After the various defensive points of the 44th Division were lost one after another, the communication and command within the division gradually became chaotic.
At the climactic stage of the battle, the PLA launched a general assault on the command center of the 44th Division. In this attack, Liu Shenghe, commander of the 44th Division, tried to organize the last resistance, and he led the remaining forces to counterattack in an attempt to save the tide of the battle. However, in the fierce firefight, Liu Shenghe was unfortunately killed, and this incident dealt a fatal blow to the morale of the 44th Division. The 44th Division, which had lost its division commander, soon fell into a state of disorganized melee.
The PLA took advantage of this and quickly cleared the last of the resistance. Under the cover of night, they launched a final assault on the remnants of the 44 Division, completely eliminating all resistance. With the occupation of the Cao Baji Center, the PLA successfully took control of the entire strategic location.
After the battle, the 13th Column began to organize the battlefield, shelter the wounded and consolidate the occupied area. The losses in the battle were heavy, the 44th Division was almost completely annihilated, and only a few Kuomintang soldiers survived. In the end, the Kuomintang army was almost completely killed, and did not hold this position.
From Liu Tong. Decisive battle. East China Liberation War: 1945-1949[M]. 2017