How to Deter China from Invading Taiwan (Militarily) (III)

choi

(1) Part II cited a HK01 article that said, "觀諸歷史和現代的水雷作戰發展，其基本原則就是，「在敵方航道、港口周邊佈雷，以增高敵方船艦的出勤風險，進而癱瘓敵水面、水下部隊戰力」。也就是說，佈雷要在敵境佈雷，要癱瘓的是敵軍的航道和港灣。而台灣海軍的佈雷作戰，反而不具備這種特性。台軍自稱為「防禦性佈雷」，事實上在軍事科學領域中，並未有過此例。"

The statement is simply false.

(a) Plenty of famous battles involved defensive sea mining.
(i) Gallipoli campaign
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallipoli_campaign
(Feb 17, 1915 – Jan 9, 1916)
, where Ottoman Empire entered World War I on the side of Central Power with German Empire in a surprise Black Sea Raid against Russian Empire, the Western Front was stalemated in trench warfare; the young Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty (October, 1911– Nov 25, 1915), advocated and opened a new front against Ottoman Empire with Gallipoli campaign, which failed miserably because "in November [1914] the Ottomans began to mine the waterway * * * mobility of the Ottoman batteries [cannons (on both sides of Turkish Straits)] evaded the Allied [battleship] bombardments and threatened the minesweepers sent to clear the Straits * * * After the failure of the naval attacks, troops were assembled to eliminate the Ottoman mobile artillery" which also failed.

Turkish Straits
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_Straits
, whose last photo (taken by a satellite) has a caption that reads "The long, narrow upper peninsula is Gallipoli (Turkish: Gelibolu)."
"Gallipoli is the Italian form of the [Wiktionary: Ancient] Greek name Kallípolis, meaning 'Beautiful City.' "  en.wikipedia.org for Gallipoli.  (Wiktionary.com says its Latin name was Callipolis. Gelibolu came from the same Ancient Greek word.)
(ii) Battle of Inchon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Inchon  
("The initial plan [proposed by MacArthur] was met with skepticism by the other generals because Incheon's natural and artificial defenses were formidable. The approaches to Incheon were two restricted passages, which could be easily blocked by naval mines. * * * critically to the future success of the invasion, [US Navy Lieutenant Eugene F] Clark reported that the North Koreans had not in fact systematically mined the channels")
(iii) Defensive sea mining also featured in Russo-Japanese War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Japanese_War
("On April 12, 1904, two Russian pre-dreadnought battleships, the flagship Petropavlovsk and the Pobeda, slipped out of port but struck Japanese mines off Port Arthur. * * * On May 15, 1904, two Japanese battleships, the Yashima [八島 ('Many Islands,' a name for Japan": en.wikipedi.a.org for Yashima)] and the Hatsuse [初瀬 (named after Hase-dera 長谷寺, whose current address is 奈良県桜井市初瀬731-1: 初瀬 is pronounced Hase, but was pronounced Hatsu-se; the neighborhood is named after 初瀬山, on halfway of which 長谷寺 lies)], were lured into a recently laid Russian minefield off Port Arthur, each striking at least two mines," both of which sunk)

(b) naval mine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_mine
("Naval mines can be used offensively, to hamper enemy shipping movements or lock vessels into a harbour; or defensively, to protect friendly vessels and create 'safe' zones. * * * Defensive minefields safeguard key stretches of coast from enemy ships and submarines, forcing them into more easily defended areas, or keeping them away from sensitive ones. * * * Battle of Mobile Bay [Aug 2-23, 1864; Mobile Bat was mined, but Union captured it and a neighboring fort (but not City of Mobile)] * * * After 1865 the United States adopted the mine as its primary weapon for coastal defense. * * * In September 1939, the UK announced the placement of extensive defensive minefields in waters surrounding the Home Islands. Offensive aerial mining operations began in April 1940")

(2) "據說，這還是美國方面極力建議台軍整建的戰略思考。"

On second thought, the idea is not so ludicrous. You see, in this scenario Taiwan may lay see mines on the eve or during the invasion. The latter will cut off reinforcement and prevent the first wave from retreat. It is said that China needs to execute the strategy of 速戰速決, to achieve fait accompli before foreign intervention.  The defensive mining is not expected to last long.