27 Brigade
Encyclopedia
27 Brigade was a guerrilla force formed in Taichung
, Taiwan
, shortly after the outbreak of 228 Incident
. It was organized by Hsieh Hsueh-hung, a leading figure of Taiwanese Communist Party
during the Japanese Administration Era
, and was led by local Taichung
scholar Chung Yi-ren. The total strength of the brigade remains disputed, with sources putting it as low as 30 and as many as 4,000; however, it is agreed that the bulk of the force was made up of young students and discharged soldiers who had fought in World War II
for the Empire of Japan
. One source also claims that the 27 Brigade discovered a secret weapon cache left by the Japanese that contained enough weapons and ammunition to arm "three whole divisions," which remains disputed today.
On March 15, 1947, when the KMT force closed-in on Taichung, the brigade sent several detachment out to engage the KMT force. They did force the enemy force back, but also sustained heavy casualties and faced shortage of ammunition. The next day, the KMT force, after being reinforced and receiving heavy weaponry, assaulted positions held by the 27 Brigade, inflicted some casualties and forced them to retreat. At night, brigade leaders agreed to disband the brigade; brigade members hid their weapons and returned home shortly before midnight.
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, shortly after the outbreak of 228 Incident
228 Incident
The 228 Incident, also known as the 228 Massacre, was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan that began on February 27, 1947, and was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang government. Estimates of the number of deaths vary from 10,000 to 30,000 or more...
. It was organized by Hsieh Hsueh-hung, a leading figure of Taiwanese Communist Party
Taiwanese Communist Party
The Taiwanese Communist Party was a revolutionary organization active in Japan-ruled Taiwan. Like the contemporary Taiwanese People's Party, its existence was short, a mere three years, yet its politics and activities were influential in shaping Taiwan's anti-colonial enterprise...
during the Japanese Administration Era
Taiwan under Japanese rule
Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was a dependency of the Empire of Japan. The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan's general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century....
, and was led by local Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
scholar Chung Yi-ren. The total strength of the brigade remains disputed, with sources putting it as low as 30 and as many as 4,000; however, it is agreed that the bulk of the force was made up of young students and discharged soldiers who had fought in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
for the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
. One source also claims that the 27 Brigade discovered a secret weapon cache left by the Japanese that contained enough weapons and ammunition to arm "three whole divisions," which remains disputed today.
On March 15, 1947, when the KMT force closed-in on Taichung, the brigade sent several detachment out to engage the KMT force. They did force the enemy force back, but also sustained heavy casualties and faced shortage of ammunition. The next day, the KMT force, after being reinforced and receiving heavy weaponry, assaulted positions held by the 27 Brigade, inflicted some casualties and forced them to retreat. At night, brigade leaders agreed to disband the brigade; brigade members hid their weapons and returned home shortly before midnight.