Korean War Exhibit 4 RI
As the third phase of the Korean Wor-the CCF
K J (Communist Chinese Forces) Intervention-drew, to a close
f f , on 24 January 1951 , the United Notions Command (UNC)
hod come to the end of o series of tactical withdrawals
4
Starling in mid-December 1950, U. Gen. Matthew B.
Ridgway's Eighth Army hod fallen bock From the 38th
Parallel, first to the South Korean capital of Seoul, then to a
line below Oson and Wonju. Meanwhile, Maj. Gen.
Edward M Almond's X Corps had evocuoted by sea on the
fireast coast to Pusan, where it became part of the Eighth « „ Tr _✓ '
Army. All the territorial gains in North Korea of the earlier y
phases of the war hod been lost- But General Ridgway was
Behind o rook escort, o ranger nal convinced Ike enemy locked the logistical system to maintain
9 Pa Ile "Can Do Raider Comport'' dthe lS/r
soldier of the Sts Regimental Combat Team, offensive operations For any extended period, and he was Infantry, 3d Infantry Dnosian composed morsly d
24th Infantry Division, fires on Chinese preparing to begin a counteroffensive. This fourth phase of Sao* Korean soldiers with American oNrrers and
L troops on the Han River, February 1951. the war would largely shape the outcome of the conflict. PKOs, approaches Seoul This company swud be
to hest UN unit to reenter the city, Minds 1951.
I After two task forces had encountered little or no Chinese opposition in probes to the north, on 25 January
General Ridgway launched Operation THUNDERBOLT, a larger but still cautious reconnaissance in force
supported by air power Resistance stiffened at the end of the month, but it gave way in the west by 9
February. The next day UN forces secured Inchon and Kimpo airfield, and the U. S. I Corps neared the Han
River. Meanwhile, on the central front, as the operation
_ 0 t expanded, the X Corps met increasing opposition, and the I -
" Chinese struck back on the night of 11 -12 February,
driving back Republic of Korea (ROK) forces north of Is
Hoengsong. But when four Chinese regiments attacked the • _
crossroads town of Chip'yong-ni on the 13th, the U.S. 23d `
Infantry and the French Battalion conducted a successful
defense for three days until the enemy withdrew. Ridgway 4
regarded this valiant effort as symbolic of the renewed
A
fighting spirit of his command. Z '
In the west the U.S. I and IX Corps gradually seized the + r
` Me7 mvoer�eada x- Operator, TreytrHBX, . area up to the Han River, except for one -
•dseth ssoeh o The `"'er ad yaauaBy expands eoshrard. enemy foothold between Seoul and
.. Yongp'yong. By the 18th combat A 7th Infantry Division soldier sits an a Chinese
# t! Rsv kvdh'ah s +x as Cvys aayoodes �"""' . . - bunker on the slope of Hill 902, April 1951.
'
Hca fir•v patrols confirmed that Chinese- and North Korean troops along `
Ch 'ongjin the entire central front were
Chisselle radar I< ` xos. farar'g odvpacm ROK whip withdrawing. General Ridgway10 " boa mossics -
woflq`' then began a general advance _
111ofte °' ="°c1Or'ff'" Ch'osan (Operation KILLER) by the IX and -
/�. • Hyesanjin X Corps to pursue the enemy. By the Pmahocpers of the 1871h Airborne
�
end of the month the Chinese foothold Regimental Combat Team /orad near
�+ ver s r aff s OY°rg the e"f'r0 below the Han River had collapsed. With the Munsair ii to cut off rebeating Chinese
ra approval of General Douglas MacArthur, the hoops, March 1951.
t4* 'imR kaon Operosar K&.ri a ger" advance UNC commander, Ridgway continued his
mor+ Ink X and X Corps attack north by launching Operation RIPPER on 7 March. The objective was a line designated Idaho _ _ -
Hungnam just south of the 38th Parallel. On the night of 14-15 March, UN patrols moved into a deserted _ s
b"'isoR reoiaa+Q soso v lie Han Rive cogapeis Seoul. By the end of the month Ridgway's troops had reached the Idaho line.
Csaseat alidTvsov 069oss Operaeas s>>nEii; dse objective a Wonsan The question now was whether to cross the 38th Parallel again. On 20 March the Joint Chiefs of Staff had
Love dole sso sad► to lse 3W +'ante. • notified General MacArthur that President Harry S. Truman was preparing to announce a willingness to
PYONGYANG negotiate an end to the conflict with the North Koreans and the Chinese, an announcement that would be fit Cavalry Division tanks mase across the Impri
''A" toops 'vveer Seat Mire So i Keno. aprd _ `t..h issued before any advance above the 381h Parallel. MacArthur preempted that announcement by issuing his River an posrd, May 1951.
E *r Asmov is pooisana oiling de Wain line �►�`�' Kansan 38th Parallel own offer to end hostilities, but one that included a threat to
' 8 Jul cross the parallel. President Truman never released his
s RAd4•'rr' au6 opsoases. Euw avo +msasar Fe Y _ statement, concluding, however unhappily, that perhaps
' •�Y'v""rt3v � „ MacArthur's ultimatum would pressure the enemy to the
negotiating toble. He olso left the
atsnass a .a+e nree 'or even ab°Ye 11e 3 - _ decision on crossing the
eao� ° '~ _ 38th Parallel to tactical considerations. Consequently when
' ass a Corps sed to WX ! Corps read, the fr r 1neSE 4 �" _ Ridgway received intelligence about enemy preparations for
1{1e eco 2i 3 ergo a0ite b sed.afort
sce s s an expected ria offensive he an a new
• - " 4 attack,
MacArthur's approval, in early April. The objective was a line
ti
CteseKl tMedsAssr h gbesed a JFK_ <-ah+rwor<k� irseh'an designated Kansas about ten miles above the 38th Parallel.
C+eead advow asome& hist ear By the 9th the U.S. I and IX Corps, and the ROK I Corps on s
Csenssal WYs F60 eeevre cov"OW ci Esp* �✓'-�� Oson ,� 1S Soldiers of the 2d Infantry Division fire o the east coast, had reached that line, and the U.S. X Corps - L
75-mmrecoilless rifle at enemy hoops and the ROK III Corps were nearing i1. The I and IX Corps
•�- then continued their attack beyond Kansas. At the some time, s
on the central Korean front, March 1951.
k"M um*
�e rsra on 1 1 April, President Truman relieved MacArthur ober the
toys `�' Leda �' '^'u 4a"ora Seoul UNC commander said he would welcome Ike use of is ° X'^' 's .k
Nationalist Chinese Faces since there could be "no substitute for victory" in Korea. Ridgway replaced s - �i s
•we o"Wit 011lilassrre n wavi yssr risr# of Siva. • MacArthur, and an 14 April U. Gen. James A. Van Fleet assumed command of the Eighth Amy. .
`'}"'teecosid t's°rd' rdeae "b.wt tar r}krsxae, Eight days later four Chinese army groups and two North Korean corps began Ike enemy's spring offensive, The 805510; Mobile Army Surgical Hospital
ftn" as is "-�sroai 'eww tiers I AX Flea attacking most heavily in the west, with a major focus on recapturing Seoul. Withdrawing in stages to
eaves a eai+r�rS TIMP
previously prepared deftnses several miles north of Seoul, General Von Fleet finally stopped the advance (MASHJ at Yongdurrgp'o. king IVS 1.
EE** Hoy /v rhoOfM b esr•s .
On 15 May the enemy attacked again. Van Fleet hod expected another advance on Seoul, but the brunt of
the assault was in the eastcontrolarea. By repositioning units and using unrelenting artillery fire, he stopped '
Cxwsrot *0 94er the otack on 20 May after the enemy had penetrated thirty miles. To prevent the Chinese and North
fors" ieudser +•vds��an'vos %aS aeE srsos � � M Kweons from regrouping, Van Fleet immediately sent the Eighth Army forward. Meeting light resistance, the
fao�'si • Eighth Army was just short of The Konsos line by 31 May. The next day Van Fleet sent part of his force
Ae srsuif Ussiss eAk (vl evoiseace seta tarter north, to a line designated Wyoming in the west central Oreo known as the Iron Triangle. By mid-
June the Eighth Army was in control of both the Kansas line and the Wyoming bulge.
Given this strong defensive position, Von Fled was
adored to hold and fortify it while Washington waited
for the Chinese and North Koreans to offer to negotiate s
ori armistice The enemy in turn used this lull to regroup
"iso•' Ssooss Asnor rssoer as Awls rr Hroris r and ta butd defenses Opposite the Eighth Army. The
�. _ den ssnttd down to patrols and small clashes. On 23
'e'tos'v k~ F sseanoe - • Jury, locals Malik, the Soviet Union's delegate to the
Ais"g sser 446 NocKosrer Untied Nations, called tar talks on a cease-fin and
IM Aisw hkre armistice When the People's Republic of China
•
JTk. ersdpnttd Malik's statement, President Truman r
� i 'rrd0'r "A"'�' u' a Ilboazed (iontrol Ridgway M arrange the talks Aha
-t.:3rs a wiet al radia neat 25th Inlonlry Division tanks Rn on Chinon Creosol Almond this X Cory caeone drr pu&
.;� messages, the Hrsl arm Ihr lanyard of u 155 mm, howsilnr of Misr 0616
s crwslosore was srhoduled for 10 July in the town of positions along this Him Rir.r to rover an
KflrN A.nikr y 8anolion. mrsnkirp Miw too OW*
isesrsr gig Ike Intro ul lar scale fighting assault by UN bows sans Mir river, Man largo g ^sl sans over 1951 round fired sewn Iter whin convrd in Kane. Aly s
1951.