On August 23, 1958, as the sun set in the west, the island of Kinmen was enveloped in tranquility. At 5:30 in the afternoon, some people were having dinner, while others finished their meal and went outside to enjoy the cool breeze, take a stroll, or play basketball.
Suddenly, a deafening bang pierced the sky, followed by shells pouring down like rain! Nearly 30,000 shells were fired at the 150-square-kilometer area of Kinmen, with flames soaring and dust flying. People scattered in panic, searching for cover, screams and explosions weaving together in a symphony of doomsday. Kinmen, this tiny piece of land, instantly plunged into hell.
This was the Battle of Kinmen, known in Taiwan as the “823 Artillery Battle,” a battle for an island that shocked the world. It not only changed the fate of Kinmen but also stirred up turbulent waves during the peak of the Cold War. Why did this war break out? Why couldn’t the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) capture Kinmen? Today, let’s unveil this dusty history and step into the era where gunfire and beliefs intertwined.
Kinmen, the offshore outpost of the Nationalist army, hung in the Taiwan Strait, over 200 kilometers from mainland Taiwan and less than ten kilometers from Xiamen, China. For the Chinese Communist Party, it was a thorn in the flesh. In 1949, the PLA attempted to seize Kinmen but came back empty-handed. Nine years later in 1958, they came back determined to uproot this thorn with thunderous force.
The timing and location of the shells from the PLA were clearly planned meticulously. At that time, three deputy commanders of the Nationalist forces had just entered a floating restaurant when shells rained down intensively upon their location.
The deafening explosions were overwhelming, flames engulfed everything. The three deputy commanders were killed on the spot, the chief of staff was critically injured, and even the Minister of Defense was seriously wounded. The Nationalist command chain was instantly paralyzed, and Kinmen resembled a battleship without a helmsman, swaying in the storm.
Why was the PLA’s “decapitation operation” so precise? Because they had already planted their spies all over the island. Spies disguised as fishermen, traders, gathering intelligence on Nationalist defenses. Their eyes were everywhere, recording the locations of radar stations, artillery positions, even the movements of Nationalist generals.
As the PLA launched artillery attacks, signal flares lit up in many places on the island. The Nationalist command center, radar stations, airport runways, and harbor ships all became targets of artillery fire. Communication systems were cut off, and Kinmen was plunged into isolated darkness.
If the artillery on land was the PLA’s iron fist, then the “wolf pack” tactic on the sea was their sharp blade. In the darkness, a group of seemingly ordinary fishing boats loitered near Kinmen, fishermen humming tunes, fishing nets piled on the deck. However, these fishing boats were not ordinary; they were disguised armed vessels equipped with recoilless cannons and heavy machine guns. Under the cover of the fishing boats, torpedo boats lurked like ghosts, ready to strike.
The Nationalist ships were defenseless. Suddenly, the fishing boats dispersed, revealing the torpedo boats hidden in the middle. Torpedoes surged forward, carrying the deathly whine, heading straight for the Nationalist ships. A tank landing craft carrying nearly a thousand wounded soldiers and residents was caught off guard, hit by two torpedoes. The explosion’s flames illuminated the night sky, and the giant ship slowly sank amid cries of agony.
The PLA’s “wolf pack” tactic functioned like a carefully orchestrated ambush at sea, sinking multiple Nationalist ships in succession. Kinmen’s sea defenses teetered on the edge, and the supply lines were in jeopardy.
The outbreak of the artillery battle shook Taipei. Chiang Kai-shek immediately sought help from the United States, stating firmly, “Not one inch of Kinmen will be given up, even if it means fighting to the last soldier!” However, the 1954 U.S.-Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty only guaranteed the security of Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, not including Kinmen. President Eisenhower hesitated: was it worth risking a war with China for a small island?
The Seventh Fleet rushed to the Taiwan Strait, but the U.S. military’s stance was ambiguous, only willing to escort and supply the Nationalist troops, refusing direct involvement in the conflict. The U.S. even suggested through Secretary of State Dulles that Chiang Kai-shek abandon Kinmen and Matsu, concentrating forces to defend Taiwan. This suggestion was like a cold shower for Chiang Kai-shek.
Chiang Kai-shek responded personally: “Kinmen is a fortress against communism and will not be abandoned!” He compared Kinmen to West Berlin, vowin…