Thread by @simonbchen

Food conquers all.
In late stage of Huaihai Campaign, the single most militarily important operation in whole of Chinese Civil War of 1946-50 that ultimately doomed Republic of China Army (ROCA) defense of Shanghai and capital Nanking, ROCA units including remnants of once- /1

https://twitter.com/simonbchen/status/1286847828040404992

powerful and American-equipped 12th Mechanized Corps were surrounded in a massive pocket. Despite a massive aerial resupply effort by ROC Air Force that rivaled in scale the German Luftwaffe effort at Stalingrad in 1942, the sheer metric-tonnage requirements far outstripped /2

ROCAF's ability, and the aerial resupply efforts that were carried out were poorly done, with food just thrown out of planes without regard to where they landed.
ROCA soldiers, freezing and exposed on open frozen ground, starved and resorted to eating raw tree bark and leather /3

belts and jackets.
Besieging communist troops proceeded to cook their food very close to the front-lines, including Chinese steamed buns, such that the scent would drift across and to the starving ROCA troops.
As a result, 10,000 officers and soldiers—often entire platoons, /4

companies, and battalions—gave in to irresistible scent of food, and surrendered.
Food conquered many. Starving stomachs overpowered most indomitable of iron will.
By the time the communists launched their final assault upon the pocket, everything was already an afterthought. /e