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Amphibious Warfare Capabilities of the People's Liberation Army:
An Assessment on Recent Modernizations[1]

The PLA continued to apply the lessons learned from Jinmen and Dengbu, and the campaigns after Hainan were even more successful. In January 1954 General Zhang Aiping identified four critical requirements for an amphibious campaign before carrying out actions against the additional KMT-held island chain of Dachen. In essence, PLA planners no longer viewed amphibious operations as mere extensions of land operations, but rather a new operational art form all by itself [5]:

In the two phase assault against the Dachen Island Chain, the above four requirements were applied: In the first phase, the Naval and air sorties were conducted from March through May, 1954 where the East Sea Fleet attacked a KMT naval force north of Dachen. In twelve naval battles a total of 9 KMT gunboats were damaged and one sunk. Meanwhile, the 2nd Air Division of the PLAAF (which just returned from Korea) engaged the KMT air force over the same area. In six engagements six KMT fighters were shot down with the loss of two MiG-15s. There are arguments about the accuracy of PLA air losses, but the more important issue is that by May the PLA had gained control over the sea and air north of Dachen. During same time, the PLA 24th army was to concentrate on combat training for amphibious operations.

The stage was set and at 1830 on May 15, the PLA attacked: In the air the 6th air regiment of the 2nd Air Division together with the newly arrived 4th air regiment, 1st Air Division, provided cover. 12 gunboats entered position to provide NGS cover for landing vessels. The landing force of the 180th regiment, 60th division caught the KMT garrison totally by surprise and it took almost eight hours for the KMT to respond with counter attacks. In the following actions, the KMT Air Force flew seventy-eight sorties of bombers and fighters and sank the PLA Navy escort ship Ruijin and its crew of ninety-six. However, the PLA successfully occupied four islands and wiped out their defenders.

General Zhang conducted an even larger amphibious operation in 1955 against the large Yijianghsan Island of the Dachens island chain. The Yijiangshan campaign involved 188 warships of which 140 were landing craft and transportation boats with a total of 3700 sailors commanded by Peng Deqing and Ma Guansan. The air force was commanded by Nie Fengzhi with 184 bombers and fighters from eight PLAAF divisions. The amphibious landing troops comprised some 3000 troops of 178th regiment and the 2nd battalion of the 180th regiment, 60th infantry division of the 20th Army under the commanded of Lin Weixian and Huang Chaotain. Before the operation, both Infantry commanders trained with the navy and air force with emphasis in close cooperation support.

At 0800 on January 18, 1955, 54 bombers and 18 fighters raided the KMT HQ, defense works and artillery positions on both the Dachen and Yijiangshan islands. The air bombing phase lasted 6 hours. Then, at 1220, the NGS conducted two hours of heavy shelling. While the naval shelling was in progress, the first landing took place in 1215 hours. A total of 3000 men were landed in three waves. By 1730 both islands were in the PLA’s hands. General Zhang moved his HQ to Yijiangshan at 1800. The KMT lost its entire garrison of 1086 men. By February 22, the KMT evacuated all its reminding 25,000 military personnel off the Dachen island chain with the help of the US 7th fleet.