Date/Time: 09-07-1958 / 00:00:00 Zulu
Location: Taiwan Strait

Introduction

Tensions between the Republic of China and the Peoples Republic of China in the 1950s resulted in armed conflict over many small islands in the Taiwan Strait. The ROC and PRC both looked at these islands as possible staging points for invasion into each other’s homeland. The PRC bombarded these islands on two separate occasions and the ROC used them to harass shipping and bombard the mainland on numerous occasions. With the global Cold War growing, the United States intervened on behalf of the Republic of China which angered the PRC and started a long history of animosity between the two powers.

The first crisis occurred in the early to middle 1950s. The PRC had attacked the Yijiangshan Islands, forcing the ROC to abandon the Tachen Islands which the US Navy helped evacuate. The Matsu and Quemoy island chains were heavily bombarded by the PRC. The Truman administration was conflicted about getting involved, but once the Korean War started the Seventh Fleet was ordered to the Straits to prevent an attack on Formosa as well as prevent a ROC build up on the islands. The ROC was asked to cease attacks on the mainland. This neutral course of action did not survive the election, and the new Eisenhower administration firmly sided with the ROC by releasing the blockade and allowing a massive build up on the islands. The US government became a founding member of SEATO and signed a defense agreement with the ROC covering an invasion of Formosa, but not the islands. The PRC responded by taking the Yijiangshan islands and unleashing massive bombardments of Matsu and Quemoy. The United States finally ended it with the threat of nuclear weapons, which Mao was unable to get Soviet support to match.

The second crisis occurred in late August to late September 1958. Mao had met with Khrushchev and likely received the support he needed. Heavy bombardments of Matsu and Quemoy commenced. The United States pushed a 6-carrier task force into the region and provided the ROC with needed weapons systems to defend itself including: new Sidewinder missiles, modern large-caliber artillery capable of firing nuclear shells, a modern Nike SAM battery and numerous air and sea transport assets. The US Navy was committed to escorting ROC ships to within 3 nautical miles of the island, the USAF provided modern F-100 and F-104 fighter aircraft to defend Formosa, and the SAC was put on full alert with numerous aircraft readied to carry out nuclear attacks on the PRC mainland.

The historical outcome was several skirmishes and numerous bombardments, but cooler heads prevailed and nuclear war was once again averted. These skirmishes would include the first shoot-down of an aircraft using an air to air missile (AIM-9B Sidewinder) and an odd arrangement where the ROC and PRC agreed to bombard each other on opposite days (!). This activity would slowly peter out over the years, as bigger issues and the costs of invasion for both became unreachable. American and China would soon be caught up in bigger crises of the Cold War, but the damage was done.

The outcome of this scenario will be quite different. The goal is to help players understand why China perceives American carrier power as a threat to its interests and its limitations in restricted waters.

 

Scenario Notes:

This bonus scenario is playable from the US Navy side only and has a duration of 12 hours (daylight).

You will need special messages set to on in your game options. The ROC/GNC side is marked as a neutral to respect the communication limitations of the era. You will receive messages in many cases from them.

The US Navy had a very strict ROE of not allowing warships within three nautical miles of Quemoy. Whether that was actually followed or not is debatable, but you should try to do this. I have not set anything to actually enforce this.

Have fun!