Yangtze River Detachment

Yangtze River Detachment of the People's Liberation Army (Chinese: 中国人民解放军长江支队), referred to as the Changjiang Detachment, Yangtze River Detachment (Chinese: 长江支队), was a southern expeditionary force formed by the Chinese Communist Party in March 1949, predominantly consisting of cadres from the former liberated regions of Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region. The objective was to assist the People's Liberation Army in advancing southward over the Yangtze River to secure newly freed territories. Upon arriving in Fujian on August 11, 1949, the southern expeditionary operation concluded, and the Yangtze River Detachment was dissolved, with its original members reassigned to the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.^[1]

In August 1947, the Liu-Deng Forces progressed into the Dabie Mountains; nevertheless, the lack of cooperation from local administrations hindered the assurance of logistics and supply support. Consequently, Liu and Deng were compelled to reallocate more than 20,000 people from their field forces to bolster the local governments in the Dabie Mountains Liberated Area, thereby ensuring efficient logistical support. On August 24, 1948, Deng Xiaoping, then First Secretary of the Central Plains Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, proposed in a telegraph to the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party that preparations be made for the transfer of cadres to assume control of the liberated provinces. Liu Bocheng subsequently reaffirmed Deng Xiaoping's perspective in his report.^[2]: 2–6

The Central Plains Region had previously overlooked the diminishing strength of the primary force by mobilizing extensive troops to create military regions, sub-regions, and county-level core units, which has now demonstrated efficacy. Preparations for deployment should be conducted as much as feasible in advance. The Dabie Mountains Region saw a deployment duration of approximately two months due to insufficient preparedness. The Jianghan and Tongbai regions drew insights from the Dabie Mountains' experience by pre-assigning district committees, regional committees, special administrative regions, and county-level party, government, and military institutions and personnel, thereby accomplishing the deployment task within approximately ten days to two weeks. In the future, upon entering new territories, it is advisable to pre-divide these areas into field armies and military regions, treating each military region as a distinct unit, and thoroughly equip the three-tiered party, government, and military institutions (including troops) at the military region, district, and county levels.

— Deng Xiaoping, Various Perspectives on Future Expansion into New Domains^[3]

In October 1948, Mao Zedong and the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party issued directives mandating the freed regions to organize the rotation, training, and selection of cadres at all levels in preparation for deployment to the south. On October 29, the North China Bureau resolved to form a southern regional party committee from the liberated territories of Taihang and Taiyue, to assign cadres for the administration of a newly liberated provincial-level region (Southern Jiangsu). On March 21, 1949, personnel from the Taihang and Taiyue regions convened in Wu'an and officially formed the Yangtze River Detachment of the People's Liberation Army, departing southward on April 24.^[4][5]

On April 24, 1949, the Yangtze River Detachment embarked from Wu'an, initially proceeding on foot to Tangyin, followed by a train journey from Laotian'an Station to Kaifeng. Upon arriving at the Huai River, the detachment was compelled to traverse a pontoon bridge to access Bengbu, as the Huai River Bridge had been obliterated by Du Yuming during the Huaihai Campaign. They thereafter boarded a train to Mingguang and continued through Chuxian to Pukou. On May 12, the contingent traversed the Yangtze River via ferry from the northern bank at Pukou and reached Nanjing City. They left for Suzhou on May 23.^[6][7]

The initial objective of forming the Yangtze River Detachment was to seize southern Jiangsu; however, on April 27, when southern Jiangsu was liberated, the detachment remained in Anyang. The East China Bureau subsequently designated cadres from Shandong to assume control, resulting in the Yangtze River Detachment, which had reached Suzhou, lacking directives to execute. In June, Chen Geng participated in the Second Field Army's General Headquarters Meeting in Nanjing and intended for the Yangtze River Detachment to accompany the Third and Fourth Corps to the southwest. Nevertheless, following Zhang Dingcheng's suggestion, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party ultimately resolved to direct the Yangtze River Detachment to advance southward and seize Fujian. The forces left Suzhou on July 13, arrived in Pucheng on August 1, and reached Jian'ou on the August 10.^[8]

On August 11, Zhang Dingcheng, Zeng Jingbing, and others held a reunion conference in Jian'ou. The Fujian-Zhejiang-Jiangxi Provincial CCP Committee was dismantled, and the Yangtze River Detachment was officially dissolved.^[9] All entities and individuals within the initial framework were subordinated to the authority of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.^[10][1]

The members of the Party Committee of the Yangtze River Detachment are:^[11]

• Party Secretary: Leng Chu
• Administrative Director: Liu Yumin
• Organization Minister: Liu Shangzhi
  • Deputy Minister: Hou Zhenya
• Publicity Minister: Zhou Bi
• Military Commander: Tao Guoqing
• Social Affairs Minister: Ye Song

Organizational structure of the major units of the Yangtze River Detachment:^[12]

• Fujian Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party