Korea

by Philip Chinnery

  North Korean troops advancing. Their officers are wearing the darker uniforms and many held posts in the Chinese 4th Field Army during the Chinese civil war. The soldiers are armed with Soviet PPSh-41 SMGs fitted with the smaller and lighter 35-round curved magazine that first appeared in 1942. It made reloading easier than the clumsier 71-round drum magazine.

  A 75mm M20 recoilless rifle is ready to fire as the assistant waits with the next shell. Note the field telephone on the sandbag to the left of the gunner, ready to relay targets to the gun crew. Its shaped charge warhead was capable of penetrating 100mm of armour, although it was used primarily as a close infantry support weapon.

  A 105mm howitzer in action. The build up of US forces continued in the Pusan Perimeter while General MacArthur planned an amphibious landing on the west coast of Korea.

  A wounded Marine is helped away for treatment on the Naktong River front.

  A before and after photograph of a B-29 bombing raid on the railway yards at Wonsan on 24 August 1950. UN air power helped slow the North Korean advance down towards the southern tip of the peninsula and the port of Pusan.

  The first American soldiers to arrive in Korea were woefully equipped and poorly trained. They were killed and captured in their hundreds. This young soldier is holding his rifle with bayonet fixed. Note he has not fitted the magazine.

  12 July 1950, photographs of well-camouflaged American vehicles are seldom seen. This may have been a command post in a South Korean village.

  Until the arrival of the 3.5-inch bazooka (shown above), American troops had no weapons at company level to combat the North Korean T-34 tanks. During the first months of the war they had to use the 2.36-inch version which had little effect on the enemy armour.

  A T-34 tank destroyed by a 3.5-inch bazooka team from the US 24th Infantry Division near Taejon. General Dean was taken prisoner after the battle and spent the rest of the war in solitary confinement. Note that the drive sprocket (at the rear) has been shot off.

  In July 1950 the few fighters of the North Korean Air Force were still roaming the skies in the South. Here an American tank crewman searches the sky from his camouflaged M24 Chaffee light tank.

  Camouflaged North Korean T34 tanks and motor cycle combinations enter Taejon city after the eviction of the US 24th Infantry Division.

  A recently declassified photograph showing the execution of 1,800 South Korean political prisoners in Taejon over three days in July 1950. The retreating South Korean Army feared that the suspected communist sympathizers might collaborate with the advancing North Koreans. Both sides routinely executed citizens and soldiers alike as the fighting continued.

  On the Pusan Perimeter, 26 August 1950. Men of the 7th Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division fire their 0.50-calibre machine gun at North Korean troops on the north bank of the Naktong River.

  Sergeant Ernest Kouma was awarded the Medal of Honour for his actions at the Naktong River as the North Koreans forced a crossing. This tank commander is firing his 0.50-calibre machine gun, the same as was mounted on Kouma's tank.

  Letcher V. Gardner from ‘D’ Company, 1st Cavalry Division fires on a North Korean emplacement along the Naktong River near Chingu on 13 August 1950.

  Marine M46 Patton tank is resupplied with fuel and ammunition in the Pusan Perimeter.

  Troops of the 5th Cavalry inspect a North Korean T-34 tank knocked out near Waegwan on 20 September 1950. It belonged to the North Korean 16th Armoured Brigade which was largely destroyed in the Naktong fighting.

  Private Julias Van Den Stock of ‘A’ Company, 32nd Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division rests on an enemy bunker next to a Soviet DP light machine gun along the slope of Hill 902 north of Ip-Tong.

  The break out from the Pusan Perimeter. M26 Pershings of 72nd Tank Battalion with infantry of the 2nd Infantry Division at Yongsan on 3 September 1950.

  Jeeps and trucks from the US 24th Infantry Division cross the Naktong River to begin the drive north.

  A 105mm howitzer crew from the US 25th Infantry Division strip to the waist as they send hundreds of shells towards the North Korean lines near Uirson on 27 August 1950.

  Finally equipped with heavier weapons, these South Korean troops are manhandling their camouflaged howitzer into position.

  Two North Korean prisoners of war ride on the hood of this US 2nd Infantry Division jeep after being taken prisoner in the fighting for Yongsan on 2 September 1950. They are being taken to the rear in the Naktong River sector of the Pusan Perimeter.

  A bailey bridge is constructed over a destroyed road bridge near the Naktong River. A North Korean T-34 tank was hiding under the bridge when it was destroyed by air attack.

  The bodies of these murdered American soldiers were recovered as the UN forces pushed north out of the Pusan Perimeter. They were all killed while their hands were bound behind their backs.

  Men from the US 2nd Infantry Division probe for mines along the road through this village as they advance from Changnyong, south of Taegu towards the Naktong River.

  14 September 1950, engineers probe for a booby trap underneath a communist mine near Haman, South Korea.

  North Korean tank crewmen lie dead next to their two Soviet T-34 tanks at Indong, north of Waegwan, possibly destroyed by Mustang fighters from the Royal Australian Air Force on 13 August 1950.

  Two knocked out North Korean tanks, pushed off the road by the advancing UN forces.

  Operation Chromite begins early in the morning of 15 September 1950. Landing craft carrying the 1st Marine Division head towards Inchon as battleships fire on targets pinpointed by the Marines’ own close support aircraft.

  15 September 1951, Marines scrambling up the harbour wall at Inchon. This platoon was led by Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez who was killed minutes later when smothering a live grenade with his body. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honour.

  Four LSTs unload on the beach at Inchon as Marines gather equipment to move rapidly inland on 15 September 1950. The landing ships were stuck in the deep mud flats between one high tide and the next.

  US Marines flushing North Korean soldiers from their bunker on Wolmi-Do Island off Inchon harbour. A total of 108 enemy were killed and 136 captured.

  Captured North Korean troops on Wolmi-do island are stripped of their clothing to ensure that they do not have concealed weapons before being taken into captivity.

  Marines mopping up at Wolmi-Do Island, held by 400 North Korean soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 226th Independent Marine Regiment.

  Severely wounded North Korean soldiers awaiting evacuation in September 1950.

  A warehouse burns at Inchon as the Marines take a break and prepare to push on to Seoul.

  A wounded Marine from I Company, 5th Marine Regiment is brought in for treatment during the fighting on the outskirts of Seoul.

  Marines from the 1st Marine Division entering Seoul accompanied by late-production M4A3 (HVSS) 105mm-armed Sherman tanks, the nearest of which mounts a bulldozer blade.

  Much of Seoul was destroyed as the US Marines fought their way through the streets. The Marine in the centre is armed with an M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle.

  American troops and M4A3 (HVSS) 105mm Sherman tanks fighting their way through Seoul.

  US M26 tanks lead the way into Seoul as the city changes hands for the second time. Around 20,000 North Korean troops had to be driven out first.

  Marines fighting their way past a roadblock in Seoul. Note the pictures of Stalin and Kim II Sung on the building in the background. Two of the Marines in this photograph are carrying fighting knives strapped to their boots.

  Marines exchanging fire with snipers in Seoul.

  A Marine marksman uses his Springfield rifle on enemy snipers in Seoul.

  A Marine is about to throw a hand grenade into a tunnel to flush out North Korean soldiers in the fighting for Seoul.

  A Marine taking aim during the clearing of the barricades in Seoul. Note the grenade hanging on the tunic of the bearded Corporal. The
fighting in and around Seoul would continue for several days.

  Mopping up was still going on in Seoul in the first week of October. The 7th US Infantry Division followed the Marines and some of them are taking cover as a Sherman tank drives over one of the North Korean barricades.

  North Korean prisoners and suspect civilians are rounded up as Marines and M26 tanks advance through Seoul.

  Marines with captured North Korean soldiers dressed in civilian clothes, after the recapture of Seoul.

  Engineers of the 2nd Platoon, ‘B’ Company, 10th Engineer Combat Battalion inspect a disabled M4 Sherman tank for booby traps.

  Engineers from the 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion sweep a road for anti-tank mines.

  An engineer from the 16th Reconnaissance Company of the 1st Cavalry Division sets the charges on a daisy chain of explosives to detonate mines hidden in the road.

  A Marine forward air-observer team guides a Marine Corsair in for a strike on an enemy-held hill. The ‘Black Sheep Corsairs’ were highly praised by Army and Marines alike for their precision strikes on targets and their extremely close support of forward units. The close air support provided to the 1st Marine Division by their own aircraft was unique and envied by their Army counterparts.

  US Marines captured many North Korean soldiers who were little more than kids press ganged into fighting for the communists. Captured South Korean soldiers were also given the choice of changing sides or being shot on the spot.

  A 0.30-calibre machine gun crew from the 5th Regimental Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division engages targets near Taejon on 22 September 1950.

  Long line of jeeps waiting to cross the river in September 1950.

  Eight miles north-west of Taegu, two and a half ton trucks cross the river by an underwater bridge.

  A fixed trestle bridge, part of an M4A2 bridge built by the 10th Engineer Combat Battalion.

  Taejon city was virtually destroyed in the fighting to liberate it from the North Koreans in September 1950. Such scenes were responsible for the tens of thousands of refugees on the roads.

  Some 400 South Korean civilians were murdered by the North Koreans in the grounds of Taejon prison before they evacuated the city. They were discovered by the US 24th Infantry Division when they recaptured the town on 28 September 1950.

  These American prisoners of war were executed by the North Koreans at Taejon city jail as the UN forces closed in on the city.

  An M20 75mm recoilless rifle sends another shell towards enemy lines. It was seldom effective against North Korean tanks as its high explosive projectile had little armour penetrating power.

  Engineers use a rope to move a booby trapped tree from a road in the Techen-ni area in South Korea.

  Officers from the 3rd ROK Division and their American advisors celebrate the crossing of the 38th Parallel into enemy territory.

  Captured North Korean troops awaiting the issue of clothing and processing into a prisoner of war camp in October 1950.

  This propaganda photograph shows American prisoners of war forced to carry peace banners and slogans through a North Korean town. Refusal to do so was not an option.

  Air Force C-119s dropping the 187th Regimental Combat Team behind the North Korean line of retreat. They were trying to rescue hundreds of American prisoners of war being carried north by train. They would arrive too late, to discover most of the men murdered by their North Korean guards.

  General MacArthur was taking a great gamble ordering his men to advance right up to the Yalu River and the border with China. The Chinese gave clear warning through diplomatic channels that they would not stand idly by and moved hundreds of thousands of troops up to the border region.

  Paratroops and 1st Cavalry Division tankers meet at Sukchon, North Korea in October 1950. The tank is an M24 Chaffee, a lighter reconnaissance tank unable to stand up to the heavier T-34 in frontal engagements.

  1st Cavalry Division troopers fighting their way into the North Korean capital P'yongyang.

  British and Australian troops house clearing in Hwangju on 17 October 1950 on the drive towards the North Korean capital P'yongyang.

  This North Korean T-34 was destroyed by the Air Force south of Suwon as it was crossing a bridge on 17 October.

  Corpsmen carrying a casualty evacuated by a Marine helicopter from VMO-6 in October 1950.

  Chapter Two

  The Chinese Cross the Yalu

  25 October – 24 December 1950

  It should have come as no surprise to General MacArthur that the Chinese decided to cross the border in order to protect their interests. They certainly did not want a unified South Korea, backed by the United States, across the Yalu River. They made it clear through diplomatic channels that they would intervene if non-South Korean troops crossed the 38th Parallel.

  It was not going to be easy. On 2 October Chairman Mao sent a cable to Stalin outlining the problems that they would be facing. An American Corps comprised two infantry divisions and a mechanized division with 1,500 guns of 70mm to 240mm calibre, including tank guns and anti-aircraft guns. In comparison each Chinese Army, comprising three divisions, had only thirty-six such guns. The UN dominated the air, whereas the Chinese had only just started training pilots and would not be able to deploy more than 300 aircraft in combat until February 1951. To ensure the elimination of one US Corps, the Chinese would need to assemble four times as many troops as the enemy – four field armies to deal with one enemy Corps and requiring 2,200 to 3,000 guns of more than 70mm calibre to deal with 1,500 enemy guns of the same calibre.

  On 5 October 1950, the day after American troops crossed the 38th Parallel, Chairman Mao Zedong issued orders for the North East Frontier Force of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army to move up to the Yalu River. Premier Zhou Enlai was sent to Moscow to persuade Stalin to provide aid and it was agreed that Russian Mig-15 fighters would be sent to airfields in China and painted in Chinese Air Force markings, but flown by Soviet pilots. They would not provide air-ground support to the Chinese forces, but would engage United Nations aircraft south of the Yalu River.

  Because of this short delay, Mao postponed the intervention of Chinese troops from 13 October to 19 October. Four Armies and three artillery divisions were mobilized. Many were experienced troops who had fought the Japanese in the Second World War and defeated the Nationalist Army of Chiang Kai Shek afterwards. In the meantime, on the 15th President Truman flew to Wake Island to meet with General MacArthur. They discussed the possibility of Chinese intervention and Truman's desire to limit the scope of the war. MacArthur reassured Truman that the Chinese would not intervene and if they did they would be easily defeated.

  On 19 October, United Nations forces entered the North Korean capital P'yongyang and on the same day the first troops from the Chinese ‘Peoples Volunteer Army’ crossed the Yalu River under great secrecy. As the UN forces fought their way across the North Korean countryside, General Peng Dehuai deployed his 270,000 troops in the mountains and waited for the enemy to fall into the trap.

  As the South Korean troops moved into the valleys heading for the Yalu River, the Chinese watched and on 25 October, made their move. The Chinese First Phase Campaign began on the morning of 25 October when the 118th Division of the 40th Army wiped out an infantry battalion of the ROK 6th Division a mere dozen miles from the Yalu River. At the same time the 1st ROK Division ran into the Chinese 39th Army, which was tasked with the capture of Unsan. The 15th Regiment was leading the division and it ground to a halt under enemy mortar fire. Soon reports came in from the 12th Regiment on the left and the 11th Regiment in the rear – the Chinese were trying to surround the division. Colonel Paik immediately withdrew his division to Unsan and established a defensive perimeter around the town. A captured Chinese soldier was brought into his headquarters. He was wearing a thick, quilted uniform that was khaki on the outside and white on the inside and it could be worn inside out, to facilitate camouflage in snowy terrain. He admitted that he was from China's Kwangtung Province and
a member of the 39th Army, subordinate to the 13th Army Group. They had boarded trains in September and headed for Manchuria. They had crossed the Yalu River into Korea in mid-October, moving only at night and had gone to great efforts to conceal signs of their movement. He said that tens of thousands of his comrades were in the mountains around the 1st ROK Division.