On September 20, 1952, over 150 nationalist strike force members riding in four large speedboats launched a surprise attack on Nanpeng island.

However, due to the urgent defense needs from other parts of the vast coastal regions, the job of retaking the archipelago was given to the ground force, and a strengthened battalion of the communist 41st Army was assigned the mission.

However, it was soon discovered that the unit was ill-prepared for an amphibious landing and as a result, the schedule had to be pushed back to first allow more than 20 days of training to be completed.

The mop up operation and skirmishes on other islands completely stopped the next day at 4:00 am, with the archipelago firmly back in the hands of the communists.

The communists, on the other hand, had paid a heavy price in their attempt to retake the archipelago because they had gravely underestimated the enemy and although the mission was a success, it was a very costly victory, resulting in almost every task force member becoming a casualty.