 On September 15, 1946, the Nationalist Reorganized 74th Division attacked the pier on the eastern bank of the Grand Canal of China, and by the evening, had successfully driven the defenders consisted of the Communist 9th Column and the Communist 13th Brigade from the positions, taking the pier and adjacent Yang's Family's Village (Yang Zhuang, 杨庄).Pi Dingjun (皮定均), the Communist commander of the 13th Brigade, gravely underestimated the Nationalists when he reached Huaiyin with the 1st Regiment of the Communist 13th Brigade, and ordered each of three regiment of the 13th Brigade would have two of their battalions sent out to counterattack the Nationalists.The idea was strongly opposed by the Communist commander of the 2nd Regiment of the 13th Brigade, Zhong Fasheng (钟发生), who reached the city earlier and fought with the Nationalists and thus was well aware their adversary's potent capability.