1950 battle fought between the nationalists and the communists during the Chinese Civil War and resulted in the communist victory
The communist capture of Nanpeng Island secured a strategically vital shipping lane between the Pearl River mouth and the Qiongzhou Strait during the final phase of the Chinese Civil War.
Key Facts
- Date
- 9 August 1950
- Nationalist garrison lost
- 421 troops
- PLA unit
- 3rd Battalion, 364th Regiment, 41st Army
- Duration of fighting
- Approximately two hours
- Vessels captured
- 1 motorized vessel and 20 junks
- Firearms captured
- 194 additional firearms plus 10 machine guns and 1 artillery piece
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
After Guangdong province fell to communist forces, a Nationalist detachment remained on Nanpeng Island, whose position between the Pearl River mouth and the Qiongzhou Strait gave it strategic control over local shipping lanes vital to the regional economy. Communist commanders viewed the garrison as an obstacle requiring removal, while Nationalist local commanders repeatedly but unsuccessfully sought permission to withdraw to Taiwan.
On the morning of 9 August 1950, the third battalion of the 364th Regiment of the People's Liberation Army's 41st Army launched an assault on Nanpeng Island. After roughly two hours of combat, the entire Nationalist garrison of 421 men was eliminated. PLA forces seized one motorized vessel, twenty junks, one artillery piece, ten machine guns, and 194 additional firearms.
The Communist victory cleared the last Nationalist holdout in the area and gave the People's Liberation Army full control of the shipping route between the Pearl River mouth and the Qiongzhou Strait. The isolated garrison had been denied evacuation for symbolic political reasons, which ensured its total destruction once the assault began.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent