Battle of Weixian

After the Battle of Menglianggu in May 1947, the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) shifted from strategic offense to defense on the East China front, while the PLA began its counteroffensive. On August 6 of the same year, the Chinese Communist military command decided to split the East China Field Army into two groups: the "Western Corps" (also known as the external corps), consisting of 7 main divisions led by Su Yu, was tasked with launching external offensives, while the "Eastern Corps" (also known as the internal corps or Shandong Corps), consisting of 3 divisions and local forces from Jiaodong, was commanded by Xu Shiyou and remained for internal operations in the Shandong Peninsula. On August 18, the NRA command responded by creating the "Jiaodong Corps," under the command of Fan Hanjie, aimed at taking advantage of the PLA's weakened presence in Jiaodong following the western advance to sever the maritime links between the liberated areas of Northeast China, North China, and Shandong. Thus, the Jiaodong theater became a contest between Xu Shiyou and Fan Hanjie. Between August 1947 and March 1948, during the battles of the "Jiaohe Campaign" and the "Western Jiaoji Railway Campaign," Xu Shiyou exploited the disunity and internal factionalism within the NRA to gain the upper hand through maneuver warfare, capturing much of the western section of the Jiaoji Railway and towns such as Laiyang and Zibo. As a result, the PLA gained strategic dominance in the Jiaodong theater. After Fan Hanjie was transferred out of Shandong, command of the Jiaodong front fell to Wang Yaowu, Chairman of Shandong Province for the Nationalist Government. By March 1948, only three cities along the Jiaoji Railway—Jinan, Qingdao, and Weixian—remained under Nationalist control. == Deployment ==

Nationalist Forces The town of Weixian was located at the central section of the Jiaoji Railway, consisting of two separate walled cities, the larger western city and the smaller eastern city, separated by the Bailang River. These two cities were connected by five stone bridges. According to local records, Weixian had never been successfully captured in battle prior to this campaign. The town was considered a major stronghold and was dubbed the "Bastion of Central Shandong." PLA Perspective After the Shandong Corps captured most of the areas along the Jiaoji Railway, there was disagreement among the commanders regarding the next strategic step. Some suggested directly attacking Jinan, but Xu Shiyou believed the timing was not ideal as the Nationalist forces were already prepared. Meanwhile, Weixian had become an isolated city after the battles in the western section of the Jiaoji Railway. It was situated between the Central Shandong Liberated Area and the Bohai Liberated Area, making it convenient for attacks and logistical support. Hence, Xu strongly advocated attacking Weixian first. In terms of troop deployment: - The Bohai Column and local forces from the Central Shandong Military Region were tasked with attacking Weixian's outskirts, focusing on capturing key targets near Weixian, including the Ershilibao railway station, the power plant, and the airport, thereby cutting off the connection between Fangzi and Weicheng and severing the Nationalist forces' air and land links. - The Ninth Column and Bohai Column were assigned to assault Weixian directly. - The Seventh Column, Bohai New 13th Division, and other units were to block potential reinforcements from Jinan. - The 39th Division of the 13th Column, along with local forces from the Jiaodong Military Region, was to block reinforcements possibly coming from Qingdao. - The 38th Division of the 13th Column served as the general reserve force. In terms of tactics, the PLA emphasized "steady and methodical" attacks, utilizing tunnel operations to approach and capture Nationalist defensive positions, thereby minimizing casualties. Once the outskirts were cleared, the plan was to concentrate troops and artillery to first capture the western city and seize the enemy’s command center, and then launch an assault on the eastern city. For logistics, the PLA mobilized a total of 135,000 civilian laborers and over 5,000 stretchers. Residents of the liberated areas also provided the army with significant quantities of grain, fodder, and other supplies. In total, the PLA committed 54 regiments, with over 120,000 troops participating in this campaign. ==Course of the Battle==

Outskirts Combat On April 1, the PLA surrounded Weixian. The next day, Bohai Column and forces from the Central Shandong Military Region advanced from three directions toward Changle County, cutting off the route between Changle and Weixian. Simultaneously, the Ninth Column moved eastward from the Changshan area, and the Thirteenth Column advanced from the Jiaodong Peninsula. By April 5, all participating PLA units had reached their designated positions. On April 8, the PLA launched attacks from the southern outskirts, the southern city, and the northern city. Troops from the Jiaodong Military Region first targeted the railway station and airport in the southern city. By 4 p.m. on the following day, the airport was captured, severing the Nationalist forces’ air supply lines and forcing them to rely on airdrops for supplies. After securing the airport, the PLA captured two railway stations and a power plant in Weixian by April 12, completing the plan for the southern outskirts. Battle for the Eastern City and Surrounding Areas On April 26, at 6 p.m., PLA artillery began a 90-minute bombardment of the eastern city, targeting walls and key areas near the Bailang River. By 8:20 p.m., the 87th Regiment of the Ninth Column had breached the city wall and entered the eastern city. By dawn on April 27, the PLA controlled one-third of the area. Nationalist commanders Chen Jincheng and Zhang Tianzuo attempted to break out but were intercepted by PLA ambushes. Chen was captured, and Zhang was killed. ==Results and Aftermath==

Battle Statistics During this battle, the PLA suffered approximately 8,000 casualties, including 1,432 killed and 6,548 wounded. The Shandong Corps also gained valuable experience in urban combat, For the Nationalist forces, the fall of Weixian, a "fortress in central Shandong," connected the three liberated zones in the province, further isolating the Nationalist strategic strongholds of Jinan and Qingdao. In April 2013, residents of Weifang, together with veterans who participated in the campaign, organized events to commemorate the 65th anniversary of this historically significant battle. ==See also==