Pingjin Campaign

The Northeast and North China field armies of the PLA launched the Pingjin Campaign to Kuomintang in Beiping, Tianjin and Zhangjiakou areas on December 5, 1948. Two regiments and local troops of the Northeast and North China field armies, with a total of 1 million people, battled along the 1,200 miles battle line from Luan County to Zhangjiakou. Chinese armies captured Zhangjiakou on December 24, wiping out a military headquarter and 7 divisions of enemy. Then, on January 14, 1949, the PLA launched a general attack, wiping out 130,000 people in 29 hours of fierce battle. The PLA captured Kuomintang's Marshal Chen Changting, liberating Tianjin. Following that, more than 200,000 defending enemies surrendered and became part of the PLA under the lead of Chief Commander Fu Zuoyi, formerly of the Kuomintang. On January 31, Peiping was liberated and the Pingjin battle triumphantly ended. In this battle, the PLA wiped out and took in 520,000 Kuomintang soldiers. Only about 50,000 Kuomintang soldiers managed to escape by sea. The war liberating North China from the Kuomintang was basically finished.