A lesser-known, more-mortal holocaust

In 1945 Japan lost the Sino-Japanese War, while the nominal victory of China gone in a flash. In 1950 war drums were beating again in Beijing for pushing to intervene Korea over the US invasion, that turned out to be non-existent. Furthermore, unable to pay the huge Russian loan of wild spending in the Korean War, China had been sold off by its Red leaders. With endless trains of Chinese crop ferried to Russia, in return for imposing harsh austerity starvation wherein over 60 million Chinese perished; let along the unspeakable "political movements" on the horizon. Since the sole enemy was an internal opponent of the Reds, the only possible use for the Russian arms was in a fratricidal war.

Off the coastal province Zhejiang, the rocky islet Dongyin had been the HQ of the tight secret Anti-Communist Salvation Army since 1949. The little-known army was the Nationalist’s political instrument for Taiwan’s strategic importance in the Cold War, as well the tryout for the return to mainland. In 1950-53 nearly 100 raids were launched by ACSA from Dachen, Ijiangshan, and other isles still in Nationalist hands offshore Zhejiang. The guerrillas were trained and equipped by the Western Enterprises Inc, a CIA front company.

Though the People’s Liberation Army achieved everything they wanted in the mainland, they failed repeatedly in their attempts to “liberate” Taiwan. In the midst of the interlopers used a guerrilla corridor, the Reds decided to cut off this intentional way for a potential invading the mainland. With its air strength buildup of the Tupolev Tu-2, Ilyushin Il-10, Lavochkin La-11, the PLA launched a series of attacks along the southeastern China coast. In Nov 1-4, 1954, totally 112 Tu-2 sorties first proceeded to drop 1,154 bombs on Dachen and Ijiangshan, followed by 70 La-11 sorties covered 28 Tu-2 sorties and 46 Il-10 sorties launched five raids on the same landing beaches during Dec 21, 1954 and Jan 10, 1955.

Dachen Isles were beyond the range of the newly-received CAF F-84G Thunderjets, while the vintage F-47N Thunderbolts were always interdicted by the MiG formation. Though the 7,000 assault troops wiped out the Ijiangshan garrison in a 52 hr 44 min battle (一江山島戰役), but the PLA paid a fearsome price of over 4,000 killed. In the aftermath, its strategy to conquer Taiwan was altered, and Taiwan relieved at a dangerous crossroad. Meanwhile the Communists know about the terrific amount of seapower surrounding Taiwan- the Task Force 72 of USN Pacific Fleet- that’s what keeps them from starting anything. In Feb 1955, along with the ROC's LSTs the TF 72 used 132 ships and 400 airplanes evacuated 14,500 civilians, 10,000 soldiers, 4,000 guerrilla fighters, and 40,000 tons of military material from Dachen, thus calling for an end to the First Taiwan Crisis. Three days later, the PLA occupied all the isles along the southeastern China coast, except Quemoy and Matsu.