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Battle of Chosin Reservoir

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Korean War
Pusan Perimeter – Inchon – Chosin Reservoir – Imjin River – Gloster Hill– Kapyong – The Hook - Pork Chop Hill - Bloody Ridge - Heartbreak Ridge

The Battle of Chosin Reservoir (Korean: Changjin Reservoir) (26 November–13 December 1950) was a battle in the Korean War. 30,000 United Nations troops (nicknamed the "Frozen Chosen") under the command of American General Douglas MacArthur faced approximately 70,000 Chinese volunteers, shortly after the People's Republic of China's entry into the conflict. Large numbers of Chinese soldiers swept across the Yalu river, encircling the United Nations (UN) troops at the Chosin Reservoir, in the northeastern part of North Korea. A brutal battle in freezing weather followed. Although they inflicted enormous casualties on the Chinese forces, the Americans were forced to evacuate North Korea after they withdrew from the reservoir to the port of Hungnam.

Contents

Overview

By mid-October 1950, the Korean War looked like it was nearly over to many UN leaders. Most of North Korea had been captured by the American-led UN forces. However, on October 25, 1950, communist China entered the war and huge numbers of Chinese soldiers poured across the border into Korea. The UN command, under General Douglas MacArthur, was slow to appreciate the implications of this new reality. MacArthur ordered his ground units, the U.S. Eighth Army in the west and the X Corps in the east, to continue their offensive to the Yalu River, the border with China. The X Corps — commanded by controversial Major General Ned Almond, U.S. Army — was widely spread out over northeastern Korea, its units far apart and out of supporting distance from each other. The X Corps troops at Chosin, mainly the US 1st Marine Division, elements of the US 7th Infantry Division, and 41 Independent Commando Royal Marines were, by late November, surrounded by units of the Ninth Army Group of the People's Liberation Army (designated "Chinese People's Volunteers" by the Chinese government.) The Chinese launched heavy attacks that halted the UN offensive. MacArthur and Almond ordered Major General O.P. Smith, commander of the 1st Marine Division and associated forces in the Chosin area to fight his way out of the trap. Starting on November 26, 1950, the UN troops began a fighting withdrawal to the south, towards Hungnam.

Battle

Around 30,000 UN troops clashed with approximately 70,000 Chinese soldiers. In fierce fighting that lasted until 11 December, there were 15,000 UN casualties (7,500 to cold related injuries) and possibly 40,000 Chinese casualties (mostly to cold related injuries) as the UN forces withdrew to Hungnam.

On the eastern side of the Chosin Reservoir however, a 3,000-man composite U.S. Army task force from the 7th Infantry Division, RCT 31 (Task Force Faith), was isolated by two reinforced Chinese divisions (over 17,000 enemy troops) which were en route to finish off the garrison at Hagaru-ri. Worn down by incessant attacks, RCT 31 was virtually destroyed. Nine members of RCT 31 were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the army's second highest award for valor. Survivors from this unit reached Marine lines at Hagaru-ri on 2 December 1950. Some survivors of RCT 31 and other army units including an army tank company and combat engineers, joined Smith's forces and participated in the breakout. Keeping his units concentrated and moving deliberately, Smith made an aggressive assault to break out of the reservoir. When asked if the Marines were retreating, Smith explained that their fighting withdrawal through Chinese lines did not constitute a retreat. His explanation was abbreviated into the famous misquote, "Retreat, hell! We're attacking in a different direction!" (recalling the famous quote from Captain Lloyd Williams at Belleau Wood during the First World War, "Retreat, hell! We just got here!").

Task Force Drysdale

In mid-November 1950, the roughly 300 men of 41 Royal Commando Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Drysdale, were attached to the U.S. 1st Marine Division. This marked the second time that U.S. Marines and Royal Marines had served together. (The first time was during the Boxer Rebellion.)

41 Commando had been at Koto-ri with Colonel Chesty Puller’s 1st Marine Regiment when the Chinese attacked. On the morning of November 29, Major General O.P. Smith, Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division, ordered Col Puller to send a task force to open up the road between Koto-ri and where the majority of the division was at Hagaru-ri. The breakthrough force was composed of Drysdale’s 41 Royal Commando, Capt. Carl Sitter's G Co., 3rd Battalion 1st Marines (G/3/1), B Co., 31st Infantry Regiment, and various Headquarters and Services Marines. All totaled, the task force was around 900 men and 140 vehicles.

The task force struck out of Koto-ri at 0930 on 29 November and by 1630 had only advanced only half way to their objective due to stiff enemy resistance--halfway to Hagaru-ri the Chinese ambushed the task force and cut it to pieces. The various units of the Task Force had become bogged down, separated and were not in radio contact in an area later named ‘’Hell Fire Valley’’ by LtCol Drysdale. After being reinforced by tanks from D. Co, 1st Tank Battalion, Drysdale contacted MajGen Smith at Hagaru-ri and was told to “Press on at all costs.” LtCol Drysdale responded by stating, “Very well, then: we’ll give them a show.” He passed word that they were going to make a run for it and run the gauntlet to Hagaru-ri.

Later that evening, most of the Commandos from 41 Commando, Sitter's Marines from G/3/1, and the tanks from D Co 1st Tank Bn arrived at Hagaru-ri with a wounded LtCol Drysdale entering the division command post and stating, “41 Commando present for duty.” In the confusion along the road, roughly 400 members of Task Force Drysdale were still left stranded and out of radio contact in the Hell Fire Valley and completely surrounded by vastly numerically superior Chinese forces. For his leadership and valor Captain Sitter was awarded the Medal of Honor, one of 11 Chosin Marines so honored.

The still-stranded forces were composed of about 60 Royal Marines, most of B Co. 31st Inf Reg and the assorted Headquarters and Services Marines strung out in 4 pockets along roughly two-thirds of a mile. Most of the remaining men were either killed, wounded or taken prisoner. A few were able to pass through Chinese lines and make it back to Koto-ri. During the night, army Lt. Alfred J. Anderson of B Company, 1/31 Infantry, regrouped those of his company that he could find into a defensive perimeter. Twice he closed with enemy soldiers and killed them at arm's length, deflecting their weapons with one arm as he used his pistol. Early on the morning of 30 November, Anderson received orders to withdraw those troops under his control. He led them back safely through enemy opposition to Koto-ri.

Of the 900 men that departed Koto-ri as part of Task Force Drysdale approximately 300 arrived at Hagaru-ri, 300 were killed or wounded and approximately 135 were taken prisoner, with the rest making it back to Koto-ri. 75 of the 141 vehicles were also destroyed along the road. Some considered the Task force poorly conceived and doomed from the start. Major General Smith was not so quick to write off the Task Force, saying that it was at least a partial success because it delivered over 300 seasoned infantrymen and a tank company to the beleaguered defenses at Hagaru-ri. . Russ, Martin (1999). ‘’”Breakout” – The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea, 1950.’’ pp. 231-248. Penguin Books. ISBN 0 14 02,9259 4.

Final phases of the battle

In their withdrawal, US troops were either attacking — conducting numerous assaults to clear Chinese roadblocks and overlooking hill positions — or under furious Chinese attack themselves. The sub-zero temperatures inflicted even more casualties than the Chinese (who also suffered greatly from the extreme cold). US forces enjoyed total air supremacy, with Navy, Marine, and Air Force fighter-bombers flying hundreds of sorties a day against the encircling Chinese. Over 4,000 wounded were flown out and 500 replacements flown in during the operation, contributing considerably to its success. The Marines and soldiers were able to destroy or effectively disable all seven Chinese divisions that tried to block their escape from the reservoir. Despite the effort of many Marines, whose plight attracted world-wide attention and was siezed on by the western media as a "moral victory" in the midst of defeat, the strategic situation was now highly unfavorable for UN forces and it was decided to withdraw the entire X Corps from North Korea. The Marines, the rest of X Corps, and thousands of civilian refugees were soon evacuated by ship from the port of Hungnam, which was then destroyed to deny its use to the communists.

Aftermath

While the Chinese were able to expel the UN forces from the reservoir, U.S. forces inflicted heavy casualties on the Chinese as they fought for their own survival. The Marines' breakout was helped in part by Chinese American Marines who overheard the People's Liberation Army battle plans in Chinese. <-- this needs to be converted into a proper citaton: (The History Channel briefly covered that forgotten part of the war in a documentary.)--> After their departure from North Korea, the Marines were returned to the South, where they continued to fight as part of UN forces until the armistice in July 1953.

To this day, the U.S. Marines consider the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir to be one of the proudest parts of their own history despite the heavy losses. Likewise, the Chinese People's Liberation Army considers the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir an honor. This campaign, with the simultaneous victory against U.S. forces to the west, was the first time in a century a Chinese army was able to defeat a Western army in a major battle, despite the heavy losses.

Notable U.S. participants

USMC

US Army

Notes and references

 

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