User:Zrnstnsr/Battle of Tong Pass (1645)
Battle of Tong Pass (1645) | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Shun dynasty | Qing dynasty | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Li Zicheng Liu Zongmin Liu Fangliang Ma Shiyao † |
Dodo Kong Youde Geng Zhongming | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
27,000[citation needed] | 20,000[citation needed] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
unknown | unknown |
The Battle of Tong Pass in 1645 saw another major failure of
Prelude
After his failure at
However, Shun troops in Pingyang and western Henan launched a campaign. Starting from 10 November, Shun captured Jiyuan and Meng County, and defeated Qing troops at Baixiang Town, annihilating almost all of Qing forces. Shun forces then besiege Qinyang, capital of Huaiqing Fu. Dorgun was shocked by the defeat, and immediately decided to reorder Dodo to move west to attack Qinyang and Tong Pass. Li, learning that Dodo was also approaching, stopped at Luochuan for ten days, waiting for further information.
Dodo defeated Shun troops in Huaiqing, crossed
Battle
Qing valued Tong Pass so much that Hongyipao was supplied for attacking, and additional enforcement marched through Pu Prefecture in January 1645. On 26 January, Li's troops reached Tong Pass, and Liu Zongmin attacked against Qing, though, defeated. He attacked again five days later, but was defeated either. Li Zicheng then ordered his cavalry and infantry to fight, but was countered by Eight Banners. During 1–2 February, Shun attempted to strike Qing barracks at night, but ended with no effect.
On 5 February, Hongyipao reached the battlefield, and Qing besieged Tong Pass two days later. Qing troops fired their Hongyipao and attacked violently. Shun troops countered with cavalry and ordered troops to attack from Qing groups' back, but neither succeeded.
During this time,
Aftermath
On 9 February, the same day Ma died, Li Zicheng and his army reached Xi'an. He further abandoned Xi'an and retreated to Jingzhou and Xiangyang. Dodo captured Xi'an on 14 February, shortly before Ajige entered Xi'an. Dodo was ordered to conquer Southern Ming by Dorgun, and Ajige was allowed to continue attacking Shun troops. Ajige was annoyed failing to capture Xi'an first, and assaulted Shun troops violently, winning eight battles from Dengzhou to Jiujiang.
About in April 1645, Li Zicheng retreated to Jingzhou with about 130,000 troops. He decided to further abandon Jingzhou and Xiangyang and conquer Southern Ming before Qing troops could do. On 19 April, he captured
After Li Zicheng's retreat from Xi'an, Gao yigong abandoned Yulin on 10 February. He joined with Li Guo's forces at Huianbao (in present-day Yanchi County), and retreated with Shun troops in Gansu and Qinghai through Hanzhong. Since He Zhen, guard general of Hanzhong, had surrendered to Qing, Li and Gao had to fight with him and managed to reach Kuizhou. They then started to besiege Jingzhou on 9 September. Li Zicheng's remnants, learning that Li and Gao had retreated to Jingzhou, joined with them, and they selected Li Guo as their leader. They were designated with Zhongzhen Battalion thereafter, becoming a part of Ming troops.