Battle of Onjong
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Onjong also known as the Battle of Wenjing , was one of the first engagements between Chinese
and United Nations
forces during the Korean War
. It took place around Onjong
in present-day North Korea
from October 25 to October 29, 1950. As the main focus of the Chinese First Phase Campaign, the Chinese 40th Corps
conducted a series of ambushes against the Republic of Korea II Corps
, effectively destroying the right flank of the United States
Eighth Army while stopping the UN advances north toward the Yalu River
.
began in June 1950 with the Korean People's Army
(KPA) of the north attacking the Republic of Korea in the south. The invasion was almost successful in conquering all of the Republic of Korea until the United Nations
(UN) intervened, sending ground forces into the country under the command of the United States
. The UN forces initially experienced early defeats until the Battle of the Pusan Perimeter, where the UN forces reversed North Korea's momentum. By October 1950, the KPA was effectively destroyed by the UN forces after the landing at Inchon
. Despite the strong objections from the People's Republic of China
on North Korea's northern border, the US Eighth Army crossed the 38th parallel
and advanced towards the Sino-Korean border at the Yalu River
. As part of the Thanksgiving
Offensive to end the war, the Republic of Korea (ROK) II Corps
, which was composed of the ROK 6th
, 7th
and 8th Infantry Division
, was ordered to attack north towards the Yalu River through the village of Onjong on October 23, 1950.
In response to the UN advances, China's Chairman, Mao Zedong
, ordered the People's Liberation Army
's North East Frontier Force to enter North Korea and engage UN forces under the name People's Volunteer Army
(PVA). In order to stabilize the rapidly collapsing Korean front and to push back the advancing UN forces, Mao authorized the First Phase Campaign, a bridgehead
-building operation with the aim of destroying the ROK II Corps, the vanguard and the right flank of the US Eighth Army, advancing up the along the Taebaek Mountains
in the middle of the peninsula. After the Chinese leadership finally settled the issue of armed intervention on October 18, Mao ordered the PVA to enter Korea on October 19 under strict secrecy.
is a crossroad village located at the lower Ch'ongch'on River
Valley, 10 mi (16.1 km) northeast of Unsan
. At the east of Onjong stands the town of Huich'on, the staging area of the ROK II Corps for the Thanksgiving Offensive. To the north, Onjong is linked to the town of Kojang, which is located at 50 mi (80.5 km) away from the Yalu River. Because of the hilly terrain at the Sino-Korean Border, Onjong is one of the few access points into the Yalu River area. The terrain also limits troop movements while providing ideal grounds for ambushes.
of the ROK 6th Infantry Division turned north and advanced towards Kojang, while the ROK 2nd Infantry Regiment of the ROK 6th Infantry Division planned to advance northwest from Onjong towards Pukchin. Because the UN Command
expected no opposition from the destroyed KPA, the advances were not coordinated between the UN units. As a result, the ROK 7th Infantry Regiment managed to wander into Chinese territory without much opposition, completely oblivious to the new threats surrounding them.
While the Koreans were advancing towards the Yalu River, the Chinese were also trying to deploy their units for the upcoming First Phase Campaign. As the PVA Commander Peng Dehuai
scrambled to set up his new command post at Taeyudong, the planned advance by the ROK 2nd Infantry Regiment threatened to overrun his position. Without any KPA units nearby to hide the presence of the Chinese, Peng was forced to start the First Phase Campaign early by moving the PVA 40th Corps
to intercept the ROK 2nd Infantry Regiment near Onjong. On the night of October 24, the 118th Division of the 40th Corps arrived at its designated blocking position. Meanwhile, the Chinese had set up numerous ambush positions on the ridges overlooking the Onjong-Pukchin road.
When the ROK 2nd Infantry Regiment learned that the 3rd Battalion was under heavy attack, its 2nd Battalion was moved forward to support the 3rd Battalion while its 1st Battalion was sent back to Onjong. Although the 2nd Battalion was turned back after encountering strong resistances, the South Koreans managed to capture several Chinese prisoners who revealed that there were nearly 10,000 Chinese soldiers waiting down the road. At the same time, the PVA High Command ordered the PVA 120th Division of the 40th Corps to join the battle while the rest of the 40th Corps was busy setting up roadblocks around Onjong. With all the roadblocks in place by midnight, the PVA 118th Division and one regiment from the PVA 120th Division attacked Onjong on October 26 at 0330, and the ROK 2nd Infantry Regiment was dispersed within 30 minutes. Although Colonel Ham Byung Sun, commander of the ROK 2nd Infantry Regiment, managed to rally his troops 5 km (3.1 mi) east of Onjong, the Chinese were still able to penetrate the new position within an hour. At this point not a single company of the regiment was left intact, and the ROK 2nd Infantry Regiment ceased to be an organized unit. Approximately 2,700 men of the 3,100 in the regiment eventually escaped to the Ch'ongch'on River. The 3rd Battalion's Korean Military Advisory Group
(KMAG) adviser, Lieutenant Glen C. Jones, was among those captured, and he eventually died in a North Korean prison camp. Captain Paul V. S. Liles of the KMAG also fell captive to the Chinese.
The ROK 7th Infantry Regiment had now become the only surviving formation of the ROK 6th Infantry Division, but it too was ambushed by the PVA 118th Division on October 29 20 mi (32.2 km) south of Kojang. The PVA 118th Division was ordered to wait for reinforcements from the 50th Corps
, but the 118th Division attacked alone on the night of October 29 to prevent the Koreans from escaping. After a two hour battle, the ROK 7th Infantry Regiment was forced to disperse with its survivors scattered into the hills. About 875 officers and 3,552 other soldiers managed to escape, while Major Harry Fleming of the KMAG was wounded in fifteen places and was later captured by the Chinese.
. With the Chinese forces pouring into the rear of the UN lines, the Eighth Army was forced to retreat to the Ch'ongch'on River. Only the stubborn defense of Kunu-ri by the US 5th Regimental Combat Team
and the ROK 7th Infantry Division
on November 4 managed to stop the Chinese advance and prevented a disastrous defeat for the Eighth Army. By November 5, logistics difficulties forced the Chinese to end the First Phase Campaign.
Although the Chinese were unable to exploit the breakthrough in the UN lines, the weakness of the ROK II Corps on the Eighth Army's right flank was exposed to the Chinese commanders. During the planning of the Chinese Second Phase Campaign, Peng would again focus his attention towards the ROK II Corps at the Eighth Army's right flank, resulting in a disastrous defeat for the UN forces at the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River
. To commemorate this battle as China's official entry into the Korean War, October 25 is currently the War to Resist America and Aid Korea
Memorial Day in China.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and United Nations
United Nations Command (Korea)
The United Nations Command is the unified command structure for the multinational military forces supporting the Republic of Korea during and after the Korean War...
forces 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...
. It took place around Onjong
Onjong
-History:Onjŏng was a ri from 1949 to 1954.In October 1950, Onjŏng was the location of the Battle of Onjong, the first contact between Chinese and United Nations Command forces in the Korean War....
in present-day North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
from October 25 to October 29, 1950. As the main focus of the Chinese First Phase Campaign, the Chinese 40th Corps
40th Army (People's Republic of China)
The 40th Army was a military formation of the People's Volunteer Army during the Korean War. It was composed of the 118th, 119th, and 120th Divisions.-History:In the morning of Oct...
conducted a series of ambushes against the Republic of Korea II Corps
II Corps (South Korea)
-History:II Corps was created July 24, 1950, just before the Battle of Pusan Perimeter.II Corps consisted of the 1st Division and 6th Infantry Division....
, effectively destroying the right flank of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Eighth Army while stopping the UN advances north toward the Yalu River
Yalu River
The Yalu River or the Amnok River is a river on the border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China....
.
Background
The Korean WarKorean 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...
began in June 1950 with the Korean People's Army
Korean People's Army
The Korean People's Army , also known as the Inmin Gun, are the military forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim Jong-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defence Commission...
(KPA) of the north attacking the Republic of Korea in the south. The invasion was almost successful in conquering all of the Republic of Korea until the United Nations
United Nations Command (Korea)
The United Nations Command is the unified command structure for the multinational military forces supporting the Republic of Korea during and after the Korean War...
(UN) intervened, sending ground forces into the country under the command of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The UN forces initially experienced early defeats until the Battle of the Pusan Perimeter, where the UN forces reversed North Korea's momentum. By October 1950, the KPA was effectively destroyed by the UN forces after the landing at Inchon
Battle of Inchon
The Battle of Inchon was an amphibious invasion and battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations . The operation involved some 75,000 troops and 261 naval vessels, and led to the recapture of the South Korean capital Seoul two...
. Despite the strong objections from the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
on North Korea's northern border, the US Eighth Army crossed the 38th parallel
38th parallel north
The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean...
and advanced towards the Sino-Korean border at the Yalu River
Yalu River
The Yalu River or the Amnok River is a river on the border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China....
. As part of the Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
Offensive to end the war, the Republic of Korea (ROK) II Corps
II Corps (South Korea)
-History:II Corps was created July 24, 1950, just before the Battle of Pusan Perimeter.II Corps consisted of the 1st Division and 6th Infantry Division....
, which was composed of the ROK 6th
6th Infantry Division (South Korea)
-History:The 6th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Republic of Korea Army during the 20th Century. The Division consisted of the 2nd, 7th, and 19th Regiments....
, 7th
7th Infantry Division (South Korea)
The 7th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Republic of Korea Army during the 20th Century.After the fall of Taejon, only had a few hundred survivors to participate in the Battle of Pusan Perimeter....
and 8th Infantry Division
8th Infantry Division (South Korea)
The 8th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Republic of Korea Army during the 20th Century.-History:The unit comprises the 10th, 16th and 21st Regiments. The 16th Infantry Regiment was originally activated as the 16th Regiment on October 28, 1948 at Masan and was first commanded by...
, was ordered to attack north towards the Yalu River through the village of Onjong on October 23, 1950.
In response to the UN advances, China's Chairman, Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
, ordered the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
's North East Frontier Force to enter North Korea and engage UN forces under the name 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...
(PVA). In order to stabilize the rapidly collapsing Korean front and to push back the advancing UN forces, Mao authorized the First Phase Campaign, a bridgehead
Bridgehead
A bridgehead is a High Middle Ages military term, which antedating the invention of cannons was in the original meaning expressly a referent term to the military fortification that protects the end of a bridge...
-building operation with the aim of destroying the ROK II Corps, the vanguard and the right flank of the US Eighth Army, advancing up the along the Taebaek Mountains
Taebaek Mountains
The Taebaek Mountains are a mountain range in both North Korea and South Korea. They form the main ridge of the Korean peninsula.-Geography:...
in the middle of the peninsula. After the Chinese leadership finally settled the issue of armed intervention on October 18, Mao ordered the PVA to enter Korea on October 19 under strict secrecy.
Locations and terrain
OnjongOnjong
-History:Onjŏng was a ri from 1949 to 1954.In October 1950, Onjŏng was the location of the Battle of Onjong, the first contact between Chinese and United Nations Command forces in the Korean War....
is a crossroad village located at the lower Ch'ongch'on River
Ch'ongch'on River
The Ch'ŏngch'ŏn River is a river of North Korea having its source in the Rangrim Mountains of Chagang Province and emptying into the Yellow Sea at Sinanju. The river flows past Myohyang-san and through the city of Anju, South P'yŏngan Province...
Valley, 10 mi (16.1 km) northeast of Unsan
Unsan
Unsan is a kun, or county, in eastern North Pyongan province, North Korea. Within the province, it borders Hyangsan in the east, Kujang and Nyongbyon in the south, and Tongchang and Taechon in the west...
. At the east of Onjong stands the town of Huich'on, the staging area of the ROK II Corps for the Thanksgiving Offensive. To the north, Onjong is linked to the town of Kojang, which is located at 50 mi (80.5 km) away from the Yalu River. Because of the hilly terrain at the Sino-Korean Border, Onjong is one of the few access points into the Yalu River area. The terrain also limits troop movements while providing ideal grounds for ambushes.
Forces and strategy
On October 24, the ROK 6th Infantry Division of the ROK II Corps advanced westward from Huich'on, and Onjong was captured on the same day. From Onjong, the ROK 7th Infantry Regiment7th Infantry Regiment (South Korea)
-History:The 7th Infantry Regiment is a military formation of the 6th Division of the Republic of Korea Army. It was the first unit of the United Nations Command to reach the Yalu River, and the only unit operating under Eighth Army command to do so during the war. The 7th Infantry Regiment was...
of the ROK 6th Infantry Division turned north and advanced towards Kojang, while the ROK 2nd Infantry Regiment of the ROK 6th Infantry Division planned to advance northwest from Onjong towards Pukchin. Because the UN Command
United Nations Command (Korea)
The United Nations Command is the unified command structure for the multinational military forces supporting the Republic of Korea during and after the Korean War...
expected no opposition from the destroyed KPA, the advances were not coordinated between the UN units. As a result, the ROK 7th Infantry Regiment managed to wander into Chinese territory without much opposition, completely oblivious to the new threats surrounding them.
While the Koreans were advancing towards the Yalu River, the Chinese were also trying to deploy their units for the upcoming First Phase Campaign. As the PVA Commander Peng Dehuai
Peng Dehuai
Peng Dehuai was a prominent military leader of the Communist Party of China, and China's Defence Minister from 1954 to 1959. Peng was an important commander during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese civil war and was also the commander-in-chief of People's Volunteer Army in the Korean War...
scrambled to set up his new command post at Taeyudong, the planned advance by the ROK 2nd Infantry Regiment threatened to overrun his position. Without any KPA units nearby to hide the presence of the Chinese, Peng was forced to start the First Phase Campaign early by moving the PVA 40th Corps
40th Army (People's Republic of China)
The 40th Army was a military formation of the People's Volunteer Army during the Korean War. It was composed of the 118th, 119th, and 120th Divisions.-History:In the morning of Oct...
to intercept the ROK 2nd Infantry Regiment near Onjong. On the night of October 24, the 118th Division of the 40th Corps arrived at its designated blocking position. Meanwhile, the Chinese had set up numerous ambush positions on the ridges overlooking the Onjong-Pukchin road.
Initial contacts
On the morning of October 25 and with its 3rd Battalion on point, the ROK 2nd Infantry Regiment started to advance northwest towards Pukchin. The Koreans soon came under fire 8 mi (12.9 km) to the west of Onjong. The 3rd Battalion dismounted from their vehicles to disperse what they thought would be a small force of KPA, but the two Chinese regiments on the high ground immediately began pouring heavy fire onto the Korean left, front and right flanks. The 3rd Battalion broke instantly, abandoning most of its vehicles and artillery along the way. About 400 survivors managed to escape the trap and fall back into Onjong.When the ROK 2nd Infantry Regiment learned that the 3rd Battalion was under heavy attack, its 2nd Battalion was moved forward to support the 3rd Battalion while its 1st Battalion was sent back to Onjong. Although the 2nd Battalion was turned back after encountering strong resistances, the South Koreans managed to capture several Chinese prisoners who revealed that there were nearly 10,000 Chinese soldiers waiting down the road. At the same time, the PVA High Command ordered the PVA 120th Division of the 40th Corps to join the battle while the rest of the 40th Corps was busy setting up roadblocks around Onjong. With all the roadblocks in place by midnight, the PVA 118th Division and one regiment from the PVA 120th Division attacked Onjong on October 26 at 0330, and the ROK 2nd Infantry Regiment was dispersed within 30 minutes. Although Colonel Ham Byung Sun, commander of the ROK 2nd Infantry Regiment, managed to rally his troops 5 km (3.1 mi) east of Onjong, the Chinese were still able to penetrate the new position within an hour. At this point not a single company of the regiment was left intact, and the ROK 2nd Infantry Regiment ceased to be an organized unit. Approximately 2,700 men of the 3,100 in the regiment eventually escaped to the Ch'ongch'on River. The 3rd Battalion's Korean Military Advisory Group
Korean Military Advisory Group
The Korean Military Advisory Group was a United States military unit of the Korean War...
(KMAG) adviser, Lieutenant Glen C. Jones, was among those captured, and he eventually died in a North Korean prison camp. Captain Paul V. S. Liles of the KMAG also fell captive to the Chinese.
Second ambush
The loss of surprise due to the early start of the First Phase Campaign greatly disappointed Mao. Nevertheless, Mao still urged Peng to destroy the South Koreans by baiting them with trapped ROK units. At the same time, Major General Yu Jai Hung, commander of the ROK II Corps, sent the ROK 19th Infantry Regiment of the ROK 6th Infantry Division and the ROK 10th Infantry Regiment of the ROK 8th Infantry Division to recapture Onjong and to salvage the lost equipment from the battle. The ROK 7th Infantry Regiment was also ordered to retreat south with the ROK 6th Infantry Division. Hoping to draw the rest of the ROK II Corps into the open, Peng ordered the PVA 118th Division to swing north and to trap the retreating ROK 7th Infantry Regiment, while the PVA 119th and the 120th Division of the 40th Corps would wait to ambush any rescue forces passing through Onjong. On October 27, the PVA 118th Division isolated the ROK 7th Infantry Regiment by cutting the road between Kojang and Onjong, but the ROK 7th Infantry Regiment did not reach the roadblock due to the lack of fuel. Upon realizing that the ROK II Corps had not fallen for the deception, Peng ordered the 119th and the 120th Divisions to destroy the ROK 10th and 19th Infantry Regiment. On the night of October 28, the ambush by the two Chinese divisions quickly decimated the advancing ROK regiments at the east of Onjong, and the Chinese roadblocks in the rear areas forced the South Korean soldiers to abandon all vehicles and artillery in order to escape.The ROK 7th Infantry Regiment had now become the only surviving formation of the ROK 6th Infantry Division, but it too was ambushed by the PVA 118th Division on October 29 20 mi (32.2 km) south of Kojang. The PVA 118th Division was ordered to wait for reinforcements from the 50th Corps
50th Army (People's Republic of China)
The 50th Army was a military formation of the People's Volunteer Army XIII Army Group, during the Korean War. It was composed of the 148th, 149th, and 150th Divisions....
, but the 118th Division attacked alone on the night of October 29 to prevent the Koreans from escaping. After a two hour battle, the ROK 7th Infantry Regiment was forced to disperse with its survivors scattered into the hills. About 875 officers and 3,552 other soldiers managed to escape, while Major Harry Fleming of the KMAG was wounded in fifteen places and was later captured by the Chinese.
Aftermath
With the loss of the ROK 6th Infantry Division and the ROK 10th Infantry Regiment from the ROK 8th Infantry Division, the ROK II Corps was decimated, and effectively ceased to be an organized fighting force. This meant the right flank of the US Eighth Army was completely open to the Chinese forces, which were now advancing south to overwhelm the UN forces. Exploiting the situation, the Chinese launched another attack on the now exposed Eighth Army center, resulting in the loss of the ROK 15th Infantry Regiment and the US 8th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of UnsanBattle of Unsan
The Battle of Unsan , also known as the Battle of Yunshan , was a series of engagements of the Korean War that took place from 25 October to 4 November 1950 near Unsan, North Pyongan province in present-day North Korea...
. With the Chinese forces pouring into the rear of the UN lines, the Eighth Army was forced to retreat to the Ch'ongch'on River. Only the stubborn defense of Kunu-ri by the US 5th Regimental Combat Team
5th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 5th Infantry Regiment is the third-oldest infantry regiment of the United States Army, tracing its origins to 1808...
and the ROK 7th Infantry Division
7th Infantry Division (South Korea)
The 7th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Republic of Korea Army during the 20th Century.After the fall of Taejon, only had a few hundred survivors to participate in the Battle of Pusan Perimeter....
on November 4 managed to stop the Chinese advance and prevented a disastrous defeat for the Eighth Army. By November 5, logistics difficulties forced the Chinese to end the First Phase Campaign.
Although the Chinese were unable to exploit the breakthrough in the UN lines, the weakness of the ROK II Corps on the Eighth Army's right flank was exposed to the Chinese commanders. During the planning of the Chinese Second Phase Campaign, Peng would again focus his attention towards the ROK II Corps at the Eighth Army's right flank, resulting in a disastrous defeat for the UN forces at the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River
Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River
The Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River, also known as the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on or the Second Phase Campaign Western SectorThe Eastern Sector is the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. , was a decisive battle in the Korean War, and it took place from November 25 to December 2, 1950 along the Ch'ongch'on...
. To commemorate this battle as China's official entry into the Korean War, October 25 is currently the War to Resist America and Aid Korea
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...
Memorial Day in China.