Shanghai Campaign - Third Stage

Third Stage

The assault on the city begun at the night of May 23, 1949 when the communist 29th Army took the high ground in the southern suburb under the cover of darkness, while the communist 28th Army penetrated to Wusong (吴淞) region and shelled the pier. On May 24, 1949, the communist 20th Army took Pudong and the communist 27th Army took the train station at Xujiahui and Hongqiao region. The nationalist commander-in-chief, Tang Enbo already boarded naval ships on May 18, 1949, realized the inevitable and in order to strengthen the defense around the pier at Wusong (吴淞), ordered the surviving 6th Division of the nationalist 75th Army at High Bridge (Go Qiao, 高桥) region to withdraw to Yuepu (月浦), and the nationalist units north of Suzhou Creek to withdraw to Wusong (吴淞), for the preparation to withdraw via sea.

Under the cover of darkness, the communist 23rd Army and the 27th Army penetrated the city from Xujiahui and Longhua Region respectively while the communist 20th Army crossed the Huangpu River at Gaochang Temple (Gaochang Miao, 高昌庙) and by the dawn of May 25, 1949, everything south of the Suzhou Creek was firmly under the communist control. The enemy’s offensive continued during the day with the communist 26th Army took Greater Field (Da Chang, 大场) and Riverine Bay (江湾) regions, and the communist 25th Army and the 29th Army took Wusong (吴淞) and Baoshan, while the communist 28th Army and the 33rd Army took Yang’s Firm (Yang Hang, 杨行). At night, the communist 27th Army, 23rd Army and a portion of the 20th Army crossed the Suzhou Creek under the cover of darkness, and regions north of the creek fell into the attackers’ hands. The deputy commander of the Shanghai defense, the commander of the Shanghai garrison, General Liu Changyi (刘昌义) was forced to surrender.

At the night of May 25, 1949, the communist 31st Army took High Bridge (Go Qiao, 高桥) with the help of the communist 30th Army after fierce battle, and by the noon of May 26, 1949, the last defense in Pudong was wiped out. By May 27, 1949, the city had fallen to the enemy hands. Soon afterward, the communist 25th Army launched its assault on Chongming Island and badly mauled the defending force, and by June 2, 1949, the campaign had ended with the communist victory completed.