Du Yuming
杜聿明
1904–1981
- Lieutenant General, National Revolutionary Army
- Deputy Commander, Xuzhou Bandit Suppression Headquarters (1948)
Biography
Whampoa Graduate and the Burma Campaign
Du Yuming (1904-1981) was born in Mizhi, Shaanxi, and graduated from the first class of the Whampoa Military Academy. He built his reputation commanding the 5th Army in the Burma Campaign (1942), one of the first large-scale deployments of Chinese forces alongside Allied troops. He subsequently served as the Nationalist commander in Manchuria before Wei Lihuang's appointment.
Huaihai and Capture
At Huaihai, Du Yuming served as the effective operational commander under Liu Zhi's nominal headquarters. After the destruction of Huang Baitao's and Huang Wei's corps, he led the remaining Nationalist forces in an attempted breakout from Xuzhou. His column was surrounded at Chenguanzhuang and held out under siege for several weeks. He was captured on 10 January 1949 — the final day of the Huaihai Campaign.
Captivity and Later Life
Du Yuming was held as a prisoner of war and pardoned in the first group of Nationalist war criminals in 1959. After his release he served on the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He died in Beijing in 1981.