Korean War by Max Hastings

Author:Max Hastings [Hastings, Max]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, Korean War, United States, 20th Century, Strategy
ISBN: 9781501131905
Google: 2wL2CQAAQBAJ
Publisher: SimonSchuster
Published: 2015-10-20T20:26:52+00:00

11

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THE STRUGGLE ON THE IMJIN

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On Sunday, April 22, 1951, the new commander of Eighth Army, General James Van Fleet, held his first press conference. “General,” a correspondent demanded, “what is our goal in Korea?” Van Fleet replied memorably, “I don’t know. The answer must come from higher authority.” Yet the most obvious goal of the United Nations forces—survival in the face of enemy assault—required no definition. That same Sunday the Chinese launched their fifth offensive of the Korean War. Eighth Army was well advised of its coming, and anticipated that the enemy’s main attack would fall upon the center of the front in the Pakyong-Chunchon area, against the IX Corps. For three weeks the United Nations had been pressing cautiously northward with the intention of securing a line of commanding ground around the 38th Parallel—the “Kansas” line. The Chinese proposed to arrest the UN advance and throw Van Fleet’s army back southward. Chinese prisoners declared that their commissars were promising the celebration of May Day in Seoul.

The 1st Marine Division in the so-called Iron Triangle between Chorwon, Pyongyang, and Kumhwa received two hours’ tactical warning of the Chinese assault, which fell most heavily in the west against the 7th Marines, who were engaged a few minutes into the darkness of April 22. Their position deteriorated rapidly when the ROK 6th Division, on their left, collapsed and began streaming to the rear, impeding the advance of American supplies and reinforcements. The Marines were compelled to hinge back their line, to cover the open flank to the west. By the morning of April 24 they had been obliged to give substantial ground. But they had broken the impulse of the Chinese advance and inflicted the usual huge casualties on the enemy’s massed frontal assaults.

The gunners of the 16th New Zealand Field Regiment, who had been supporting ROK 6th Division, found themselves in a desperate position when the South Korean infantry broke in front of them. IX Corps insisted that the New Zealanders must continue to support the ROKs. But they gained permission to take a British battalion, 1st Middlesex, to protect their positions. For a few perilous hours the two units held their ground. Then, when it became apparent that the ROK collapse was irreversible, they were allowed to pull back down the Kapyon River. Here they were joined by the rest of 27 Commonwealth Brigade, brought out of reserve to fill the gap opened by the Koreans’ precipitate departure. Between the nights of April 23 and 25 the three British, Australian, and Canadian battalions fought a fine defensive battle against repeated attacks by the Chinese 118th Division. For almost twenty-four hours the men of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry were surrounded and cut off, dependent on air-dropped supplies and ammunition. Their achievement has been overshadowed by the bloodier and even more dramatic action that took place farther west at this time. But 27 Brigade won much professional admiration from their allies for the fashion in which they broke the Communist attack north of Chongchon-ni.

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