Mao's Army Goes to Sea by Toshi Yoshihara

Author:Toshi Yoshihara [Yoshihara, Toshi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
Published: 2023-01-02T16:00:00+00:00

ZHOUSHAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN (AUGUST 18–NOVEMBER 5, 1949)

The Zhoushan archipelago is located just east of Ningbo on the southern mouth of Hangzhou Bay. More than four hundred islands and islets comprise this offshore cluster, covering an area of about 1,200 square kilometers. Zhoushan Island, the largest feature, is about 500 square kilometers in size. The islands sit astride north-south communications along the mainland coast and could serve as either a protective screen for or a launch pad against such major cities as Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Ningbo. When Nationalist defenses collapsed around Shanghai and Ningbo, the forces retreated to Zhoushan, a stronghold blocking the Communist path to the seas. In July 1949, the KMT established a new command on Zhoushan overseeing about sixty thousand defenders. Nationalist naval and air assets based on the island provided naval gunfire support and close air support to the ground troops.

The Third Field Army began planning for seizing the islands as soon as Shanghai fell in May and ordered the 7th Army to take charge of the operation. The 7th Army commanded about four divisions numbering forty thousand troops, mostly infantry with some limited artillery support. In late July, commanders and planners began to examine their options. It was decided that the 22nd Corps would have overall responsibilities for carrying out the mission. The 22nd Corps would also command the 61st Division of the 21st Corps. Given the qualitative and quantitative inferiority of forces, the shortage of shipping, and the complete lack of experience with amphibious operations, the 7th Army adopted a conservative approach to the campaign.49

First, the 7th Army trained and prepared. Most of the soldiers came from China’s interior and were utterly unfamiliar with maritime affairs. They had to learn to cope with waves, maneuver around obstacles on the beach laid by the enemy, and advance across beaches.50 Second, the 7th Army planned to conquer the islands piecemeal. It would first take on strongpoints along Zhoushan’s periphery, particularly the smaller islands closest to the mainland. Localized operations would allow the Communists to amass forces against numerically inferior defenders at those specific locales in decisive engagements. The goal was in part to fight battles of annihilation that would deliver a psychological shock against the enemy and progressively chip away the adversary’s overall strength. The battles would also help the troops test their newfound skills and accumulate much-needed experience in amphibious operations.

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