On June 3rd, 1949, 165438+, Sanye 2 1 Jun61Division launched the Battle of Dinghai (Zhoushan Islands).
Due to the tenacious resistance of the enemy and the PLA's underestimation of landing operations, when the PLA attacked Dengbu Island off Zhoushan, it was jointly countered by enemy defenders, reinforcements and naval and air forces and was forced to quit the battle.
There were some casualties when the two armies landed, but this paved the way for the Zhoushan Islands campaign launched again the next year, and also enabled the PLA to gradually master the experience of crossing the sea.
Zhoushan Archipelago is located in the East China Sea outside Hangzhou Bay, Zhejiang Province. It consists of more than 400 islands including Zhoushan Island, Daishan, Changtu, Putuo, Taohua, Liu Heng, Dengbu, Jintang and Daxie, with a total area of 1.200 square kilometers. Zhoushan Island is the largest, with an area of 523 square kilometers. It is an important port in Zhejiang Province. Giant ships can enter and exit freely, and all waterways have buoys, which is conducive to navigation and is a good base for the navy.
Zhoushan Island is mountainous, among which Wuleifeng, Hushan, Maotoujian and Zhujiajian Island have the highest elevation, about 500 meters, overlooking the nearby waters. Zhoushan Archipelago is not only the hub of China's maritime navigation, but also the maritime barrier of Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou, and has always been a strategic military place. Japanese invaders and Kuomintang troops have been operating here for many years, and Zhoushan Island and Daishan Island have airports and naval bases.
After the Battle of Crossing the River and the Battle of Songhu, the Kuomintang troops stationed in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai fled to Zhoushan under the powerful offensive of the People's Liberation Army, and established the Zhoushan Defense Command with Shi Jue, the former Shanghai Defense Commander as the commander.
In order to continue to confront the People's Liberation Army, the Kuomintang army intends to operate Zhoushan Islands as an important military base to control the Yangtze River estuary and block, harass and counterattack the mainland.
Chiang Kai-shek valued Zhoushan Islands not only because he wanted to use Zhoushan Islands as a transit point for troops to retreat, but also for other purposes. Chiang Kai-shek knew very well that the PLA had no navy or air force, so he wanted to take advantage of this weakness to control Zhoushan Islands and make it an ideal base for controlling the Yangtze River estuary and harassing the mainland.
As early as July 1949, the Third Field Army of the People's Liberation Army and the East China Military Region decided that the 22nd Army and 2 1 Army 6 1 Division would undertake the task of crossing the sea to liberate Zhoushan Islands.
After accepting the task, the 22nd Army decided to seize the outlying islands first, and then Zhoushan Island according to the geographical conditions of Zhoushan Islands and the reality that the enemy is strong and we are weak. The troops quickly captured Daxie and other islands.
After the 22 nd Army of Sanye conquered Daxie and other islands, the enemy regrouped its forces in an attempt to stay in Zhoushan Islands for a long time. Therefore, the enemy reorganized the 75th Army into two divisions, and the 102 division was incorporated into its organizational system. The 87th Army was also reorganized into two divisions. Together with the miscellaneous army, the total strength reached 60,000 people in 7 divisions. Shi Jue, the commander of Zhoushan defense, visited Zhoushan Islands and urged the border guards to set up defensive positions.
According to these enemy situations, the army chief suggested to the leaders of the Corps that it is best to attack the islands one by one, attack Jintang Island first, then break them one by one, and finally capture Zhoushan Island.
Jintang Island, located in the west of Zhoushan Island, is the fourth largest island in Zhoushan Archipelago. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides. Standing on the mountain peak in the east, overlooking the deep-water port where ships can dock, such as Dinghai Chengguan and Favorable Port.
The enemy on the defensive in Jintang is the Kuomintang 75th Army 102 Division and Army Artillery Battalion, with a total of more than 3,500 people. The island is the largest outlying stronghold in the west of Zhoushan Island. The enemies on the shore, according to the instructions of Zhou Xie, deputy commander of Zhoushan Defense Command, built fortifications on the coast, mountains and seawalls day and night.
There is a bunker every 10 meter in important sections such as Dapukou, Baitang and Niwan. In addition, many bunkers have been built halfway up the mountain and deep in the top of the mountain, and obstacles such as wooden stakes, Abatis and barbed wire have been added to the beach. In order to prevent the PLA from landing, they did everything they could.
Jintang is 2226 nautical miles from the mainland, and the sea level is like an open field. To cross this 2226-nautical-mile strait and destroy the enemy on the island, we must land at the fastest speed. If the speed is slow, the consequences will be unimaginable, so landing is the key.
In order to achieve the goal of rapid landing, the PLA has collected more than 600 ships not only from Zhejiang province, but also from Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui and other provinces. However, many ships were damaged when they reached the coast. After renovation and modification, more than 300 ships can be used and a reinforced infantry division can be carried.
To this end, the 22 nd Army used the operational experience of Daxie Island for reference, strengthened navigation training, and held comprehensive drills such as infantry landing on the beach and artillery coordinated operations, which basically met the requirements of self-fighting, self-organization, close cooperation and active enemy annihilation, and also exercised the psychological quality of soldiers.
After everything was ready, the 22nd Army Headquarters issued an operational order: 65438+ captured Jintang on1October 2-5.
The specific deployment is as follows: 4 regiments of 66th Division and 64th Division 190 Regiment are landing assault echelons, and 65th Division 194 Regiment is the reserve.
1 94910 June1day, Sun Jixian, commander of the 22nd Army, and Ding Qiusheng, political commissar, called on the soldiers of the whole army to continue to carry forward the spirit of not being afraid of sacrifice, land at the fastest speed, and then destroy the enemies in Jintang, and congratulate the birth of new China with lofty revolutionary enthusiasm.