Battle of Weixian

Battle of Weixian
Part of Chinese Civil War
The old city walls of Weixian (now part of Weifang City), Shandong Province
Date April 2, 1948 – May 8, 1948 (1 month and 6 days) Location Shandong Province [zh], Weixian and surrounding areas Result Victory for the People's Liberation Army; capture of Weixian
Belligerents
Republic of China National Revolutionary Army 96th Army, Reorganized 45th Division, 12 local security regiments	East China Field Army Shandong Corps, local forces of Jiaodong and Bohai military regions
Commanders and leaders
Wang Yaowu Theater Commander Chen Jincheng Commander of the 96th Army Zhang Tianzuo Leader of the security regiments	Xu Shiyou Commander Tan Zhenlin Political Commissar Nie Fengzhi Leader of the main assault forces
Strength
Approximately 47,000 troops	Approximately 120,000 troops
Casualties and losses
19,000 casualties 26,000 captured	1,432 killed 6,548 wounded

Battle of Weixian (also known as the Battle of the Central Section of the Jiaoji Railway) was a military campaign during the Chinese Civil War in which the People's Liberation Army (PLA) East China Field Army Shandong Corps, under the command of Xu Shiyou, launched an offensive to capture the city of Weixian in Shandong Province, held by the National Revolutionary Army (NRA). The battle lasted from April 2 to May 8, 1948, and was the first major siege undertaken by the East China Field Army after its formation. Weixian was a significant commercial and industrial hub in Shandong and an important transportation node between Jinan and Qingdao, making it a key defensive point for the Nationalist forces on the Jiaoji Railway, known as the "Bastion of Central Shandong." The battle ended with the PLA capturing Weixian and surrounding areas. The PLA suffered approximately 8,000 casualties, while the NRA lost over 45,000 troops, including the capture of 6 high-ranking officers, such as the commander of the 96th Army and Reorganized 45th Division, Chen Jincheng.^[1]