Third Stage
The communist took full advantage when new nationalist commander-in-chief Wei Lihuang was busy reorganizing his defense by replenishing themselves at the same time. After half a month rest, the communist resumed their offensive by concentrating their forces to the south of Shenyang. The communist 4th column and 6th column besieged Liaoyang. To stop any possible nationalist reinforcement, the communist 1st column, 2nd column, 7th column, 8th column, and 9th column were deployed to Panshan (盘山) and Greater Tiger Mountain (Dahushan 大虎山), regions between Shenyang and Liaoyang, and regions between Jinzhou and Yi County (义县).
On February 2, 1948, the communist 4th column and the 6th column took Liaoyang after decimating the nationalist 54th division that defended the city, and they continued their victory push southward, taking Anshan on February 19, 1948 after decimating the local garrison, the nationalist 25th division. On February 24, 1948, the communist 4th column launched a long distance strike at Yingkou, and although the 52nd Army, the local nationalist garrison managed to beat back the communist attack at the night of February 25, 1948, the nationalist 58th division, the cream of the crop of the nationalist 52nd Army, mutinied by defecting to the communist side under the leadership of the division commander Wang Jiashan (王家善). After southern Liaoning fell into the communist hand, the defender of Faku (法库), the nationalist 62nd division of the Newly Organized 6th Army abandoned the city and attempted to breakout the siege, but was decimated on its way at the mouth of Tong River (通江) to the west of Kaiyuan, which fell into the communist hand on February 29, 1948.
In order to completely cut the link between Changchun and Shenyang, the communist decided to take Siping (city) by redeploying the 1st column, the 3rd column and the 7th column on February 29, 1948 from southern Liaoning to Siping (city), while the communist 2nd column, 6th column, 8the column, and the 10th column were already deployed two days ago on February 27, 1948 to Changtu and Kaiyuan to stop any possible nationalist reinforcement to the city. On other fronts, faced with impossibility, on March 9, 1948, the nationalist garrison of Jilin City, the 60th Army evacuated the city and retreated to Changchun by abandoning all heavy equipment. Under the brilliant leadership and direction of Wei Lihuang, the evacuation was a great success and was credited by BBC as another equivalent of Dunkirk Evacuation on land. However, due to the urgency faced by the nationalists, the abandoned equipment and supplies were not destroyed and fell into the enemy hand intact, which significantly boosted the communist strength. On March 12, 1948, the communist 1st column, the 3rd column and the 7th column launched their final assault on Siping (city), decimated the nationalist 88th division of the 71st Army and other units defending the city within twenty-four hours. Two days after taking Siping (city), communists declared the end of Winter Offensive of 1947 in Northeast China on March 15, 1948.
Read more about this topic: Winter Offensive Of 1947 In Northeast China
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