The Chengdu campaign was the capture of Chengdu by the People's Republic of China (Communists) in December 1949 during the Chinese Civil War. The city was the national capital of the Republic of China (Nationalists) and provincial capital of the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan. The campaign was part of the Southwestern China campaign.[citation needed]

Chengdu campaign
Part of the Cross-Strait conflict and Chinese Civil War
DateDecember 11–27, 1949
Location
Chengdu, Sichuan Province
Result Communists capture Chengdu
Belligerents
Republic of China People's Republic of China
Commanders and leaders
Taiwan Hu Zongnan China Liu Bocheng
China Deng Xiaoping
China He Long
Strength
ROCA 55th Division 180th Division of PLA 60th Army

Battle of Jianmenguan

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Jianmen Pass (Jianmen Guan, 剑门关) is a key 50-meter wide mountain pass between Shaanxi and Sichuan. The ROC fortified the pass with bunkers during the Civil War in preparation for a PRC attack. The PRC captured nearby Guangyuan on December 14, 1949. The PRC's 540th Regiment (of 180th Division, 60th Army, 18th Army Group) was assigned to take the pass, which it reached after a 40 km three day forced march through the mountains. The initial attack destroyed a company of the defending ROC 55th Division. Two of the 540th Regiment's battalions approached under the cover of darkness to 50 meters of the pass 10:00 PM; the remaining battalion outflanked the defenses by moving through the mountains. The attackers crossed a final ravine with a log and overwhelmed the defenders. The PRC captured 300 prisoners.[citation needed]

The ROC retreated and abandoned Jiange in the afternoon of December 18, 1949. The way was cleared for the PRC to push deeper into Sichuan.[citation needed]

See also

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References

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  • Zhang, Ping, History of the Liberation War, 1st Ed., Chinese Youth Publishing House in Beijing, 1987, ISBN 7-5006-0081-X (pbk.)
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  • Tang, Yilu and Bi, Jianzhong, History of Chinese People's Liberation Army in Chinese Liberation War, 1st Ed., Military Scientific Publishing House in Beijing, 1993 – 1997, ISBN 7-80021-719-1 (Vol. 1), 7800219615 (Vol. 2), 7800219631 (Vol. 3), 7801370937 (Vol. 4), and 7801370953 (Vol. 5)