Painting of the battle from a war museum on Kinmen. (©Robert D Eldridge)
Hiroshi Nemoto played a pivotal, though often underappreciated, role in the Battle of Guningtou. This key military engagement in 1949 saved Taiwan from falling into Communist hands during the Chinese Civil War.
Nemoto's strategic impact on the battle is emblematic of the complex geopolitical shifts occurring in East Asia at the time. By understanding his contributions, we gain a deeper appreciation for the international dimensions of this historic battle and the broader implications for Taiwan's survival as a separate entity from the People's Republic of China (PRC).
The Battle of Guningtou
October 10 marked the celebration of the 113th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China (ROC). On that date, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te referred to the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Guningtou. However, he and most textbooks failed to mention the role of Hiroshi Nemoto, a former Imperial Japanese Army lieutenant general. Nemoto's tactical expertise and relationship with Chiang Kai-shek helped save Kinmen Island and the rest of Taiwan from falling into the hands of the Communist forces during the Civil War in China.
The Battle of Guningtou took place on Kinmen Island (also known as Quemoy). It is actually a small but strategically important island group located just off the coast of mainland China. In late 1949, after the Communist victory on the mainland, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) sought to quickly capture Kinmen. The island group was held by the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) forces led by Chiang Kai-shek. Control of Kinmen would have given the Communists an important forward base from which to launch an invasion of Taiwan, where Chiang and the remnants of his government had fled.
Repelling the Invasion
On October 25, 1949, the PLA launched an amphibious assault on Kinmen, which lies within sight of the Chinese coast. The goal was to overwhelm the Nationalist defenders and quickly secure the island. Although the battle lasted only two days, it is widely seen as a turning point in the war.
Against considerable odds, the Nationalists managed to repel the Communist invasion. Their success ensured that Kinmen and, by extension, Taiwan would remain in Nationalist hands. This victory bought Chiang Kai-shek valuable time to consolidate his position in Taiwan and secure Taiwan and its other outlying islands as the base of the Republic of China, which remains a separate entity from the PRC to this day.
Nemoto's Role in the Battle
In the lead-up to the PLA's assault on Kinmen, Nemoto worked closely with Nationalist commanders to strengthen the islands' defenses. One of his key contributions was the strategic placement of anti-tank obstacles and the reinforcement of defensive positions along the island's beaches. They were the locations where the PLA was expected to land.
Nemoto anticipated the PLA's reliance on amphibious tactics and sought to exploit their lack of experience in such operations. He also emphasized the importance of mobility and counterattacks, advising the Nationalists to quickly counter any PLA landings before they could establish a beachhead.
When the battle began, Nemoto's preparations were put to the test. The PLA launched an amphibious assault at night, landing thousands of troops on the shores of Kinmen. Despite their numerical superiority, the PLA met stiff resistance from the well-prepared Nationalist forces. Nemoto's defensive strategies, particularly the use of interlocking fields of fire and well-placed anti-tank weapons, played a key role in disrupting the PLA's landings.
A 'Sense of Purpose'
Nemoto's influence extended beyond the tactical level. He is also credited with advising Nationalist leaders on the importance of maintaining troop morale. In the face of the overwhelming Communist advance on the mainland and other factors, morale in the Nationalist ranks was low. Nemoto understood that psychological resilience was as important as physical defenses. His ability to instill a sense of purpose and urgency in the Nationalist defenders contributed to their determination to hold the island.
Perhaps most importantly, Nemoto advocated a swift and decisive counterattack once the initial PLA landings were contained. He argued that the Nationalists could not afford to allow the PLA to consolidate its forces on the island.
Following his advice, the Nationalist forces launched a counteroffensive that drove the PLA troops back into the sea. This was instrumental in turning the tide of the battle and preventing the Communists from gaining a foothold on Kinmen.
Fulfilling Obligations
Nemoto was no mercenary for hire. Nor did he help the Nationalist forces repel the Communists simply out of ideological hatred for the Communists, having personally witnessed their actions in China and those of their allies, the Soviet Union, in Manchuria and other areas.
Nemoto felt a personal obligation to the leader of the Nationalist forces. Chiang Kai-shek had arranged for Nemoto to surrender to the Chinese, rather than the advancing Soviet forces, thus sparing Nemoto's life. (Nemoto had planned to commit suicide if he had to surrender to the Soviets.) What's more, Chiang Kai-shek allowed the 40,000 Japanese civilians and 350,000 Japanese troops under Nemoto's supervision to leave China and return to Japan safely in late 1945 and 1946.
But the other thing for which Nemoto was particularly grateful was that Chiang Kai-shek had resisted pressure from the other Allies at the Cairo Conference in 1943 to depose the Japanese Emperor. Chiang instead argued that the Japanese people should be allowed to decide. To Nemoto, Chiang Kai-shek had saved Emperor Hirohito and perhaps the monarchy.
When an associate of Chiang's visited Nemoto's home in early 1949 and asked for his help, Nemoto knew then and there that he had to go to Chiang's side. Selling everything he had to raise money for his secret journey, he left his wife and small children, expecting to die in battle. He departed by boat, via Miyazaki Prefecture, under the cover of night.
The Impact of the Battle and Nemoto's Legacy
The Nationalist victory at the Battle of Guningtou was a major strategic defeat for the PLA. It dashed Communist hopes of launching a quick invasion of Taiwan. Moreover, it forced Mao Zedong to reconsider his plans to unify China under Communist rule.
The battle bought Chiang Kai-shek's government the time it needed to strengthen its defenses on Taiwan and to secure international support. In particular, support from the United States, which would later guarantee Taiwan's security through military, economic, and diplomatic means.
Nemoto was not the only Japanese to help China at this time. However, the mutual respect that he and Chiang shared, and more importantly, the strong sense of obligation that Nemoto felt toward him helped the Nationalist forces carry the day.
The Battle of Guningtou remains a defining moment in Taiwan's history, and Nemoto's role in that battle should not be overlooked. Indeed, it can once again serve as a model for future cooperation.
An Acclaimed Biography
I first learned of former Lt Gen Nemoto when I visited Kinmen in March 2023 with the acclaimed Japanese author, Ryusho Kadota. A decade earlier in 2013, Kadota had published an award-winning and highly praised biography of Nemoto entitled Kono Inochi, Gi ni Sasagu (by Kadokawa Publishers. In English, "Giving One's Life in Obligation.") Kadota, who has written many books about Taiwan, was leading a tour for Japanese who have close ties to the island nation, and I was privileged enough to join them then.
However, Kadota had another reason for being there, too. He wanted to see if Nemoto's role — which had long been ignored in local history books and ROC government publications — had finally been openly acknowledged since the publication of his landmark biography. Together, we searched and searched in various museums, memorials, statues, parks, and other places on Kinmen. Finally, we found a new reference to the great general.
As readers can imagine, authorities in the ROC were reluctant to acknowledge their reliance on the wisdom and guidance of a former enemy. Therefore, Nemoto's role and accomplishments have been little known for more than six decades.
Sadly, his role and accomplishments are also not well known in Japan.
Finding Nemoto
Earlier in 2024, I visited Nemoto's gravesite in Sukagawa, Fukushima Prefecture, where he originally came from. Other than the family name, and a brief description on the gravestone itself, there were no identifying markers to guide historians or tourists. Worse, the local tourism office and museum did not know who he was or where his grave was located. Even the handful of taxi drivers I spoke to had no idea.
One, however, was willing to take a chance. He drove me to a public cemetery where after much walking and searching, I was able to find the grave with the help of an elderly couple. It was a worthwhile trip.
As I write this commentary from Taipei, I cannot help but think that if it were not for Nemoto, modern Taiwan, free and independent of the PRC, would not exist. I, for one, am grateful to him. More Taiwanese and Japanese, not to mention those in the rest of the world, should be as well. We can learn a lot from his story.
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Author: Robert D Eldridge
Dr Eldridge is the author of "The Necessary Commander and the Unnecessary Fight: Colonel Nakagawa Kunio and the Battle of Peleliu" (Reed International, 2024) and the former political advisor to the Marine Corps in Japan.
