Further Retreat
Leading two battalions, large number of civilian cadres, and burdened with tremendous supplies, Wang Shitai (王世泰) continued the retreat until the evening, when the fleeing communists were finally able to have their first break, and held a conference regarding their next move. In order to avoid being annihilated by the enemy together, the communists decided to disengage the pursuing enemy in small groups. Majority of the communist force would go southeastward toward Construction Village (Jian Zhuang, 建庄), and the remaining communist force would be personally led by Wang Shitai (王世泰) to go northward to Zheng Ning (正宁) county, where the local nationalist garrison, the Independent 5th Cavalry Regiment had already left long ago to become the vanguard of nationalists chasing the fleeing communists. Taking advantage of dark night, the communist force broke up and begun their march at night of in rain. The bulk of the communist force including the communist 6th Cavalry Division, part of the communist 1st Garrison Brigade and all of civilian cadres under the command of Gao Jinchun (高锦纯) made a successful retreat after abandoning most equipment and supplies, and finally reached the safety of Yijun (宜君) county of Shaanxi after crossing the Meridian Ridge.
The smaller communist force led by Wang Shitai (王世泰) was far less fortunate. After the breakup of his force, Wang Shitai (王世泰) led his formation southwestward, in an attempt to disengage the pursuing nationalists by going behind the enemy line. However, the rapid response of the nationalist cavalry ruined his plan by following closely, and by the afternoon of August 17, 1947, Wang Shitai (王世泰) still could not shake off the nationalists when they reached the Eagle’s Feather’s Pass (Diao Ling Guan, 雕翎关) at the border of Shaanxi and Gansu. Seeing his troops had not had any rest in two days and two nights straight, Wang Shitai (王世泰) devised a new plan. The commander of the communist 3rd Garrison Regiment, Ge Haizhou (葛海洲), would lead the 1st Battalion of the communist 3rd Garrison Regiment to engage the pursuing nationalists and lead them northward, away from the 2nd and the 3rd Battalion of the communist 3rd Garrison Regiment. Luck was on the communist side as the nationalists were lured away and the communists at the Eagle’s Feather’s Pass (Diao Ling Guan, 雕翎关) were able to get the rest they desperately needed. Luck proved to be once again on the communist side when the heavy rain and dark nights had enabled the 1st Battalion of the communist 3rd Garrison Regiment to successfully evade the pursuing nationalist cavalries.
Read more about this topic: Meridian Ridge Campaign
Famous quotes containing the word retreat:
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—George Orwell (1903–1950)
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—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)