 In mid October 1947, the nationalists had gathered forces included the V Corps centered at Luoyang at the east, and the Reorganized 1st Division and the Reorganized 36th Division at Tongguan County at the west for the preparation to reopen the Longhai railway transportation / communication line by first surrounding and then annihilating the communist force led by commander Chen Geng (陈赓) and political commissar Xie Fuzhi.On October 20, 1947, the communist high command ordered Chen Geng (陈赓) and Xie Fuzhi to split their force into three