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Xuzhou1948corps

NRA x PLA
Complexity: 20.09 Map: 66x46
Dates: 11/7/1948-1/10/1949
Xuzhou 1948
Date: From 6-11-1948 to 9-1-1949
Location: Xuzhou,China
Time scale: one day per turn
Length:65 turns
Unit scale: Corp
Map scale:5km
--UNIT COLORS--

NRA
Xuzhou Anti-bandit HQ: red on blue
3rd Pacification Zone: black
7th Corp Army: blue
2th Corp Army: brown on blue
13th Corp Army: white on blue
16th Corp Army: black on blue
Air Force: green
12th Corp Army:blue on black
8th Corp Army:grey on black
6th Corp Army:red on balck

PLA
ECFA:white on brown
Shandong Group:blue on brown
North Jiangsu Group:green on brown
CPFA:grey on brown
Milita:brown

The course of the war was unexpected. With funding from the United States, and many veteran formations everyone expected a victory for the GMD over the CCP. But the Nationalist armies were exhausted and demoralized from the long war with Japan. As a result, the fresh and highly motivated People’s Liberation Army were able to score many victories over them. By 1948 the situation was looking bad for the Nationalists, and good for the Communists. When the Liaoshen Campaign which lasted from September 20th to November 2nd ended, the roles of the People’s Liberation Army and the National Revolutionary Army (the proper name for the Nationalist army) were reversed. For the first time the PLA was stronger then the NRA, which the Communists pressed to their fullest advantage. About this time the focus of attention shifted to central China. Su Yu, a Communist strategist, who was putting his master plan in motion.

Su had proposed earlier that year that a "Sudden-concentrate Sudden-disperse" strategy would allow the PLA to make the most of its superiority, by destroying several NRA army groups in a conventional battle. Su Yu had already proven that a conventional battle could be won, so the plan was approved by the Central Military Commission, brain center of the PLA. When the ECFA captured Jinan on September 24th it opened the way for Su Yu’s plan to be carried out. Operations were then begun against the Jinpu Railway line, as the fall of Jinan and the evacuation of Kaifeng allowed for attacks to be staged all along the line. This was to be the lure to draw as many NRA formations to Xuzhou (the area in which this was happening) as possible.

The Jinpu line was essential, as it was the main way to the Yangzi River and Nanjing, the birthplace of the GMD and tomb of Dr. Sun Zhongshan (better known as Sun Yat-sen), father of modern China. On November 3rd Huang Baitao suggested to his superior Liu Zhi that it would be best to bring in more troops to defend the railway. All reports showed that the powerful East China Field Army and Central Plains Field Army were marching towards them. Liu was an experienced commander, but here he was fraught by indecision. He decided to wait until he could contact Du Yuming, protege of Jiang Jieshi, the liaison with Nanjing. On November 5th word came down from Jiang approving the plan to reinforce the Jinpu line.