History

The 80th Division was a military formation of the People's Volunteer Army

People's Volunteer Army

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army was the armed forces deployed by the People's Republic of China during the Korean War. Although all units in the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army belonged to the People's Liberation Army , the People's Volunteer Army was separately constituted in order to...

 (Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) or Chinese Communist Forces (CCF)) during the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

. They were a component of the 27th Army

27th Army (People's Republic of China)

The 27th Group Army is a military formation of China's People's Liberation Army and one of three active group armies belonging to the Beijing Military Region. It is based in Shijiazhuang, Hebei and is composed of one armored brigade, two motorized infantry brigades, one artillery brigade, and an...

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On November 28, 1950, the 80th Division hit the dispersed U.S. units of Task Force Faith

Task Force Faith

Task Force Faith, also known as Task Force Maclean or the Polar Bear Regiment , was a United States Army unit destroyed in fighting at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War between 27 November - 2 December 1950...

 (RCT 31) with waves of infantry. Despite the presence of tracked antiaircraft weapons, the sub-zero cold and the constant Chinese attacks began to take their toll. The fighting was often hand to hand and convinced the (initial) U.S. Task Force commander, Colonel MacLean, to order a pullback to form a more consolidated defense. However, during the withdrawal operations his troops came under renewed enemy attack, and in the confusion MacLean was captured by the Chinese.
Elements of the 80th Division also killed about 300 men from Task Force Faith

Task Force Faith

Task Force Faith, also known as Task Force Maclean or the Polar Bear Regiment , was a United States Army unit destroyed in fighting at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War between 27 November - 2 December 1950...

. Almost all the men were wounded, who had been packed like sardines into trucks or trailers. Abandoned by the rear guard during the RCT's precipitous dash for safety with the Marines at Hagaru-ri, the wounded were trapped at a fire block. They were mostly killed by thermite grenades, thrown into the halted vehicles.

The Task Force Faith

Task Force Faith

Task Force Faith, also known as Task Force Maclean or the Polar Bear Regiment , was a United States Army unit destroyed in fighting at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War between 27 November - 2 December 1950...

 page also states that the 81st Division participated in the attack, and that though they were possibly reinforced, comprised 15,000+ troops. The 80th Division suffered such severe casualties virtually wiping out Task Force Faith, that they did not reappear on the battlefield until March, 1951.