ORDER OF BATTLE // January 19, 1955
Battle of Dachen Archipelago
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 43,000 estimated
Republic of China (Taiwan)
15,000
Medium-confidence figure
People's Republic of China
28,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Dachen Archipelago was fought between the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China for control of several archipelagos off the Zhejiang coast during the First Taiwan Strait Crisis. The engagement involved a Republic of China force of approximately 15,000 against a People's Republic of China force of approximately 28,000, with Chiang Ching-kuo and Alfred M. Pride commanding on the ROC side and Zhang Aiping leading PRC forces. The contest over the Dachen islands formed part of the broader offshore islands dispute that defined the early confrontation between Taiwan and mainland China following the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War, with the archipelagos' proximity to the Zhejiang coast making them strategically significant in the contest over control of waters and territory adjacent to the mainland.
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