Fourth Encirclement Campaign Against Jiangxi Soviet - Last Battles

Last Battles

After defeat at Huangbi (黄陂), the nationalists changed their strategy in the middle of March, 1933 by attempting to breakthrough in the center. To do so, the nationalist force was redeployed: the nationalist 2nd Column became the vanguard, while the nationalist 1st Column and the 5th Division and the 9th Division of the nationalist 3rd Column became the rearguard, and two other divisions acted as the general reserve. Nationalists attacked from regions of Dongbi (东陂) and Huangbi (黄陂) toward Guangchang (广昌), in attempt to lure out the communist main force for a decisive engagement. The communist in turn, deployed their 11th Army disguised as their main force in to the northwest of Guangchang (广昌) to lure the nationalist vanguard further south, while the communist main force itself moved northward to ambush the nationalist rearguard.

On March 20, 1933, the 11th Division of the nationalist rearguard had reached the region between Grass Stage Hill (Caotaigang, 草台冈) and Village of Xu (Xuzhuang, 徐庄), with the surviving regiment of the nationalist 59th Division following behind. The nationalist 9th Division was still near Dongbi (东陂) and was more than fifty kilometers away from the near nationalist forces. On dawn of March 21, 1933, the communist first launched the surprise attack on the unsuspecting nationalist 11th Division, succeeding in completely destroying it in the region of Grass Stage Hill (Caotaigang, 草台冈). The next day, the nationalist 9th Division at Dongbi (东陂) was badly mauled by the communists. Hearing the news of the disaster, all other overstretched nationalist forces withdrew and ended the campaign to rest and regroup for future actions.