Battle of Taegu
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The Battle of Taegu was an engagement between UN and North Korean forces early in the Korean War
, with fighting continuing from August 5–20, 1950 around the city of Taegu, South Korea. It was a part of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter
, and was one of several large engagements fought simultaneously. The battle ended in a victory for the United Nations after their forces were able to drive off an offensive by North Korean divisions attempting to cross the Naktong River and assault the city.
Five North Korean Army divisions massed around the city preparing to cross the Naktong River and assault it from the north and west. Defending the city were the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division
and the ROK II Corps. In a series of engagements, each of the North Korean divisions attempted to cross the Naktong and attack the defending forces. The success of these attacks varied by region, but attacks in the 1st Cavalry Division sector were repulsed and the attacks in the South Korean sector were more successful.
During the battle, however, North Korean troops were able to surprise US troops on Hill 303 and capture them. Late in the battle, these troops were machine gunned in the Hill 303 massacre
. Despite these things, the UN forces were successful in driving most of the North Koreans off, but the decisive battle to secure the city would occur during the Battle of the Bowling Alley
.
on June 25, 1950, the United Nations Security Council
voted to send armed forces to defend South Korea. The United States, a permanent member of the Security Council, immediately deployed armed forces (U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force units) to southeastern South Korea because of their immediate availability from their bases in Japan
and Okinawa, where the military occupation of Japan was still in effect (through 1952). (Reinforcements from such countries as Australia
, Canada
, Greece
, New Zealand
, Turkey
, and the United Kingdom
took much longer to arrive from overseas.)
The goal of American armed forces was to reinforce the remnants of the South Korean Army in fighting back the North Korean invasion (but only in the southeastern part of South Korea, around the major seaport of Pusan) to prevent the complete collapse of the South Korean Army and of the South Korean Government. However, the American armed forces in the Orient
had been decreasing steadily since the end of World War II
(in August 1945). Under the orders of Emperor Hirohito, the Japanese people had presented no trouble to the American occupation forces, and the Japanese set about peacefully rebuilding their devastated country. By mid-1950, there were no American troops in South Korea, and the American force in Japan had dwindled drastically.
At the time of the North Korean invasion, the closest American ground force was the 24th Infantry Division, which was based in Japan. This division had fewer than its normal contingent of soldiers, and most of its equipment was rather old due to the U.S. Congress's reductions in military spending. In any case, the 24th Infantry Division was the only part of the U.S. Army that was available to quickly reinforce South Korea.
Thus, the 24th Infantry Division was the first American armed force sent to South Korea with the mission to blunt the advance of the North Korean Army and to set up a defensive perimeter around Pusan (the Pusan Perimeter) with the aid of Air Force, U.S. Navy, and Marine Corps aviation forces. The Supreme United Nations military commander in the area, General Douglas MacArthur
, decided to have his American and South Korean troops to dig in around Pusan and hold on until he could assemble a powerful force (the American 10th Corps) to make an amphibious counterattack
at Inchon on the northwestern coast of South Korea, near Seoul
, later on in 1950. The 24th Infantry Division, along with its South Korean allies, was hence nearly alone for several weeks while the Americans and South Koreans held out inside the Pusan Perimeter and awaited reinforcements and counterattackis against the North Koreans.
Among the American units that reinforced the Pusan Perimeter as soon as they could arrive were the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division (horseless, of course), the 7th Infantry Division, and the 25th Infantry Divisions, along with other units of the U.S. Eighth Army
that provided logistical, medical, and intelligence support. Advance units of the 24th Infantry Division were badly defeated in the Battle of Osan
on July 5th in the first encounter between American and North Korean troops. For the first month after the defeat at Osan, the 24th Infantry repeatedly pushed back and forced southeastward by larger numbers of North Korean troops equipped with rugged Soviet-made T-34 tanks. (The heavily-armored T-34 had been a primary Soviet weapon against the Nazi German invasion of the U.S.S.R. in 1942–1945.)
The troops of the 24th Infantry were systematically pushed southeast in the Battle of Chochiwon
, the Battle of Chonan
, and the Battle of Pyongtaek
, as well as in smaller engaagements. The 24th Infantry made it made a desperate stand against the North Koreans in the Battle of Taejon
, where it was heavily decimated, but it delayed the North Korean advance until July 20. By that time, the Eighth Army's force of combat troops were roughly equal in numbers to North Korean forces attacking the Pusan Perimeter, with new U.N. forces arriving arriving from America, Australia, New Zealand, etc., nearly every day.
With the city of Taejon captured, the North Korean Army began surrounding the Pusan Perimeter on the north and the west in an attempt to crush it. The 4th
and 6th
North Korean Infantry Divisions advanced south in a wide flanking maneuver
. These two North Korean divisions attempted to turn the American's and South Korean's left flank in order to capture Pusan from the southwest, but the North Koreans became dispersed out in the process. They were also exposed to repeated air attacks from the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy. The North Koreans attacked the U.S. troops with superior numbers at first, and with the rugged T-34 tanks, but despite local defeats, the U.N. troops, with the help of aviation and naval units were able to extend the Pusan Perimeter all the way south to the East China Sea
and to blunt all North Korean attacks toward Pusan. American air supremacy
using airfields in Japan and the aircraft carrier
s of the 7th Fleet in the Sea of Japan
were probably the decisive ingredient in enabling the Pusan Perimeter to hold out..
American forces were pushed back repeatedly before finally halting the North Korean advance in a series of battles around the edges of the Pusan Perimeter. Forces of the 3rd Battalion, 29th Infantry, newly arrived in the country, were wiped out at Hadong
in a coordinated ambush
by North Korean forces on July 27, opening a pass to the Pusan area. Soon after, North Korean forces took Chinju to the west, pushing back the US 19th Infantry Regiment and leaving routes to the Pusan open for more North Korean attacks. US formations were subsequently able to defeat and push back the North Koreans on the flank in the Battle of the Notch
on August 2. Suffering mounting losses, the Korean People's Army
force in the west withdrew for several days to re-equip and receive reinforcements. This granted both sides a reprieve to prepare for the attack on the Pusan Perimeter.
Walton Walker
had established Taegu as the Eighth Army's headquarters. Right at the center of the Pusan Perimeter, Taegu stood at the entrance to the Naktong River valley, an area where North Korean forces could advance in large numbers in close support. The natural barriers provided by the Naktong River to the south and the mountainous terrain to the north converged around Taegu, which was also the major transportation hub and last major South Korean city aside from Pusan itself to remain in UN hands. From south to north, the city was defended by the US 1st Cavalry Division, and the ROK 1st Division and ROK 6th Division of ROK II Corps. 1st Cavalry Division was spread out along a long line along the Naktong River to the south, with its 5th Cavalry and 8th Cavalry regiments holding a 24000 metres (78,740.2 ft) line along the river south of Waegwan, facing west. The 7th Cavalry held position to the east in reserve, along with artillery forces, ready to reinforce anywhere a crossing could be attempted. The ROK 1st Division held a northwest-facing line in the mountains immediately north of the city while the ROK 6th Division held position to the east, guarding the narrow valley holding the Kunwi road into the Pusan Perimeter area.
Five North Korean divisions amassed to oppose the UN at Taegu. From south to north, the 10th
, 3rd
, 15th
, 13th
, and 1st Division
s occupied a wide line encircling Taegu from Tuksong-dong and around Waegwan
to Kunwi. The North Korean army planned to use the natural corridor of the Naktong valley from Sangju
to Taegu as its main axis of attack for the next push south, so the divisions all eventually moved through this valley, crossing the Naktong at different areas along the low ground. Elements of the DPRK 105th Armored Division also supported the attack.
At the same time, the DPRK 1st Division crossed the river on barges between Hamch'ang and Sangju, in the ROK 6th Division's sector from 6 to 8 August. This attack was discovered quickly by American reconnaissance planes and the DPRK 1st Division was immediately engaged by the ROK forces. The two divisions locked in battle around Kunwi until 17 August, with the North Korean division facing stubborn resistance, heavy air attacks, and heavy casualties.
The DPRK 15th Division, the next of the DPRK divisions in the line to the south, received 1,500 replacements at Kumch'on on 5 August, which brought its strength to about 6,500 troops. On the next day, its 45th Regiment marched northeast toward the Naktong River. This regiment passed through Sonsan on 7 August and crossed the river southeast of that town while under attack by American warplanes. Once across the river, this regiment headed into the mountains, initially encountering no opposition. Its other two regiments, the 48th and 50th, departed from Kumch'on later and began crossing the Naktong between Indong and Waegwan
before dawn of 8 August, constructing underwater bridges for their vehicles. The North Koreans supported this crossing by direct tank fire from the western side of the river. These tanks next carried out their own river crossing during the day. The DPRK 15th Division seized Hills 201 and 346 on the east side of the river at the crossing site before advancing eastward into the mountains toward Tabu-dong, 7 miles (11.3 km) away. On the next day, the ROK 1st Division regained the high ground at the crossing sites, driving the DPRK forces further eastward into the mountains. From 12 through 16 August, the three regiments of the DPRK 15th Division united on the east side of the Naktong River in the vicinity of Yuhak-san, 5 miles (8 km) east of the crossing site and 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Tabu-dong. The DPRK 13th Division quickly locked in combat on Yuhak-san with the ROK 1st Division.
South of Waegwan, two more enemy divisions stood ready to cross the Naktong in a coordinated attack with the divisions to the north. The experienced DPRK 3rd Division, concentrated in the vicinity of Songju, and the untested DPRK 10th Division, concentrated in the Koryong area, and both mobilized for an attack. These two divisions crossed in the American 1st Cavalry Division's sector. The DPRK 3rd Division's 7th Regiment started crossing the Naktong at about 0300 hours on 9 August near Noch'on, two miles (three km) south of the Waegwan bridge. After discovering this crossing, units of the American 5th Cavalry Regiment directed automatic-weapon fire against the North Korean units and and also called in pre-registered artillery fire on the crossing site. Although the enemy regiment suffered some casualties, the bulk of it reached the east bank and then moved inland into the hills. About 30 minutes later, the 8th and 9th Regiments began crossing the river to the south. The 5th Cavalry Regiment and all its supporting mortar
s and artillery
, now fully alerted, spotted and decimated the troops of the two regiments and turned them back to the west bank. Only a small number of North Koreans reached the eastern side. From there, they were either captured by the U.N. troops or hid out until the next night – when they retreated across the river.
at the 1st Cavalry Division headquarters in Taegu learned of the enemy's river crossing in the area of his division south of Waegwan. Since the first reports were vague, Gen. Gay decided to withhold counterattack until he learned more about the situation. He quickly learned that around 750 DPRK infantry troops had gathered on Hill 268, also known as "Triangulation Hill", which was 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Waegwan and 10 miles (16.1 km) northwest of Taegu. Gen. Gay ordered his division to counterattack the enemy gathering to force them across the river. He and Gen. Walker thought that this attack could be a feint, and that the North Koreans could be planning a larger attack to their north. Furthermore, the hill was important because of its proximity to the lines of supply. The main Korean north-south highway and the main Seoul-Pusan railroad skirted the base of Triangulation Hill.
At about 0930, Gen. Gay ordered the 1st Battalion of the 7th Cavalry, to counter the DPRK army penetration. This battalion moved from its bivouac area just outside Taegu, accompanied by five tanks of A Company, 71st Heavy Tank Battalion. This motorized force proceeded to the foot of Hill 268. Meanwhile, the 61st Field Artillery Battalion shelled the hill heavily.
At about 1200 the artillery fired a preparation on Hill 268, and the 1st Battalion next attacked it with orders to continue on southwest to Hill 154. Hill 268 was covered with thick brush from about 4 feet (1.2 m) and trees eight to 10 feet (3 m) high. The day was very hot, and many of the American soldiers collapsed from heat exhaustion during the attack, which was not well-coordinated with the artillery fire. The North Koreans repulsed the attack.
On the next morning, 10 August, air raids and artillery bombardment
s rocked Hill 268, devastating the North Korean battalion. That afternoon, Gen. Gay ordered the five American tanks to move along the Waegwan road until they could fire onto the hill from the northwest into its reverse slope. This tank-gun fire caught the DPRK troops unprepared while they were hiding from the artillery fire. Trapped between the two barrages, they started to vacate their positions. An American infantry attack next reached the creat of the Triangulation Hill without much trouble, and this battle was over by 1about 600. American artillery and mortar fire was now shifted westward, and the cut off the retreat of the DPRK troops. White phosphorus shells fired from the 61st Field Artillery Battalion caught North Korean troops in a village while they attempted to retreat, and the DPRK troops were then routed by American infantry, suffering over 200 killed. That evening the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, returned to the serve as the division reserve, and elements of the 5th Cavalry finished securing Hill 268.
The 7th Regiment of the DPRK 3rd Division had been destroyed on the hill. The 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry suffered 14 men killed, and 48 wounded in the two-day battle. About 1,000 men of the 7th Regiment had crossed the Naktong to Hill 268, and about 700 of at them became casualties. Artillery and mortars had inflicted most of the crippling casualties on the regiment. After crossing to the east side of the Naktong, the enemy regiment had received no food or ammunition supply. An estimated 300 survivors retreated across the river the night of 10–11 August. The DPRK 3rd Division's attempted crossing of the Naktong south of Waegwan had ended in catastrophe. When the survivors of the 7th Regiment rejoined the division on or about 12 August, the once powerful 3rd Division was reduced to a disorganized unit of only about 2,500 troops. The DPRK Army placed this division in reserve to be rebuilt by replacements.
it left the trains and continued south on foot through Taejon, arriving at the Naktong opposite Waegwan around 8 August. The division was ordered to cross the Naktong River in the vicinity of Tuksong-dong, penetrate east, and cut the main supply route of the U.N. troops from Pusan to Taegu. The division assembled in the Koryong area on 11 August.
Two regiments of the DPRK 10th Division, the 29th to the south and the 25th to the north, were to make the assault crossing with the 27th Regiment in reserve. The 2nd Battalion, 29th Regiment, was the first unit of the division to cross the river. Its troops waded across undetected during the night of August 11/12, west of Hyongp'ung. It then occupied Hill 265, a northern spur
of Hill 409, 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of Hyongp'ung, and set up machine gun positions. The other two battalions followed it and occupied Hill 409. The North Koreans on Hill 409 soon ambushed a patrol from the 21st Infantry Regiment of the US 24th Infantry Division, which was moving north and trying to establish contact with the 7th Cavalry Regiment during the Battle of the Naktong Bulge occurring simultaneously to the south.
Further north, the 25th Regiment started crossing the Naktong at about 0300 on August 12, in the vicinity of Tuksong-dong, on the Koryong-Taegu road. The 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, covered this crossing site, which was 14 miles (22.5 km) southwest of Taegu. By daylight, a North Korean force of 300 to 400 had penetrated to Wich'on-dong and 2nd Battalion's H Company engaged it in close combat. In a grenade and automatic weapons attack, the North Koreans overran the advance positions of the company, the mortar observation post, and the heavy machine gun positions. The North Koreans were apparently attempting to control high ground east of Yongp'o in order to provide protection for the main crossing that was to follow. By 0900, however, the 2nd Battalion, supported by the 77th Field Artillery Battalion and air strikes, drove the North Koreans troops back through Yongp'o and dispersed them.
A more determined North Korean crossing of the Naktong in the vicinity of the blown bridge between Tuksong-dong and Yongp'o began early in the morning on 14 August. By 0620, about 500 North Korean soldiers had penetrated as far as Yongp'o. Fifteen minutes later, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry soldiers engaged the North Koreans at Wich'on-dong, a mile east of the crossing site. At 0800 General Gay ordered 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry to move to the Yongp'o area to support the 2nd Battalion.
North Korean artillery and tank fire from the west side of the river supporting the infantry crossing. A large number of North Korean reinforcements were crossing in barges near the bridge, while under fire from American air strikes and artillery. This attack also stalled, with the deepest North Korean penetration reaching Samuni-dong, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) beyond the blown-up bridge. From there the combined fire of US light weapons, mortars, and artillery drove them back to the river. By 1200, large groups of North Koreans were trying to recross the river to the west side as American artillery continued hammering them, causing heavy casualties.
By nightfall, the 7th Cavalry Regiment had eliminated the North Korean bridgehead
at Yongp'o. In the fight, the only major one to take place along the Naktong at a prefabricated crossing site, the 25th and 27th Regiments of the DPRK 10th Division suffered crippling losses. The 7th Cavalry estimated that of 1,700 North Korean troops that had succeeded in crossing the river, 1,500 had been killed. Two days after the battle, H Company reported it had buried 267 enemy dead behind its lines. In front of its position, G Company counted 150 enemy dead. In contrast, G Company suffered only two men killed and three wounded during the battle. In its first combat mission, the crossing of the Naktong, the 10th Division suffered 2,500 casualties.
Almost simultaneously with the DPRK 10th Division's crossing in the southern part of the 1st Cavalry Division sector at Tuksong-dong and Yongp'o, another was taking place northward above Waegwan near the boundary between the division's sector and the ROK 1st Division's sector. The northernmost unit of the 1st Cavalry Division was G Company of the 5th Cavalry Regiment. It held Hill 303, the furthest position on the Eighth Army's extreme right flank.
For several days UN intelligence sources had reported heavy North Korean concentrations across the Naktong opposite the ROK 1st Division. Early in the morning on August 14, a North Korean regiment crossed the Naktong 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Waegwan into the ROK 1st Division sector through an underwater bridge. Shortly after midnight that night, ROK forces on the high ground just north of the U.S.-ROK Army boundary were attacked by this force. After daylight an air strike partially destroyed the underwater bridge. The North Korean attack spread south and by 1200 North Korean small arms fire fell on G Company, 5th Cavalry Regiment, on Hill 303. Instead of moving east into the mountains as other landings had, this force turned south and headed for Waegwan.
Early in the morning on August 15, G Company men on Hill 303 spotted 50 North Korean infantry supported by two T-34
tanks moving south along the river road at the base of the hill. They also spotted another column moving to their rear which quickly engaged F Company with small arms fire. In order to escape the enemy encirclement, F Company withdrew south, but G Company did not. By 0830, North Koreans had completely surrounded it and a supporting platoon of H Company mortarmen on Hill 303. A relief column, composed of B Company, 5th Cavalry, and a platoon of US tanks tried to reach G Company, but was unable to penetrate the North Korean force that was surrounding Hill 303.
Later that day, B Company and the tanks tried again to retake the hill, now estimated to contain a 700 man battalion. The 61st Field Artillery Battalion and elements of the 82nd Field Artillery Battalion, fired on the hill during the day. During the night, G Company succeeded in escaping from Hill 303. Before dawn on the 17th, troops from both the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 5th Cavalry Regiment, supported by A Company of the 70th Tank Battalion, attacked Hill 303, but heavy North Korean mortar fire stopped them at the edge of Waegwan. During the morning, heavy artillery preparations pounded the North Korean positions on the hill.
At 1400 an air strike came in, with planes bombarded the hill with napalm
, bombs, rockets, and machine guns. The strike and artillery preparation, were successful in pushing North Korean forces off the hill. After the strike, the infantry at 1530 attacked up the hill unopposed and secured it by 1630. The combined strength of E and F Companies on top of the hill was about sixty men. The artillery preparations and the air strike killed and wounded an estimated 500 enemy troops on Hill 303, with survivors had fleeing in complete rout after the air strike.
In regaining Hill 303 on August 17, the 5th Cavalry Regiment discovered the bodies of 26 mortarmen of H Company, hands tied in back, with gunshot wounds to the back. First knowledge of the event came in the afternoon when scouts brought in a man from Hill 303, Pvt. Roy Manring of the Heavy Mortar Platoon, who had been wounded by automatic weapons fire. Manring had crawled down the hill until he saw scouts of the attacking force. In all about 45 men were shot by the North Koreans in the event, of which only five survived. The total number of men executed around Hill 303 is unclear, as several more men were subsequently discovered in other locations around the hill with evidence of execution. Angered, General of the Army
Douglas MacArthur
, commander of all UN forces in Korea, broadcast a warning to North Korean leaders they would be held accountable for the atrocity. However intercepted documents show the North Korean command was also concerned with the conduct of its troops and issued orders to limit killing of Prisoners of War.
, this division fought an extremely bloody defense of the mountain approaches to Taegu. US planners believed the main North Korean attack would come from west, and so the US command massed its forces to the west of Taegu. The US command mistakenly believed up to 40,000 North Korean troops were near Taegu. This number was above the actual troops numbers for North Korea, which had only 70,000 men along the entire perimeter. American artillery fire from the 1st Cavalry Division sector supported the South Koreans in this area. The division's 13th Regiment still held some positions along the river, while the 11th and 12th Regiments battled the North Koreans in the high mountain masses of Suam-san and Yuhak-san, west and northwest of Tabu-dong and 4 miles (6.4 km) to 6 miles (9.7 km) east of the Naktong River. The North Koreans continued to use the underwater bridge across the Naktong 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Waegwan as their major route for supply and reinforcements. UN forces continued to target this bridge, even scoring a direct hit with a 155mm howitzer
, but it was not seriously damaged.
Through the middle of August, North Korean forces relentlessly attacked the sectors occupied by the ROK 13th Regiment and the US 5th Cavalry. This assault, together with increasingly heavy pressure against the main force of the ROK 1st Division in the Tabu-dong area, began to endanger the UN control of Taegu. On August 16, 750 Korean police
were stationed on the outskirts of the city to reinforce faltering military lines. Refugees had swollen Taegu's normal population of 300,000 to 700,000. A crisis seemed to be developing among the people on August 18 when several North Korean artillery shells landed in Taegu. The shells, falling near the railroad station, damaged the roundhouse, destroyed one yard engine, killed one Korean civilian, and wounded eight others. The Korean Provincial Government subsequently ordered the evacuation of Taegu, and President Syngman Rhee
moved the national leaders to Pusan. Following the ordered evacuation, swarms of panicked Korean refugees began to pour out on the roads leading from the city, threatening to stop all military traffic, but Eighth Army eventually halted the evacuations.
On August 14, General MacArthur ordered Lieutenant General George E. Stratemeyer
to conduct a carpet bombing
of a 27 square miles (69.9 km²) rectangular area on the west side of the Naktong River opposite the ROK 1st Division. Intelligence estimates placed the greatest concentrations of enemy troops in this area, some estimates being as high as four enemy divisions and several armored regiments, all of 40,000 men, who were reportedly using the area to stage their attack on Taegu. General Gay, commanding the 1st Cavalry Division, repeatedly requested that the bombing include the area northeast of Waegwan. This request was denied because of fear that bombing there might cause casualties among the 1st Cavalry and ROK 1st Division troops. Stratemeyer did not think his aircraft could successfully carpet bomb an area larger than 3 miles (4.8 km) square but he complied with MacArthur's order anyway.
At 1158, August 16, the first of the 98 B-29 Superfortresses of the 19th, 22nd, 92nd, 98th, and 307th Bomber Group
s arrived over the target area from their Far East Air Force bases in Japan and Okinawa. The last planes cleared the target at 1224. The bombers from 10,000 feet dropped approximately 960 tons of 500- and 1,000-pound bombs. The attack had required the entirety of the FEAF bombing component, and they had dropped 3,084 500 pounds (226.8 kg) bombs and 150 1000 pounds (453.6 kg) bombs. This comprised the largest Air Force operation since the Battle of Normandy
in World War II.
General Walker reported to General MacArthur the next day that the damage done to the North Koreans by the bombing could not be evaluated because of smoke and dust, and ground forces could not reach it because of North Korean fire. Information obtained later from North Korean prisoners revealed the enemy divisions the Far East Command thought to be still west of the Naktong had already crossed to the east side and were not in the bombed area. No evidence was found that the bombing killed a single North Korean soldier. However, the bombing seems to have destroyed a significant number of North Korean artillery batteries. The UN ground and air commanders opposed future massive carpet bombing attacks against enemy tactical troops unless there was precise information on an enemy concentration and the situation was critical. Instead, they recommended fighter-bomber
s and dive bomber
s would better support ground forces. They subsequently canceled a second bombing of an area east of the Naktong scheduled for August 19.
s. The five North Korean divisions each suffered heavy casualties, and each of them finally collapsed under the strain of both mounting losses and lack of supplies. However, some of these division's troops were able to disperse into the mountains. Some of these troops later assembled for different battles. These final elements of the DPRK Army were finally defeated in the Battle of the Bowling Alley
.
Casualties among the American 1st Cavalry Division were relatively light. This division suffered a total of about 600 casualties, with around 200 killed in action, including those at Hill 303. American forces in established positions were able to decimate North Korean units crossing the Naktong in the open with their artillery fire and air attacks. The exact numbers of soldiers captured and executed compared with those killed in combat are difficult to determine, because of conflicting accounts of how many prisoners were actually held on Hill 303. The DPRK troops suffered much higher casualties, and also a much higher percentage of them killed in action (KIA). This included 2,500 at Yongp'o, 500 at Hill 303, and 700 on Triangulation Hill. This places the total KIA at over 3,700 troops, though the exact number of casualties is unknown in the carpet-bombing operation because the patrols of the U.N. troops were unable to reconnitor this area until much later.
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...
, with fighting continuing from August 5–20, 1950 around the city of Taegu, South Korea. It was a part of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter
Battle of Pusan Perimeter
The Battle of Pusan Perimeter was a large-scale battle between United Nations and North Korean forces lasting from August 4 – September 18, 1950. It was one of the first major engagements of the Korean War...
, and was one of several large engagements fought simultaneously. The battle ended in a victory for the United Nations after their forces were able to drive off an offensive by North Korean divisions attempting to cross the Naktong River and assault the city.
Five North Korean Army divisions massed around the city preparing to cross the Naktong River and assault it from the north and west. Defending the city were the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division
U.S. 1st Cavalry Division
The 1st Cavalry Division is one of the most famous and most decorated combat divisions of the United States Army.Presently, in its digitalized, modular, rapidly deployable 4 combat brigade configuration, it is the most powerful heavy armored division in the United States Army, with a spacious base...
and the ROK II Corps. In a series of engagements, each of the North Korean divisions attempted to cross the Naktong and attack the defending forces. The success of these attacks varied by region, but attacks in the 1st Cavalry Division sector were repulsed and the attacks in the South Korean sector were more successful.
During the battle, however, North Korean troops were able to surprise US troops on Hill 303 and capture them. Late in the battle, these troops were machine gunned in the Hill 303 massacre
Hill 303 massacre
The Hill 303 massacre was a war crime that took place in the Korean War on August 17, 1950 on a hill above Waegwan, South Korea. Forty-one captured US Army prisoners of war were machine-gunned by members of the North Korean People's Army during one of the smaller engagements of the Battle of Pusan...
. Despite these things, the UN forces were successful in driving most of the North Koreans off, but the decisive battle to secure the city would occur during the Battle of the Bowling Alley
Battle of the Bowling Alley
In the Battle of the Bowling Alley , United Nations forces defeated North Korean forces early in the Korean War near the city of Taegu, South Korea. The battle took place in a narrow valley, dubbed the "Bowling Alley", which was north of Taegu...
.
Outbreak of war
Following the invasion of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) by its northern neighbor, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the outbreak of 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...
on June 25, 1950, the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
voted to send armed forces to defend South Korea. The United States, a permanent member of the Security Council, immediately deployed armed forces (U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force units) to southeastern South Korea because of their immediate availability from their bases in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Okinawa, where the military occupation of Japan was still in effect (through 1952). (Reinforcements from such countries as Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
took much longer to arrive from overseas.)
The goal of American armed forces was to reinforce the remnants of the South Korean Army in fighting back the North Korean invasion (but only in the southeastern part of South Korea, around the major seaport of Pusan) to prevent the complete collapse of the South Korean Army and of the South Korean Government. However, the American armed forces in the Orient
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
had been decreasing steadily since the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(in August 1945). Under the orders of Emperor Hirohito, the Japanese people had presented no trouble to the American occupation forces, and the Japanese set about peacefully rebuilding their devastated country. By mid-1950, there were no American troops in South Korea, and the American force in Japan had dwindled drastically.
At the time of the North Korean invasion, the closest American ground force was the 24th Infantry Division, which was based in Japan. This division had fewer than its normal contingent of soldiers, and most of its equipment was rather old due to the U.S. Congress's reductions in military spending. In any case, the 24th Infantry Division was the only part of the U.S. Army that was available to quickly reinforce South Korea.
Thus, the 24th Infantry Division was the first American armed force sent to South Korea with the mission to blunt the advance of the North Korean Army and to set up a defensive perimeter around Pusan (the Pusan Perimeter) with the aid of Air Force, U.S. Navy, and Marine Corps aviation forces. The Supreme United Nations military commander in the area, General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, decided to have his American and South Korean troops to dig in around Pusan and hold on until he could assemble a powerful force (the American 10th Corps) to make an amphibious counterattack
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
at Inchon on the northwestern coast of South Korea, near Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, later on in 1950. The 24th Infantry Division, along with its South Korean allies, was hence nearly alone for several weeks while the Americans and South Koreans held out inside the Pusan Perimeter and awaited reinforcements and counterattackis against the North Koreans.
Among the American units that reinforced the Pusan Perimeter as soon as they could arrive were the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division (horseless, of course), the 7th Infantry Division, and the 25th Infantry Divisions, along with other units of the U.S. Eighth Army
U.S. Eighth Army
The Eighth United States Army – often unofficially abbreviated EUSA – is the commanding formation of all US Army troops in South Korea.-World War II:...
that provided logistical, medical, and intelligence support. Advance units of the 24th Infantry Division were badly defeated in the Battle of Osan
Battle of Osan
The Battle of Osan was the first engagement between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War, on July 5, 1950. A U.S. task force of 400 infantry supported by an artillery battery was moved to Osan, south of the South Korean capital Seoul, and ordered to fight as a rearguard to...
on July 5th in the first encounter between American and North Korean troops. For the first month after the defeat at Osan, the 24th Infantry repeatedly pushed back and forced southeastward by larger numbers of North Korean troops equipped with rugged Soviet-made T-34 tanks. (The heavily-armored T-34 had been a primary Soviet weapon against the Nazi German invasion of the U.S.S.R. in 1942–1945.)
The troops of the 24th Infantry were systematically pushed southeast in the Battle of Chochiwon
Battle of Chochiwon
The Battle of Chochiwon was an early engagement between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War, taking place in the villages of Chonui and Chochiwon in western South Korea on July 10–12, 1950...
, the Battle of Chonan
Battle of Chonan
The Battle of Chonan was the third engagement between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War. It occurred on the night of July 7/8, 1950 in the village of Chonan in western South Korea...
, and the Battle of Pyongtaek
Battle of Pyongtaek
The Battle of Pyongtaek was the second engagement between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War, occurring on July 6, 1950 in the village of Pyongtaek in western South Korea...
, as well as in smaller engaagements. The 24th Infantry made it made a desperate stand against the North Koreans in the Battle of Taejon
Battle of Taejon
The Battle of Taejon was an early battle between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War. Forces of the United States Army, attempting to defend the headquarters of the 24th Infantry Division were overwhelmed by numerically superior forces of the Korean People's Army at the...
, where it was heavily decimated, but it delayed the North Korean advance until July 20. By that time, the Eighth Army's force of combat troops were roughly equal in numbers to North Korean forces attacking the Pusan Perimeter, with new U.N. forces arriving arriving from America, Australia, New Zealand, etc., nearly every day.
North Korean advance
4th Division (North Korea)
-History:The 4th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Korean People's Army during the 20th Century.Activated in late 1948, the 4th Infantry Division in the summer of 1950 consisted of the 5th, 16th, and 18th Infantry regiments, plus an artillery regiment and antitank, self-propelled...
and 6th
6th Division (North Korea)
The 6th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Korean People's Army during the 20th Century. The date that the 6th Infantry Division was formed in somewhat unclear as the Army during the Korean War believed that the 6th ID was established either in July 1949 or March 1950 at Sinuiju from...
North Korean Infantry Divisions advanced south in a wide flanking maneuver
Flanking maneuver
In military tactics, a flanking maneuver, also called a flank attack, is an attack on the sides of an opposing force. If a flanking maneuver succeeds, the opposing force would be surrounded from two or more directions, which significantly reduces the maneuverability of the outflanked force and its...
. These two North Korean divisions attempted to turn the American's and South Korean's left flank in order to capture Pusan from the southwest, but the North Koreans became dispersed out in the process. They were also exposed to repeated air attacks from the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy. The North Koreans attacked the U.S. troops with superior numbers at first, and with the rugged T-34 tanks, but despite local defeats, the U.N. troops, with the help of aviation and naval units were able to extend the Pusan Perimeter all the way south to the East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...
and to blunt all North Korean attacks toward Pusan. American air supremacy
Air supremacy
Air supremacy is the complete dominance of the air power of one side's air forces over the other side's, during a military campaign. It is the most favorable state of control of the air...
using airfields in Japan and the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s of the 7th Fleet in the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
were probably the decisive ingredient in enabling the Pusan Perimeter to hold out..
American forces were pushed back repeatedly before finally halting the North Korean advance in a series of battles around the edges of the Pusan Perimeter. Forces of the 3rd Battalion, 29th Infantry, newly arrived in the country, were wiped out at Hadong
Hadong
Hadong County is a county in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.-History:The county of Hadong was called 'Dasachon' when it was a part of the Jin state; later becoming a part of 'Nangnoguk', one of 12 statelets of the Byeonhan confederacy...
in a coordinated ambush
Hadong Ambush
The Hadong Ambush was an engagement between United States and North Korean forces, occurring on July 27, 1950 in the village of Hadong in southern South Korea, early in the Korean War...
by North Korean forces on July 27, opening a pass to the Pusan area. Soon after, North Korean forces took Chinju to the west, pushing back the US 19th Infantry Regiment and leaving routes to the Pusan open for more North Korean attacks. US formations were subsequently able to defeat and push back the North Koreans on the flank in the Battle of the Notch
Battle of the Notch
The Battle of the Notch was an engagement between United States and North Korean forces early in the Korean War on August 2, 1950 in southern South Korea...
on August 2. Suffering mounting losses, 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...
force in the west withdrew for several days to re-equip and receive reinforcements. This granted both sides a reprieve to prepare for the attack on the Pusan Perimeter.
Taegu
In the meantime, Eighth Army commander Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
Walton Walker
Walton Walker
Walton Harris Walker was an American army officer and the first commander of the U.S. Eighth Army during the Korean War.-Biography:...
had established Taegu as the Eighth Army's headquarters. Right at the center of the Pusan Perimeter, Taegu stood at the entrance to the Naktong River valley, an area where North Korean forces could advance in large numbers in close support. The natural barriers provided by the Naktong River to the south and the mountainous terrain to the north converged around Taegu, which was also the major transportation hub and last major South Korean city aside from Pusan itself to remain in UN hands. From south to north, the city was defended by the US 1st Cavalry Division, and the ROK 1st Division and ROK 6th Division of ROK II Corps. 1st Cavalry Division was spread out along a long line along the Naktong River to the south, with its 5th Cavalry and 8th Cavalry regiments holding a 24000 metres (78,740.2 ft) line along the river south of Waegwan, facing west. The 7th Cavalry held position to the east in reserve, along with artillery forces, ready to reinforce anywhere a crossing could be attempted. The ROK 1st Division held a northwest-facing line in the mountains immediately north of the city while the ROK 6th Division held position to the east, guarding the narrow valley holding the Kunwi road into the Pusan Perimeter area.
Five North Korean divisions amassed to oppose the UN at Taegu. From south to north, the 10th
10th Division (North Korea)
The 10th Infantry Division , was a military formation of the Korean People's Army during the 20th Century. It may have been formed at Sukchon as early as March or April 1950 and consisted of a cadre of experienced People’s Army officers and NCO’s and new recruits.From the date of its formation to...
, 3rd
3rd Division (North Korea)
The 3rd Infantry Division was a military formation of the Korean People's Army during the 20th Century.-Formation and composition:The exact date of formation is in dispute, but it occurred sometime between May 1947 and October 1948, at Pyongyang. In its organization, the 35d Division seemed to...
, 15th
15th Division (North Korea)
The 15th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Korean People's Army during the 20th Century. The division fought in the 1950 Korean War; it took part in the North Korean advance from Seoul to Taejon, and fought in the Battle of Pusan Perimeter. The 15th Division fought along the...
, 13th
13th Division (North Korea)
The 13th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Korean People's Army during the 20th Century.It participated in the North Korean advance from Seoul to Daejeon.The division fought in the Battle of Pusan Perimeter....
, and 1st Division
1st Division (North Korea)
The 1st Infantry Division is a military formation of the Korean People's Army.It was part of the North Korean advance from Seoul to Taejon.Fought in the Battle of Pusan Perimeter....
s occupied a wide line encircling Taegu from Tuksong-dong and around Waegwan
Waegwan
Waegwan is the seat of government for Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea. It consists primarily of the administrative district of Waegwan-eup. It is situated on both sides of the Nakdong River, which is traversed by railroad, automobile and pedestrian bridges.Waegwan is home...
to Kunwi. The North Korean army planned to use the natural corridor of the Naktong valley from Sangju
Sangju
Sangju is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Although Sangju is rather rural, it is very old and was once a key city. Along with Gyeongju, it gives rise to half of the name of the Gyeongsang provinces...
to Taegu as its main axis of attack for the next push south, so the divisions all eventually moved through this valley, crossing the Naktong at different areas along the low ground. Elements of the DPRK 105th Armored Division also supported the attack.
Battle
On the night of 4 to 5 August , the North Korean 13th Division began crossing the Naktong River at Naktong-ni, 40 miles (64.4 km) northwest of Taegu. The crossing was not discovered until 5 August when ROK artillery and mortar fire was called on the crossing. Over the course of three nights, DPRK soldiers from the division's three regiments crossed the river on rafts or by wading, carrying their weapons and equipment over their heads. The entire division was across by 7 August, and assembling several miles from the ROK 1st Division's prepared defenses.At the same time, the DPRK 1st Division crossed the river on barges between Hamch'ang and Sangju, in the ROK 6th Division's sector from 6 to 8 August. This attack was discovered quickly by American reconnaissance planes and the DPRK 1st Division was immediately engaged by the ROK forces. The two divisions locked in battle around Kunwi until 17 August, with the North Korean division facing stubborn resistance, heavy air attacks, and heavy casualties.
Opening moves
ROK troops attacked the 13th Division immediately after it completing its crossing, forcing scattered North Korean troops into the mountains. The division reassembled to the east and launched a concerted night attack, broke the ROK defenses, and began an advance that carried it twenty miles southeast of Naktong-ni on the main road to Taegu. Within a week, the DPRK 1st and 13th divisions were converging on the Tabu-dong area, about 15 miles (24.1 km) north of Taegu.The DPRK 15th Division, the next of the DPRK divisions in the line to the south, received 1,500 replacements at Kumch'on on 5 August, which brought its strength to about 6,500 troops. On the next day, its 45th Regiment marched northeast toward the Naktong River. This regiment passed through Sonsan on 7 August and crossed the river southeast of that town while under attack by American warplanes. Once across the river, this regiment headed into the mountains, initially encountering no opposition. Its other two regiments, the 48th and 50th, departed from Kumch'on later and began crossing the Naktong between Indong and Waegwan
Waegwan
Waegwan is the seat of government for Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea. It consists primarily of the administrative district of Waegwan-eup. It is situated on both sides of the Nakdong River, which is traversed by railroad, automobile and pedestrian bridges.Waegwan is home...
before dawn of 8 August, constructing underwater bridges for their vehicles. The North Koreans supported this crossing by direct tank fire from the western side of the river. These tanks next carried out their own river crossing during the day. The DPRK 15th Division seized Hills 201 and 346 on the east side of the river at the crossing site before advancing eastward into the mountains toward Tabu-dong, 7 miles (11.3 km) away. On the next day, the ROK 1st Division regained the high ground at the crossing sites, driving the DPRK forces further eastward into the mountains. From 12 through 16 August, the three regiments of the DPRK 15th Division united on the east side of the Naktong River in the vicinity of Yuhak-san, 5 miles (8 km) east of the crossing site and 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Tabu-dong. The DPRK 13th Division quickly locked in combat on Yuhak-san with the ROK 1st Division.
South of Waegwan, two more enemy divisions stood ready to cross the Naktong in a coordinated attack with the divisions to the north. The experienced DPRK 3rd Division, concentrated in the vicinity of Songju, and the untested DPRK 10th Division, concentrated in the Koryong area, and both mobilized for an attack. These two divisions crossed in the American 1st Cavalry Division's sector. The DPRK 3rd Division's 7th Regiment started crossing the Naktong at about 0300 hours on 9 August near Noch'on, two miles (three km) south of the Waegwan bridge. After discovering this crossing, units of the American 5th Cavalry Regiment directed automatic-weapon fire against the North Korean units and and also called in pre-registered artillery fire on the crossing site. Although the enemy regiment suffered some casualties, the bulk of it reached the east bank and then moved inland into the hills. About 30 minutes later, the 8th and 9th Regiments began crossing the river to the south. The 5th Cavalry Regiment and all its supporting mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
s and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, now fully alerted, spotted and decimated the troops of the two regiments and turned them back to the west bank. Only a small number of North Koreans reached the eastern side. From there, they were either captured by the U.N. troops or hid out until the next night – when they retreated across the river.
Triangulation Hill
At dawn on 9 August, the division commander Major General Hobart R. GayHobart R. Gay
Lieutenant General Hobart Raymond Gay , nicknamed "Hap", was a United States Army general.-Early military career:...
at the 1st Cavalry Division headquarters in Taegu learned of the enemy's river crossing in the area of his division south of Waegwan. Since the first reports were vague, Gen. Gay decided to withhold counterattack until he learned more about the situation. He quickly learned that around 750 DPRK infantry troops had gathered on Hill 268, also known as "Triangulation Hill", which was 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Waegwan and 10 miles (16.1 km) northwest of Taegu. Gen. Gay ordered his division to counterattack the enemy gathering to force them across the river. He and Gen. Walker thought that this attack could be a feint, and that the North Koreans could be planning a larger attack to their north. Furthermore, the hill was important because of its proximity to the lines of supply. The main Korean north-south highway and the main Seoul-Pusan railroad skirted the base of Triangulation Hill.
At about 0930, Gen. Gay ordered the 1st Battalion of the 7th Cavalry, to counter the DPRK army penetration. This battalion moved from its bivouac area just outside Taegu, accompanied by five tanks of A Company, 71st Heavy Tank Battalion. This motorized force proceeded to the foot of Hill 268. Meanwhile, the 61st Field Artillery Battalion shelled the hill heavily.
At about 1200 the artillery fired a preparation on Hill 268, and the 1st Battalion next attacked it with orders to continue on southwest to Hill 154. Hill 268 was covered with thick brush from about 4 feet (1.2 m) and trees eight to 10 feet (3 m) high. The day was very hot, and many of the American soldiers collapsed from heat exhaustion during the attack, which was not well-coordinated with the artillery fire. The North Koreans repulsed the attack.
On the next morning, 10 August, air raids and artillery bombardment
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
s rocked Hill 268, devastating the North Korean battalion. That afternoon, Gen. Gay ordered the five American tanks to move along the Waegwan road until they could fire onto the hill from the northwest into its reverse slope. This tank-gun fire caught the DPRK troops unprepared while they were hiding from the artillery fire. Trapped between the two barrages, they started to vacate their positions. An American infantry attack next reached the creat of the Triangulation Hill without much trouble, and this battle was over by 1about 600. American artillery and mortar fire was now shifted westward, and the cut off the retreat of the DPRK troops. White phosphorus shells fired from the 61st Field Artillery Battalion caught North Korean troops in a village while they attempted to retreat, and the DPRK troops were then routed by American infantry, suffering over 200 killed. That evening the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, returned to the serve as the division reserve, and elements of the 5th Cavalry finished securing Hill 268.
The 7th Regiment of the DPRK 3rd Division had been destroyed on the hill. The 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry suffered 14 men killed, and 48 wounded in the two-day battle. About 1,000 men of the 7th Regiment had crossed the Naktong to Hill 268, and about 700 of at them became casualties. Artillery and mortars had inflicted most of the crippling casualties on the regiment. After crossing to the east side of the Naktong, the enemy regiment had received no food or ammunition supply. An estimated 300 survivors retreated across the river the night of 10–11 August. The DPRK 3rd Division's attempted crossing of the Naktong south of Waegwan had ended in catastrophe. When the survivors of the 7th Regiment rejoined the division on or about 12 August, the once powerful 3rd Division was reduced to a disorganized unit of only about 2,500 troops. The DPRK Army placed this division in reserve to be rebuilt by replacements.
Yongp'o crossing
The North Korean plan for the attack against Taegu from the west and southwest demanded that the DPRK 10th Division make a coordinated attack with the DPRK 3rd Division. The 10th Division, so far untested in combat, had started from Sukch'on for the front by rail on July 25. At ChonanCheonan
Cheonan is a city located in the northeast corner of South Chungcheong, a province of South Korea, and is 83.6 km south of the capital, Seoul...
it left the trains and continued south on foot through Taejon, arriving at the Naktong opposite Waegwan around 8 August. The division was ordered to cross the Naktong River in the vicinity of Tuksong-dong, penetrate east, and cut the main supply route of the U.N. troops from Pusan to Taegu. The division assembled in the Koryong area on 11 August.
Two regiments of the DPRK 10th Division, the 29th to the south and the 25th to the north, were to make the assault crossing with the 27th Regiment in reserve. The 2nd Battalion, 29th Regiment, was the first unit of the division to cross the river. Its troops waded across undetected during the night of August 11/12, west of Hyongp'ung. It then occupied Hill 265, a northern spur
Spur (mountain)
A spur is a subsidiary summit of a hill or mountain. By definition, spurs have low topographic prominence, as they are lower than their parent summit and are closely connected to them on the same ridgeline...
of Hill 409, 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of Hyongp'ung, and set up machine gun positions. The other two battalions followed it and occupied Hill 409. The North Koreans on Hill 409 soon ambushed a patrol from the 21st Infantry Regiment of the US 24th Infantry Division, which was moving north and trying to establish contact with the 7th Cavalry Regiment during the Battle of the Naktong Bulge occurring simultaneously to the south.
Further north, the 25th Regiment started crossing the Naktong at about 0300 on August 12, in the vicinity of Tuksong-dong, on the Koryong-Taegu road. The 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, covered this crossing site, which was 14 miles (22.5 km) southwest of Taegu. By daylight, a North Korean force of 300 to 400 had penetrated to Wich'on-dong and 2nd Battalion's H Company engaged it in close combat. In a grenade and automatic weapons attack, the North Koreans overran the advance positions of the company, the mortar observation post, and the heavy machine gun positions. The North Koreans were apparently attempting to control high ground east of Yongp'o in order to provide protection for the main crossing that was to follow. By 0900, however, the 2nd Battalion, supported by the 77th Field Artillery Battalion and air strikes, drove the North Koreans troops back through Yongp'o and dispersed them.
Second Yongp'o attack
In the three days from 10 to 12 August, the Naktong River had dropped three feet in depth and it was only shoulder-deep at many places due to the lack of rain and the torrid weather. This made any attempt at crossing the river considerably easier.A more determined North Korean crossing of the Naktong in the vicinity of the blown bridge between Tuksong-dong and Yongp'o began early in the morning on 14 August. By 0620, about 500 North Korean soldiers had penetrated as far as Yongp'o. Fifteen minutes later, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry soldiers engaged the North Koreans at Wich'on-dong, a mile east of the crossing site. At 0800 General Gay ordered 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry to move to the Yongp'o area to support the 2nd Battalion.
North Korean artillery and tank fire from the west side of the river supporting the infantry crossing. A large number of North Korean reinforcements were crossing in barges near the bridge, while under fire from American air strikes and artillery. This attack also stalled, with the deepest North Korean penetration reaching Samuni-dong, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) beyond the blown-up bridge. From there the combined fire of US light weapons, mortars, and artillery drove them back to the river. By 1200, large groups of North Koreans were trying to recross the river to the west side as American artillery continued hammering them, causing heavy casualties.
By nightfall, the 7th Cavalry Regiment had eliminated the North Korean 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...
at Yongp'o. In the fight, the only major one to take place along the Naktong at a prefabricated crossing site, the 25th and 27th Regiments of the DPRK 10th Division suffered crippling losses. The 7th Cavalry estimated that of 1,700 North Korean troops that had succeeded in crossing the river, 1,500 had been killed. Two days after the battle, H Company reported it had buried 267 enemy dead behind its lines. In front of its position, G Company counted 150 enemy dead. In contrast, G Company suffered only two men killed and three wounded during the battle. In its first combat mission, the crossing of the Naktong, the 10th Division suffered 2,500 casualties.
Hill 303
For several days UN intelligence sources had reported heavy North Korean concentrations across the Naktong opposite the ROK 1st Division. Early in the morning on August 14, a North Korean regiment crossed the Naktong 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Waegwan into the ROK 1st Division sector through an underwater bridge. Shortly after midnight that night, ROK forces on the high ground just north of the U.S.-ROK Army boundary were attacked by this force. After daylight an air strike partially destroyed the underwater bridge. The North Korean attack spread south and by 1200 North Korean small arms fire fell on G Company, 5th Cavalry Regiment, on Hill 303. Instead of moving east into the mountains as other landings had, this force turned south and headed for Waegwan.
Early in the morning on August 15, G Company men on Hill 303 spotted 50 North Korean infantry supported by two T-34
T-34
The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...
tanks moving south along the river road at the base of the hill. They also spotted another column moving to their rear which quickly engaged F Company with small arms fire. In order to escape the enemy encirclement, F Company withdrew south, but G Company did not. By 0830, North Koreans had completely surrounded it and a supporting platoon of H Company mortarmen on Hill 303. A relief column, composed of B Company, 5th Cavalry, and a platoon of US tanks tried to reach G Company, but was unable to penetrate the North Korean force that was surrounding Hill 303.
Later that day, B Company and the tanks tried again to retake the hill, now estimated to contain a 700 man battalion. The 61st Field Artillery Battalion and elements of the 82nd Field Artillery Battalion, fired on the hill during the day. During the night, G Company succeeded in escaping from Hill 303. Before dawn on the 17th, troops from both the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 5th Cavalry Regiment, supported by A Company of the 70th Tank Battalion, attacked Hill 303, but heavy North Korean mortar fire stopped them at the edge of Waegwan. During the morning, heavy artillery preparations pounded the North Korean positions on the hill.
At 1400 an air strike came in, with planes bombarded the hill with napalm
Napalm
Napalm is a thickening/gelling agent generally mixed with gasoline or a similar fuel for use in an incendiary device, primarily as an anti-personnel weapon...
, bombs, rockets, and machine guns. The strike and artillery preparation, were successful in pushing North Korean forces off the hill. After the strike, the infantry at 1530 attacked up the hill unopposed and secured it by 1630. The combined strength of E and F Companies on top of the hill was about sixty men. The artillery preparations and the air strike killed and wounded an estimated 500 enemy troops on Hill 303, with survivors had fleeing in complete rout after the air strike.
In regaining Hill 303 on August 17, the 5th Cavalry Regiment discovered the bodies of 26 mortarmen of H Company, hands tied in back, with gunshot wounds to the back. First knowledge of the event came in the afternoon when scouts brought in a man from Hill 303, Pvt. Roy Manring of the Heavy Mortar Platoon, who had been wounded by automatic weapons fire. Manring had crawled down the hill until he saw scouts of the attacking force. In all about 45 men were shot by the North Koreans in the event, of which only five survived. The total number of men executed around Hill 303 is unclear, as several more men were subsequently discovered in other locations around the hill with evidence of execution. Angered, General of the Army
General of the Army
General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nation's Army. It may also be the title given to a General who commands an Army in the field....
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, commander of all UN forces in Korea, broadcast a warning to North Korean leaders they would be held accountable for the atrocity. However intercepted documents show the North Korean command was also concerned with the conduct of its troops and issued orders to limit killing of Prisoners of War.
Carpet bombing
In the mountains northeast of Waegwan and Hill 303, the ROK 1st Division continued to suffer North Korean attacks throughout mid-August. North Korean pressure against the ROK division never ceased for long. Under the command of Brigadier General Paik Sun YupPaik Sun Yup
General Paik Sun-yup is a Korean military officer of Manchukuo and the Republic of Korea. He is known for his service during the Korean War and the first 4-star general in the history of ROK Armed Forces...
, this division fought an extremely bloody defense of the mountain approaches to Taegu. US planners believed the main North Korean attack would come from west, and so the US command massed its forces to the west of Taegu. The US command mistakenly believed up to 40,000 North Korean troops were near Taegu. This number was above the actual troops numbers for North Korea, which had only 70,000 men along the entire perimeter. American artillery fire from the 1st Cavalry Division sector supported the South Koreans in this area. The division's 13th Regiment still held some positions along the river, while the 11th and 12th Regiments battled the North Koreans in the high mountain masses of Suam-san and Yuhak-san, west and northwest of Tabu-dong and 4 miles (6.4 km) to 6 miles (9.7 km) east of the Naktong River. The North Koreans continued to use the underwater bridge across the Naktong 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Waegwan as their major route for supply and reinforcements. UN forces continued to target this bridge, even scoring a direct hit with a 155mm howitzer
M114 155 mm howitzer
The M114 155 mm howitzer was a towed howitzer used by the United States Army. It was first produced in 1942 as a medium artillery piece under the designation of 155 mm Howitzer M1. It saw service with the US Army during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, before being...
, but it was not seriously damaged.
Through the middle of August, North Korean forces relentlessly attacked the sectors occupied by the ROK 13th Regiment and the US 5th Cavalry. This assault, together with increasingly heavy pressure against the main force of the ROK 1st Division in the Tabu-dong area, began to endanger the UN control of Taegu. On August 16, 750 Korean police
National Police Agency (South Korea)
South Korea has a relatively unified and integrated approach law enforcement. For example, the National Police Agency provides all policing services throughout the country...
were stationed on the outskirts of the city to reinforce faltering military lines. Refugees had swollen Taegu's normal population of 300,000 to 700,000. A crisis seemed to be developing among the people on August 18 when several North Korean artillery shells landed in Taegu. The shells, falling near the railroad station, damaged the roundhouse, destroyed one yard engine, killed one Korean civilian, and wounded eight others. The Korean Provincial Government subsequently ordered the evacuation of Taegu, and President Syngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee or Yi Seungman was the first president of South Korea. His presidency, from August 1948 to April 1960, remains controversial, affected by Cold War tensions on the Korean peninsula and elsewhere. Rhee was regarded as an anti-Communist and a strongman, and he led South Korea through the...
moved the national leaders to Pusan. Following the ordered evacuation, swarms of panicked Korean refugees began to pour out on the roads leading from the city, threatening to stop all military traffic, but Eighth Army eventually halted the evacuations.
On August 14, General MacArthur ordered Lieutenant General George E. Stratemeyer
George E. Stratemeyer
Lieutenant General George Edward Stratemeyer was World War II chief of Air Staff and United States Air Force Far East Air Forces commander during the first year of the Korean War.-Early career:...
to conduct a carpet bombing
Carpet bombing
Carpet bombing is a large aerial bombing done in a progressive manner to inflict damage in every part of a selected area of land. The phrase invokes the image of explosions completely covering an area, in the same way that a carpet covers a floor. Carpet bombing is usually achieved by dropping many...
of a 27 square miles (69.9 km²) rectangular area on the west side of the Naktong River opposite the ROK 1st Division. Intelligence estimates placed the greatest concentrations of enemy troops in this area, some estimates being as high as four enemy divisions and several armored regiments, all of 40,000 men, who were reportedly using the area to stage their attack on Taegu. General Gay, commanding the 1st Cavalry Division, repeatedly requested that the bombing include the area northeast of Waegwan. This request was denied because of fear that bombing there might cause casualties among the 1st Cavalry and ROK 1st Division troops. Stratemeyer did not think his aircraft could successfully carpet bomb an area larger than 3 miles (4.8 km) square but he complied with MacArthur's order anyway.
At 1158, August 16, the first of the 98 B-29 Superfortresses of the 19th, 22nd, 92nd, 98th, and 307th Bomber Group
307th Bombardment Group
The 307th Air Refueling Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 47th Air Division, stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California...
s arrived over the target area from their Far East Air Force bases in Japan and Okinawa. The last planes cleared the target at 1224. The bombers from 10,000 feet dropped approximately 960 tons of 500- and 1,000-pound bombs. The attack had required the entirety of the FEAF bombing component, and they had dropped 3,084 500 pounds (226.8 kg) bombs and 150 1000 pounds (453.6 kg) bombs. This comprised the largest Air Force operation since the Battle of Normandy
Battle of Normandy
The Invasion of Normandy was the invasion and establishment of Allied forces in Normandy, France, during Operation Overlord in World War II. It was the largest amphibious operation in history...
in World War II.
General Walker reported to General MacArthur the next day that the damage done to the North Koreans by the bombing could not be evaluated because of smoke and dust, and ground forces could not reach it because of North Korean fire. Information obtained later from North Korean prisoners revealed the enemy divisions the Far East Command thought to be still west of the Naktong had already crossed to the east side and were not in the bombed area. No evidence was found that the bombing killed a single North Korean soldier. However, the bombing seems to have destroyed a significant number of North Korean artillery batteries. The UN ground and air commanders opposed future massive carpet bombing attacks against enemy tactical troops unless there was precise information on an enemy concentration and the situation was critical. Instead, they recommended fighter-bomber
Fighter-bomber
A fighter-bomber is a fixed-wing aircraft with an intended primary role of light tactical bombing and also incorporating certain performance characteristics of a fighter aircraft. This term, although still used, has less significance since the introduction of rockets and guided missiles into aerial...
s and dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
s would better support ground forces. They subsequently canceled a second bombing of an area east of the Naktong scheduled for August 19.
Aftermath
The battles around Taegu saw repeated attempts on the part of the DPRK divisions to attack the city. However, the DPRK troops repeatedly stopped or slowed by American and ROK troops and air attackAirstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...
s. The five North Korean divisions each suffered heavy casualties, and each of them finally collapsed under the strain of both mounting losses and lack of supplies. However, some of these division's troops were able to disperse into the mountains. Some of these troops later assembled for different battles. These final elements of the DPRK Army were finally defeated in the Battle of the Bowling Alley
Battle of the Bowling Alley
In the Battle of the Bowling Alley , United Nations forces defeated North Korean forces early in the Korean War near the city of Taegu, South Korea. The battle took place in a narrow valley, dubbed the "Bowling Alley", which was north of Taegu...
.
Casualties among the American 1st Cavalry Division were relatively light. This division suffered a total of about 600 casualties, with around 200 killed in action, including those at Hill 303. American forces in established positions were able to decimate North Korean units crossing the Naktong in the open with their artillery fire and air attacks. The exact numbers of soldiers captured and executed compared with those killed in combat are difficult to determine, because of conflicting accounts of how many prisoners were actually held on Hill 303. The DPRK troops suffered much higher casualties, and also a much higher percentage of them killed in action (KIA). This included 2,500 at Yongp'o, 500 at Hill 303, and 700 on Triangulation Hill. This places the total KIA at over 3,700 troops, though the exact number of casualties is unknown in the carpet-bombing operation because the patrols of the U.N. troops were unable to reconnitor this area until much later.