The Korean War Part I, II, III, IV

Доорх сурталчилгаан дээр эхлээд дарна уу

The Korean War Part I

On August 15th, 1945, Allied forces divided the Korean Peninsula along the 38th parallel in order to create a line above which Russia would take responsibility for Japanese surrender, and below which the United States would do the same.

The line shortly became a political boundary, and the Soviets treated North Korea as its own, supplying state-of-the-art weaponry and Communist propaganda. On June 25th, 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, breaking through the sparse forces of the ROK Army, and headed towards Seoul. The United Nations asked its members for assistance in an emergency session. President Truman offered air, logistical, and naval support, but it was soon made apparent that outside ground forces would be required. The Eighth U.S. Army was moved piece by piece to the area, and its first measure, "Task Force Smith", fought a valiant yet futile battle against the North Koreans' Soviet-built tanks. The 25th and 24th Infantry Regiments were the next into the war, working to slow the North Korean advance. The 24th lost at Taejon in a slow, bloody fight. North Korea continued its movement south, and the 25th Infantry and the 1st Cavalry Divisions bolstered the front lines, which eventually were pushed to the southeast corner of South Korea, in the vicinity of Pusan. General Walton H. Walker, commander of the EUSA at the time, stated that "The Eighth Army would stay in Korea until the invader was expelled from the territory of the Republic of Korea."

The Korean War Part II

On September 15th, U.S. X Corps landed at Inchon, and moved east as the 7th Infantry Division, also a component of X Corps, came in behind to strengthen its numbers. At the same time, the Eighth Army forged north from Pusan with the 7th Infantry Division leading the way. As the troops at Inchon pushed east and south, they severed supply lines, running the invaders out of the area and into the mountains. By September 26th, Seoul was liberated. On October 7th, the first Cavalry pushed northward, as X Corps and ROK soldiers continued by sea northward, working to clear mines as they went. On October 19th, the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, fell under United Nations control and by October 28th, ROK troops and X Corps had reached the northern border of North Korea. General McArthur and the U.N. Command continued north to gain control of the entire Korean Peninsula, based on the tenet that the Chinese would not get involved unless the U.N. and ROK forces crossed the Yalu river. However, China had threatened to engage the invaders if the 38th parallel were crossed, therefore Chinese soldiers had already infiltrated south of the Yalu. Heavy numbers of Chinese troops were also concentrated just northeast of the Yalu, similar to a mine ready to detonate. The U.N. forces were walking on eggshells as they worked to relocate troops and equipment into North Korea , circumventing the Sino-Korean border. Suddenly, on November 1st, Chinese forces ambushed the ROK divisions near the border. On November 26th they also swept the right flank of the forward forces, in an effort to cut the forces off from the south. Under the push of the Communist forces, the EUSA was driven west and south.

The Korean War Part III

The Communist forces were relentless. When they destroyed a bridge across a deep gorge which prevented the U.N. forces from moving south, emergency bridging equipment had to be flown in to keep the evacuation in progress. On December 23rd, General Walker died in a Jeep accident and Lt. General Ridgeway became the new commander of the U.N. forces. On January 1, 1951, Chinese and NK troops crossed the 38th. By this time the Chinese forces had grown to 400,000, and the NK troops had reached 100,000. General Ridgeway's direction halted the North Korean Army south of Seoul, the ROK capital. A limited strike campaign pushed back the enemy forces, and by March 31, the Eighth Army had again crossed the 38th. On April 11, 1951, General Ridgeway replaced General McArthur and Lt. General Van Fleet assumed command of the Eighth. His scattered battles allowed for the general retirement of Chinese aggression beyond artillery range, therefore leaving North Korea open on the east coast. However, the Joint Chiefs of Staff halted Van Fleet's northward expansion, in fear of the Soviet threat of a nuclear standoff. By the end of May, 1951, the battle line of the war approached the line that the Demilitarized Zone is today.

The Korean War Part IV

On June 23rd, Soviet ambassador Malik offered a cease-fire. Under territory dispute based patrol attacks and border-wide infiltrations, talks broke down in August. After numerous victories by Van Fleet's troops in the main supply and manufacturing area of the Chinese called the "Iron Triangle", and the Punchbowl, a fortified region of hills, the Chinese decided to resume talks for concession. The talks resumed on November 12. However, small clashes on the front kept the U.N. forces busy as well as the Chinese, who by the end of 1952, had over 800,000 troops in North Korea, with Soviet equipment moving in. After two years of truce talks between China, Russia, North Korea, and the U.N., in which prisoners of war were still being held and ridiculous demands were being made, a cease-fire was achieved. Overall, the United Nations and Republic of Korea forces had captured over 171,000 POWs, many of which did not want to be returned to their home country, which strained local resources, both in terms of space and food. The Communists had captured over 92,000 POWs, two-thirds of which reportedly died or were killed in custody. In the years that have followed the armistice, South Korea and the United States have faced numerous subversive attacks, as well as the capture of the U.S.S. Pueblo in international waters and a failed submarine infiltration mission.