Battle of Nanpéng Island

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Nanpéng Island
partof=the Chinese Civil War
place=Nanpéng Island (南鹏岛), off Yangjiang, W Guangdong province
date=August 9 , 1950 - August 9, 1950
result=Communist victory
combatant1=

combatant2=

commander1=
?
commander2=
?
strength1= 421
strength2= > 1,000
casualties1= 421
casualties2= Minor|

Battle of Nanpéng Island (南鹏岛战斗) was a battle fought between the nationalists and the communists during the Chinese Civil War and resulted in the communist victory. After Guangdong fell into communist hands, a detachment of the nationalist troops held out on Nanpéng Island (南鹏岛) of Yangjiang. This remnant of the nationalist force proved to be a major headache the communists because the island is strategically located between the Pearl River mouth and the Qiongzhou Strait, controlling the shipping line that was vital to the local economy.

The communists decided to rid of the nationalist force and take the island. In the morning of August 9, 1950, the third battalion of the 364th regiment of the 41st Army of the People’s Liberation Army attacked the island. After two hours of fighting, the entire nationalist garrison of Nanpéng Island (南鹏岛) of 421 was lost and the island was firmly in the communist hands. The communist succeeded in capturing one motorized vessels, twenty junks, one artillery piece, ten machine guns, and another 194 firearms.

The nationalists did not have any chance against the overwhelming enemy because the island is located too far away from any friendly bases, and in the event of breaking out of the battle, no nationalist reinforcement could reach the island in time. The local commanders had repeatedly asked the permission to withdraw to Taiwan but their pleas were ignored due to political reasons because holding out at the enemy’s doorstep far away from any friendly bases had very significant symbolic meaning, but in doing so, the fate of the local defenders were sealed.

ee also

*List of Battles of Chinese Civil War
*National Revolutionary Army
*History of the People's Liberation Army
*Chinese Civil War

References

*Zhu, Zongzhen and Wang, Chaoguang, "Liberation War History", 1st Edition, Social Scientific Literary Publishing House in Beijing, 2000, ISBN 7801492072 (set)
*Zhang, Ping, "History of the Liberation War", 1st Edition, Chinese Youth Publishing House in Beijing, 1987, ISBN 750060081X (pbk.)
*Jie, Lifu, "Records of the Libration War: The Decisive Battle of Two Kinds of Fates", 1st Edition, Hebei People's Publishing House in Shijiazhuang, 1990, ISBN 7202007339 (set)
*Literary and Historical Research Committee of the Anhui Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, "Liberation War", 1st Edition, Anhui People's Publishing House in Hefei, 1987, ISBN 7212000078
*Li, Zuomin, "Heroic Division and Iron Horse: Records of the Liberation War", 1st Edition, Chinese Communist Party History Publishing House in Beijing, 2004, ISBN 7801990293
*Wang, Xingsheng, and Zhang, Jingshan, "Chinese Liberation War", 1st Edition, People's Liberation Army Literature and Art Publishing House in Beijing, 2001, ISBN 750331351X (set)
*Huang, Youlan, "History of the Chinese People's Liberation War", 1st Edition, Archives Publishing House in Beijing, 1992, ISBN 7800193381
*Liu Wusheng, "From Yan'an to Beijing: A Collection of Military Records and Research Publications of Important Campaigns in the Liberation War", 1st Edition, Central Literary Publishing House in Beijing, 1993, ISBN 7507300749
*Tang, Yilu and Bi, Jianzhong, "History of Chinese People's Liberation Army in Chinese Liberation War", 1st Edition, Military Scientific Publishing House in Beijing, 1993 – 1997, ISBN 7800217191 (Volum 1), 7800219615 (Volum 2), 7800219631 (Volum 3), 7801370937 (Volum 4), and 7801370953 (Volum 5)