Turkish Brigade
Encyclopedia
The Turkish Brigade was a Turkish Army
Infantry
Brigade
that served under United Nations command
during the Korean War
between 1950 to 1953. Attached to the U.S. 25th Infantry Division the Turkish Brigade fought in several actions, and was awarded Unit Citations
from Korea and the United States.
Resolution 83
requesting military aid to South Korea
, following the attack initiated by North Korea
on 25 June. The cable stated: "Turkey is ready to meet her responsibilities." On 25 July 1950 the Turkish government decided to send a brigade
of 5,000 troops comprising three infantry battalions, an artillery battalion and auxiliary units, to fight under UN Command against North Korea and subsequently the People's Republic of China
. Turkey was the second country to answer the UN call, after the United States.
Tahsin Yazıcı
, a veteran of World War I, who had volunteered to be demoted to lead this force, commanded the 1st Brigade.
The advance party of the Turkish Brigade arrived in Pusan
on 12 October 1950. The main body arrived five days later, October 17 from the eastern Mediterranean port of Iskenderun, Turkey, and the brigade went into bivouac
near Taegu
where it underwent training and received U.S. equipment. The brigade was attached to the U.S. 25th Infantry Division.
The bulk of the enlisted men were from small towns and villages in the mountains of eastern Turkey. For these volunteer officers and volunteer enlisted men who were just completing their compulsory two year service, it was not only the first time that they had left their native country--it was the first time they had been out of the villages of their birth. It was, at least for the enlisted men, the first time that they had encountered non-Muslims. Vast cultural and religious differences existed between the Turks and the Americans.
The U.S. Army command was unaware of the difficulties in coordination, logistics and, above all, basic communication in a common language that would complicate orders and troop movements, especially in the crucial early months of their joint exercises. Unfamiliar food, clothing requirements and transportation would come to create more problems than the American high command had counted on.
The dietary requirements of the Turks forbade pork products, and the American rations contained pork products forbidden to all Muslims. A Japanese cook was hired to provide rations that met the Turkish requirements. Bread and coffee presented other problems. The Turks favored a heavy, substantial bread containing non-bleached flour along with thick, strong, heavily sweetened coffee. Most of the enlisted men had fierce looks, flowing mustaches and carried a sidearm sword that, to Americans and the other U.N. troops, appeared to be a long knife, all of which attracted much media attention.
Few American liaison officers were attached to the Turkish companies, thereby adding to the problems the Turks faced in their initial combat operations. Misinterpretation of orders resulted from the lack of communication between Allies. The problem, at first overlooked and judged to be only minor, became exacerbated in the heat of battle.
Though it was initially placed as reserve for the U.S. 8th Army, the collapse of the front in the face of massive Chinese attacks on 26 November 1950, meant that it soon found itself in the thick of battle.
The Turkish brigade, between November 1950 and July 1953, fought in the following battles:
The brigade's most costly battle was Kunu-ri
, which took place towards the end of 1950. Actually a series of four encounters lasting from 26 November to 6 December 1950; Battle of Wawon
on 28 November, Sinnim-ni, 28-29 November, Kunuri Gorge, 29-30 November, and Sunchon Gorge on 30 November 1950. The brigade lost over 15% of its personnel and 70% of equipment at Kunuri, with 218 killed and 455 wounded, and close to 100 taken prisoner.
After the battle of Kumyangjang-Ni, 25-26 January, in which the Turkish Brigade repulsed a Chinese force three times its size, President Harry Truman signed a Distinguished Unit Citation (now the Presidential Unit Citation
) on 11 July 1951. The brigade was also awarded the Presidential Unit Citation
from the President of Korea.
The Turkish Brigade comprised:
, 2,111 wounded
and 168 missing
. A total of 14,936 men served in the brigade between 1950-1953.
, seventh President of Republic of Turkey, served in the Brigade from 1958-59.
and starring Ayhan Işık
, which praised the deeds of the unit was released.
Turkish Army
The Turkish Army or Turkish Land Forces is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The modern history of the army began with its formation after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire...
Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
that served under United Nations 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...
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...
between 1950 to 1953. Attached to the U.S. 25th Infantry Division the Turkish Brigade fought in several actions, and was awarded Unit Citations
Unit citation
A unit citation is a formal, honorary mention by high authority of a military unit's specific and outstanding performance, notably in battle.Similar mentions can also be made for individual soldiers....
from Korea and the United States.
Background
On 29 June 1950 the government of the Republic of Turkey replied to the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Resolution 83
United Nations Security Council Resolution 83
United Nations Security Council Resolution 83, adopted on June 27, 1950, determined that the attack on the Republic of Korea by forces from North Korea constituted a breach of the peace. The Council called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for the authorities in North Korea to withdraw...
requesting military aid to South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, following the attack initiated by 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...
on 25 June. The cable stated: "Turkey is ready to meet her responsibilities." On 25 July 1950 the Turkish government decided to send a brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of 5,000 troops comprising three infantry battalions, an artillery battalion and auxiliary units, to fight under UN Command against North Korea and subsequently 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...
. Turkey was the second country to answer the UN call, after the United States.
Service history
Three different Turkish Brigades served in the Korean War, each replacing the previous one each year. The core of the 1st Turkish Brigade was the 241st Infantry Regiment based at Ayaş which was supplemented with volunteers to raise it to brigade level. Brigadier GeneralBrigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Tahsin Yazıcı
Tahsin Yazici
Tahsin Yazıcı was an Ottoman Army officer, a Turkish Army general and politician....
, a veteran of World War I, who had volunteered to be demoted to lead this force, commanded the 1st Brigade.
The advance party of the Turkish Brigade arrived in Pusan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
on 12 October 1950. The main body arrived five days later, October 17 from the eastern Mediterranean port of Iskenderun, Turkey, and the brigade went into bivouac
Bivouac shelter
A bivouac traditionally refers to a military encampment made with tents or improvised shelters, usually without shelter or protection from enemy fire or such a site where a camp may be built. It is also commonly used to describe a variety of improvised camp sites such as those used in scouting and...
near Taegu
Daegu
Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
where it underwent training and received U.S. equipment. The brigade was attached to the U.S. 25th Infantry Division.
The bulk of the enlisted men were from small towns and villages in the mountains of eastern Turkey. For these volunteer officers and volunteer enlisted men who were just completing their compulsory two year service, it was not only the first time that they had left their native country--it was the first time they had been out of the villages of their birth. It was, at least for the enlisted men, the first time that they had encountered non-Muslims. Vast cultural and religious differences existed between the Turks and the Americans.
The U.S. Army command was unaware of the difficulties in coordination, logistics and, above all, basic communication in a common language that would complicate orders and troop movements, especially in the crucial early months of their joint exercises. Unfamiliar food, clothing requirements and transportation would come to create more problems than the American high command had counted on.
The dietary requirements of the Turks forbade pork products, and the American rations contained pork products forbidden to all Muslims. A Japanese cook was hired to provide rations that met the Turkish requirements. Bread and coffee presented other problems. The Turks favored a heavy, substantial bread containing non-bleached flour along with thick, strong, heavily sweetened coffee. Most of the enlisted men had fierce looks, flowing mustaches and carried a sidearm sword that, to Americans and the other U.N. troops, appeared to be a long knife, all of which attracted much media attention.
Few American liaison officers were attached to the Turkish companies, thereby adding to the problems the Turks faced in their initial combat operations. Misinterpretation of orders resulted from the lack of communication between Allies. The problem, at first overlooked and judged to be only minor, became exacerbated in the heat of battle.
Though it was initially placed as reserve for the U.S. 8th Army, the collapse of the front in the face of massive Chinese attacks on 26 November 1950, meant that it soon found itself in the thick of battle.
The Turkish brigade, between November 1950 and July 1953, fought in the following battles:
- Battle of Kunuri (November–December 1950)
- Kumyangjang-Ni (January 1951)
- 22-23 April 1951; the Chorwon-Seoul diversion; the Taegyewonni defense; the Barhar-Kumhwa attacks; and the Vegas battles.
The brigade's most costly battle was Kunu-ri
Kunuri
Kunu-ri is a village located in South Pyongan Province, North Korea. A key battle of the Korean War, the Battle of Kunu-ri, took place there in November 1950. Kunu-ri was mainly a communication center and a railroad station at the time, and it contains the lateral east-west road which runs from...
, which took place towards the end of 1950. Actually a series of four encounters lasting from 26 November to 6 December 1950; Battle of Wawon
Battle of Wawon
The Battle of Wawon , also known as the Battle of Wayuan , was a series of delay actions of the Korean War that took place from November 27–29, 1950 near Wawon in present-day North Korea...
on 28 November, Sinnim-ni, 28-29 November, Kunuri Gorge, 29-30 November, and Sunchon Gorge on 30 November 1950. The brigade lost over 15% of its personnel and 70% of equipment at Kunuri, with 218 killed and 455 wounded, and close to 100 taken prisoner.
After the battle of Kumyangjang-Ni, 25-26 January, in which the Turkish Brigade repulsed a Chinese force three times its size, President Harry Truman signed a Distinguished Unit Citation (now the Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
) on 11 July 1951. The brigade was also awarded the Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation (Korea)
The Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation is issued by the government of South Korea to both Korean military and foreign units. The last major issuance of the decoration was during the Korean War when the decoration was bestowed to several U.S., U.K., and Commonwealth military units...
from the President of Korea.
Composition
The Turkish Armed Forces Command (TAFC) was a regimental combat team with three infantry battalions, along with supporting artillery and engineers. The three battalions were commanded by Major Imadettin Kuranel, Major Mithat Ulunu, and Major Lütfü Bilgon. It was the only brigade-sized UN unit attached permanently to a U.S. division throughout the Korean War.The Turkish Brigade comprised:
- 241st Infantry Regiment, composed of three Infantry Battalions
- Motorized Field Artillery Battalion, composed of three Howitzer Batteries and a Headquarters Battery. Each Howitzer Battery consisted of six 105 mm guns
- Motorized Engineering Company
- Motorized Anti-Aircraft Battery
- Transportation Truck Company
- Motorized Signal Platoon
- Motorized Anti-Tank Platoon
- Medical Company
- Repair and Maintenance Unit
- Military Band
- Replacement Company, composed of various branch and non-commissioned officers, and soldiers, such as Infantry, Artillery, Signal, Engineering, etc.
Losses
Overall losses for the Turkish Brigade in Korea was 721 killed in actionKilled in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
, 2,111 wounded
Wounded in action
Wounded in action describes soldiers who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during war time, but have not been killed. Typically it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing to fight....
and 168 missing
Missing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
. A total of 14,936 men served in the brigade between 1950-1953.
Service in Korea
The Brigade had a full turnover after a period of one years service. The Brigades that served for the 10 year period were numbered 1 through 10. Of these, the first three saw action. During the service of the 3rd Brigade in 1953, the Korean Armistice was signed. Thereafter, Turkey continued maintaining forces at full Brigade level for another seven years, in accordance with United Nations agreements. Kenan EvrenKenan Evren
Ahmet Kenan Evren was the seventh President of Turkey; a post he assumed by leading the 1980 military coup. He was also the last president to be born in the Ottoman Empire.- Biography :...
, seventh President of Republic of Turkey, served in the Brigade from 1958-59.
Popular culture
In 1954, a Turkish film bearing the operation code name of the Turkish Brigade (Şimal Yıldızı), directed by Atıf YılmazAtif Yilmaz
Atıf Yılmaz Batıbeki was a renowned Turkish Kurdish film director, screenwriter and film producer. He was almost a legend in the film industry of Turkey with 119 movies directed. He also wrote 53 screenplays and produced 28 movies since 1951. He was active in almost every period of the Turkish...
and starring Ayhan Işık
Ayhan Isik
Ayhan Işık, born Ayhan Işıyan was one of the most popular Turkish film actor.-Biography:He was born in İzmir, Turkey in 1929. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in 1953. He started to work as a painter and a graphic designer...
, which praised the deeds of the unit was released.