Korean War

**Ennath** · January 1st, 2013, 11:59 AM

The "Forgotten War", the one between World War II and Vietnam. Somehow, 35.000 American dead, over 200,000 ROK dead, thousands of other UN casualties and hundreds of thousands of dead from China and North Korea manage to get overlooked. It was the first test of the West's ability to stand up to Communism after 1945, the first jet-versus-jet combats, and the first modern "limited war". And it has never actually ended. Without further ado, the postings begin.

January 1946
North Korea The Peace Preservation Officers Training Schools, the nucleus of the emerging North Korean People’s Army, are activated.

January 1949
South Korea MacArthur informs the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the ROK Army will not be able to defend Korea. He agrees, however, that the United States should not commit more American troops. In the event of a North Korean invasion, he believes the United States should evacuate its troops.
United States Dean Acheson becomes secretary of State.

January 1950
Communist Planning Stalin informs Kim that he will support a military offensive against South Korea and suggests that Kim meet him in Moscow to discuss the details.

January 1951
UN Planning At the beginning of the year, a series of cables between General Douglas MacArthur and the Joint Chiefs of Staff further aggravate the growing tension between them. In a reply to a JCS request for information about the state of the war in Korea, MacArthur points out that the American forces are not being used as they should and that the denial of the use of Chiang’s Nationalist troops (as well as permission to conduct guerrilla operations on the Chinese mainland) means that it is time for the United States to declare a de facto state of war with the Chinese Communists. This would allow the blockade of Chinese ports, the bombardment of supply centers, and the dual advantages to be gained from Chiang’s delivery of troops to Korea and his willingness to launch diversionary raids on the Chinese mainland.

January 1952
War Situation At the beginning of 1952, the war in Korea is changing dramatically. Not only has the war of sweeping offensives and massive retreats come to a halt, but the resulting period seems to have more in common with the trench warfare of World War I. And it has lost its sense of momentum, a loss felt not only on the battlefield, where movement is counted in yards rather than miles, but also in the war’s ability to arouse passion – or even interest. This includes the men and women on the line as well as the folks back home. The war continues, but it is no longer a war of desperate losses or victory celebrations. The United States knows it will be able to hold its own against the Chinese Communists. It also knows that only a larger and more costly war can defeat the Chinese. And so many Americans lose interest; for the man in combat it is a war of days of “indefinite boredom broken by moments of stark terror”. This period will often be called a stalemate, and perhaps it is. But during 1952, there will be an estimated 140 attacks, from squad to company size, against the UN lines each month. These are days when more than 130,000 rounds are fired during a 24-hour period. It becomes a war of waiting, but even the waiting is deadly.

January 1971
Air War North Koreans try to hijack an airliner over South Korea, but fail.
United Nations The People’s Republic of China is finally admitted to the UN; the Nationalist delegation is ousted from the body.

January 1980
North Korea The Pyongyang regime is faced with a worsening economy. Its hard-line foreign policy has made it difficult to expand trade or secure foreign credit. Kim refuses economic reforms similar to those taking place in China as he has no real understanding of market economics. The DPRK is now faced with the choice of repaying its loans or continuing social welfare policies. Kim chooses default and industrial output declines through the decade.

January 1992
North Korea The government launches the “Let’s eat two meals per day” campaign in an attempt to cut down on food consumption. By 1994, some people in remote areas are not able to get food for days at a time, despite being issued the usual rationing coupons. As infrastructure collapses throughout the country, food distribution begins to break down and the shops are empty. The North Korean Famine is underway.

January 1, 1951
Ground War On Ridgeway’s orders, the western divisions pull back from the Imjin River to a line just north of the Han River, forming a bridgehead around Seoul. 3rd Royal Australian Regiment is responsible for blocking positions at Tokchon and defends Uijongbu against Chinese attack.
UN Command Taking command of a dispirited 8th Army, Ridgeway writes a “Letter to the Men of Eighth Army”, in which he describes the greater principles that he believes are involved in the war in Korea, and those for which the American GI is fighting.
United States Two additional National Guard units are mobilized into national service.

January 1, 1952
Ground War At the beginning of the year, the battle line is located along a front that runs from a point five miles southeast of Kosong on the east coast to a point ten miles southeast of Kaesong on the west.
Air War A massive UN air and artillery campaign commences against the Communist forces. It will last most of the month.
Partisans The Wolfpack unit is created out of the eastern part of Leopard’s area of operations.
Diplomacy The Communist delegates at the armistice talks agree to the principle of repatriation of all civilians who are being held as prisoners of war.

January 1 – February 2, 1952
War at Sea Operation Moonlight Sonata, an effort designed to take advantage of the predawn moon for strikes against locomotives and trains, is conducted by Task Force 77.

January 1, 1953
United States President Truman signs an executive order expanding loyalty screening to include those Americans working with the United Nations.
Partisans Far East Command authorizes an increase in strength to some 40,000 men and women by mid-July.

**danton** · January 1st, 2013, 06:50 PM

This will be interesting. I met an American student who was on a visit to the U.K. and went to view the Durham Light Infantry Museum, Durham. He had no idea the British were 'involved' in the Korean War, this despite coming from a military family.

The Korean War was the first war in my own life I can recall with clarity.

**knobby109** · January 1st, 2013, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danton

This will be interesting. I met an American student who was on a visit to the U.K. and went to view the Durham Light Infantry Museum, Durham. He had no idea the British were 'involved' in the Korean War, this despite coming from a military family.

The Korean War was the first war in my own life I can recall with clarity.

see this about the Glorious Glosters in that war.
http://ukinrok.fco.gov.uk/en/about-u...y/battle-imjin

**DTravel** · January 2nd, 2013, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danton

This will be interesting. I met an American student who was on a visit to the U.K. and went to view the Durham Light Infantry Museum, Durham. He had no idea the British were 'involved' in the Korean War, this despite coming from a military family.

The Korean War was the first war in my own life I can recall with clarity.

While the US and ROK provided the bulk of the forces for the UN, they were not the only countries. A number of UN member states provided forces, Wikipedia gives the following numbers for combat forces (another half-dozen countries provided non-military humanitarian forces):

Republic of Korea (South Korea) - 590,911
United States - 302,483
United Kingdom - 14,198
Philippines - 7,496
Thailand - 6,326
Canada - 6,146
Turkey - 5,453
Australia - 2,282
New Zealand - 1,385
Ethiopia - 1,271
Greece - 1,263
France - 1,119
Colombia - 1,068
Belgium - 900
South Africa - 826
Netherlands - 819
Luxembourg - 44

**Rogerbh** · January 2nd, 2013, 12:42 AM

I heard a lot of comments that the Turks were good at killing South Koreans because they could not tell one Asian from another.

**haroldeye** · January 2nd, 2013, 10:55 AM

Michael Caine fought in Korea with the Royal Fusiliers. He was at the (particularily nasty) battle of the Hook.

Not a lot of people know that.

**Ennath** · January 2nd, 2013, 12:28 PM

January 2, 1951
Ground War US 2nd Division holds Wonju against two Chinese divisions. When ROK II Corps collapses on the east flank, Ridgeway orders Wonju abandoned.
United Nations The UN reports that the Communists have rejected its proposals. The United Nations reaffirms the non-forcible repatriation of prisoners of war on both sides as a precondition for any potential cease-fire.

January 2, 1952
Diplomacy At the armistice talks, the UN proposes voluntary repatriation of all POW’s. The Communist delegates are unresponsive. The repatriation issue will be the greatest single sticking point during the truce talks. The Communists believe, probably correctly, that few POW’s would return voluntarily to a Communist nation, embarrassing to regimes that claim to represent the will of the people, and so they will insist on total repatriation. The UN proposal is rejected the following day.

January 2, 1953
Ground War An ROK company raids the Chinese-held outpost Big Nori, supported by US troops and tanks. The unit takes and holds the position long enough to destroy the emplacements and fortifications and then make an orderly withdrawal.
United States Senator Joseph McCarthy (R-WI) is investigated by the Senate Privileges and Election Committee. While his power base in Washington has been in decline, this marks the beginning of the end for the anti-Communist crusader.

January 2, 2003
North Korea North Korean threatens to withdraw from the armistice agreement that is keeping the peace. Acknowledging that relations on the Korean peninsula have become very tense because of “the U.S. nuclear racket”, Pyongyang says that it will be left with no option but to take a decisive step to abandon its commitment to implement the armistice agreement.

jazz-aardvark · January 2nd, 2013, 02:09 PM

The book "To the last round" by Andrew Salmon, is a very readable account of the the battle of the Imjin River for anyone interested in the subject

**Ennath** · January 2nd, 2013, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazz-aardvark

The book "To the last round" by Andrew Salmon, is a very readable account of the the battle of the Imjin River for anyone interested in the subject

Just finished reading it. About the only book I've reads that covers the Belgians in the war. It was their most famous battle there as well as Britain's.

**Ennath** · January 3rd, 2013, 12:16 PM

January 3, 1951
Ground War Ridgeway orders his divisions to move south of the Han River and abandon Seoul. 8th Army begins evacuating as massive numbers of Chinese troops cross the frozen river east and west of the capital, taking Uijongbu.
Air War B-29’s drop 650 tons of incendiary bombs on Pyongyang. Planes of the FEAF fly 958 combat sorties during the day, establishing a new daily record. Kimpo Airfield is evacuated.
United Nations The UN Cease Fire Group acknowledges its failure to come to any kind of agreement with the Chinese Communists.
South Korea Rhee and his government hurriedly leave Seoul.

January 1st, 2013, 11:59 AM	#1
Ennath Vintage Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 6,816 Thanks: 26,924 Thanked 80,781 Times in 6,815 Posts	Korean War The "Forgotten War", the one between World War II and Vietnam. Somehow, 35.000 American dead, over 200,000 ROK dead, thousands of other UN casualties and hundreds of thousands of dead from China and North Korea manage to get overlooked. It was the first test of the West's ability to stand up to Communism after 1945, the first jet-versus-jet combats, and the first modern "limited war". And it has never actually ended. Without further ado, the postings begin. January 1946 North Korea The Peace Preservation Officers Training Schools, the nucleus of the emerging North Korean People’s Army, are activated. January 1949 South Korea MacArthur informs the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the ROK Army will not be able to defend Korea. He agrees, however, that the United States should not commit more American troops. In the event of a North Korean invasion, he believes the United States should evacuate its troops. United States Dean Acheson becomes secretary of State. January 1950 Communist Planning Stalin informs Kim that he will support a military offensive against South Korea and suggests that Kim meet him in Moscow to discuss the details. January 1951 UN Planning At the beginning of the year, a series of cables between General Douglas MacArthur and the Joint Chiefs of Staff further aggravate the growing tension between them. In a reply to a JCS request for information about the state of the war in Korea, MacArthur points out that the American forces are not being used as they should and that the denial of the use of Chiang’s Nationalist troops (as well as permission to conduct guerrilla operations on the Chinese mainland) means that it is time for the United States to declare a de facto state of war with the Chinese Communists. This would allow the blockade of Chinese ports, the bombardment of supply centers, and the dual advantages to be gained from Chiang’s delivery of troops to Korea and his willingness to launch diversionary raids on the Chinese mainland. January 1952 War Situation At the beginning of 1952, the war in Korea is changing dramatically. Not only has the war of sweeping offensives and massive retreats come to a halt, but the resulting period seems to have more in common with the trench warfare of World War I. And it has lost its sense of momentum, a loss felt not only on the battlefield, where movement is counted in yards rather than miles, but also in the war’s ability to arouse passion – or even interest. This includes the men and women on the line as well as the folks back home. The war continues, but it is no longer a war of desperate losses or victory celebrations. The United States knows it will be able to hold its own against the Chinese Communists. It also knows that only a larger and more costly war can defeat the Chinese. And so many Americans lose interest; for the man in combat it is a war of days of “indefinite boredom broken by moments of stark terror”. This period will often be called a stalemate, and perhaps it is. But during 1952, there will be an estimated 140 attacks, from squad to company size, against the UN lines each month. These are days when more than 130,000 rounds are fired during a 24-hour period. It becomes a war of waiting, but even the waiting is deadly. January 1971 Air War North Koreans try to hijack an airliner over South Korea, but fail. United Nations The People’s Republic of China is finally admitted to the UN; the Nationalist delegation is ousted from the body. January 1980 North Korea The Pyongyang regime is faced with a worsening economy. Its hard-line foreign policy has made it difficult to expand trade or secure foreign credit. Kim refuses economic reforms similar to those taking place in China as he has no real understanding of market economics. The DPRK is now faced with the choice of repaying its loans or continuing social welfare policies. Kim chooses default and industrial output declines through the decade. January 1992 North Korea The government launches the “Let’s eat two meals per day” campaign in an attempt to cut down on food consumption. By 1994, some people in remote areas are not able to get food for days at a time, despite being issued the usual rationing coupons. As infrastructure collapses throughout the country, food distribution begins to break down and the shops are empty. The North Korean Famine is underway. January 1, 1951 Ground War On Ridgeway’s orders, the western divisions pull back from the Imjin River to a line just north of the Han River, forming a bridgehead around Seoul. 3rd Royal Australian Regiment is responsible for blocking positions at Tokchon and defends Uijongbu against Chinese attack. UN Command Taking command of a dispirited 8th Army, Ridgeway writes a “Letter to the Men of Eighth Army”, in which he describes the greater principles that he believes are involved in the war in Korea, and those for which the American GI is fighting. United States Two additional National Guard units are mobilized into national service. January 1, 1952 Ground War At the beginning of the year, the battle line is located along a front that runs from a point five miles southeast of Kosong on the east coast to a point ten miles southeast of Kaesong on the west. Air War A massive UN air and artillery campaign commences against the Communist forces. It will last most of the month. Partisans The Wolfpack unit is created out of the eastern part of Leopard’s area of operations. Diplomacy The Communist delegates at the armistice talks agree to the principle of repatriation of all civilians who are being held as prisoners of war. January 1 – February 2, 1952 War at Sea Operation Moonlight Sonata, an effort designed to take advantage of the predawn moon for strikes against locomotives and trains, is conducted by Task Force 77. January 1, 1953 United States President Truman signs an executive order expanding loyalty screening to include those Americans working with the United Nations. Partisans Far East Command authorizes an increase in strength to some 40,000 men and women by mid-July.

January 1st, 2013, 06:50 PM	#2
danton Vintage Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: U.K. Posts: 1,402 Thanks: 11,464 Thanked 22,539 Times in 1,373 Posts	National Service This will be interesting. I met an American student who was on a visit to the U.K. and went to view the Durham Light Infantry Museum, Durham. He had no idea the British were 'involved' in the Korean War, this despite coming from a military family. The Korean War was the first war in my own life I can recall with clarity.

January 2nd, 2013, 12:42 AM	#5
Rogerbh Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Land of the free within reasonable limitations Posts: 10,941 Thanks: 50,624 Thanked 91,401 Times in 10,787 Posts	I heard a lot of comments that the Turks were good at killing South Koreans because they could not tell one Asian from another.

January 2nd, 2013, 10:55 AM	#6
haroldeye Moderator Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Halfwitistan Posts: 5,717 Thanks: 113,617 Thanked 59,988 Times in 5,709 Posts	Michael Caine fought in Korea with the Royal Fusiliers. He was at the (particularily nasty) battle of the Hook. Not a lot of people know that.

January 2nd, 2013, 12:28 PM	#7
Ennath Vintage Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 6,816 Thanks: 26,924 Thanked 80,781 Times in 6,815 Posts	January 2, 1951 Ground War US 2nd Division holds Wonju against two Chinese divisions. When ROK II Corps collapses on the east flank, Ridgeway orders Wonju abandoned. United Nations The UN reports that the Communists have rejected its proposals. The United Nations reaffirms the non-forcible repatriation of prisoners of war on both sides as a precondition for any potential cease-fire. January 2, 1952 Diplomacy At the armistice talks, the UN proposes voluntary repatriation of all POW’s. The Communist delegates are unresponsive. The repatriation issue will be the greatest single sticking point during the truce talks. The Communists believe, probably correctly, that few POW’s would return voluntarily to a Communist nation, embarrassing to regimes that claim to represent the will of the people, and so they will insist on total repatriation. The UN proposal is rejected the following day. January 2, 1953 Ground War An ROK company raids the Chinese-held outpost Big Nori, supported by US troops and tanks. The unit takes and holds the position long enough to destroy the emplacements and fortifications and then make an orderly withdrawal. United States Senator Joseph McCarthy (R-WI) is investigated by the Senate Privileges and Election Committee. While his power base in Washington has been in decline, this marks the beginning of the end for the anti-Communist crusader. January 2, 2003 North Korea North Korean threatens to withdraw from the armistice agreement that is keeping the peace. Acknowledging that relations on the Korean peninsula have become very tense because of “the U.S. nuclear racket”, Pyongyang says that it will be left with no option but to take a decisive step to abandon its commitment to implement the armistice agreement.

January 2nd, 2013, 02:09 PM	#8
jazz-aardvark Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 53 Thanks: 1,633 Thanked 1,179 Times in 47 Posts	The book "To the last round" by Andrew Salmon, is a very readable account of the the battle of the Imjin River for anyone interested in the subject

January 3rd, 2013, 12:16 PM	#10
Ennath Vintage Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 6,816 Thanks: 26,924 Thanked 80,781 Times in 6,815 Posts	January 3, 1951 Ground War Ridgeway orders his divisions to move south of the Han River and abandon Seoul. 8th Army begins evacuating as massive numbers of Chinese troops cross the frozen river east and west of the capital, taking Uijongbu. Air War B-29’s drop 650 tons of incendiary bombs on Pyongyang. Planes of the FEAF fly 958 combat sorties during the day, establishing a new daily record. Kimpo Airfield is evacuated. United Nations The UN Cease Fire Group acknowledges its failure to come to any kind of agreement with the Chinese Communists. South Korea Rhee and his government hurriedly leave Seoul.