Page 71 - History of War - Issue 05-14

The wounded would have to stay where they
were; the chaplain and some medical staff A weary Korean girl, carrying
stayed behind with them. As the companies her brother on her back, poses
prepared to leave the hill, the last ammunition in front of an M-26 tank,
Haengju, Korea, 9 June 1951
was parcelled out: each man had no more than
two or three rounds left for his rifle. Captain
Harvey led 90 men of D Company north towards
the river, then turned and headed back to the
UN lines. After brushes with the Chinese, the
survivors found some American tanks, which
at first opened fire on them and inflicted some
casualties. When they identified themselves,
Harvey and his remaining 39 men were taken
back to UN lines. They were the only survivors
of the Gloucestershire Battalion to get there.
A, B and C Companies headed directly to
the south, but ran straight into a machine-gun
position. It fell to the tough and ambitious Farrar
Hockley to sacrifice professional pride and shout
for his men to lay down their arms: “It was a
for his men to lay down their arms: “It was a
shameful moment, surrendering. I hated doing
shameful moment, surrendering. I hated doing
it.” Carne evaded capture for 24 hours, but was
it.” Carne evaded capture for 24 hours, but was
eventually brought in. For some, it was an awful
eventually brought in. For some, it was an awful
repetition – they had spent the majority of the
repetition – they had spent the majority of the
Second World War as German prisoners, and
Second World War as German prisoners, and
now a long stint in a Chinese prison faced them.
now a long stint in a Chinese prison faced them.
Thirty of the Glosters would not survive captivity.
Thirty of the Glosters would not survive captivity.
It was a disaster. There were a thousand 29th
It was a disaster. There were a thousand 29th
Brigade casualties – around a quarter of their
Brigade casualties – around a quarter of their
frontline strenth. The Glosters lost around 70
frontline strenth. The Glosters lost around 70
killed and 200 wounded, while 530 men entered
killed and 200 wounded, while 530 men entered
THERE WERE
THERE WERE allowed to be cut off. Ridgway wrote to him on survivors struggled ashore to be met by a South
9 May: “I cannot but feel a certain disquiet that
Korean battalion that showed no mercy. They
A THOUSAND 29TH
A THOUS AND 29TH down through the chain of command, the full had no choice but to withdraw; their offensive
responsibility for realising the danger to which
had bought them only 25 miles of territory.
BRIGADE CASUALTIES this unit were exposed, then for extricating One last offensive was tried in the east of the
them when that danger became grave, was
peninsula, where, on 16 May, the ROK were
– A QUARTER OF THEIR
– A QU AR TER OF THEIR not recognised nor implemented… I have the routed and a wedge driven into the UN lines. But
feeling… that neither the division nor the corps
this time, there was no shortage of US artillery:
FR
FRONTLINE STRENGTH commander was fully aware by direct personal Van Fleet called it his “day of fire”. “I want to
E
R
G
N
T
H
ONTLINE S
T
presence as near the critical spot as he could
stress,” he said, “we must expend steel and fire,
have gotten of what the actual situation was.” not men. I want to stop the Chinaman here and
captivity. In return, the brigade had inflicted hurt him. I want to be strong enough in position
captivity. In return, the brigade had inflicted
terrible slaughter on the attacking Chinese:
terrible slaughter on the attacking Chinese: One last offensive and firepower to defeat him. I want so many
10,000 is the figure given, although it’s only In his book The War In Korea, Ridgway wrote artillery holes that a man can step from one to
10,000 is the figure given, although it’s only
a very rough estimate based on observation.
a very rough estimate based on observation. that “the brigade held its vital positions for another. This isn’t an overstatement; I mean it.”
Commander of the 8th Army James Van Fleet three days, thus enabling I Corps to complete The Chinese attack finally ground to a
Commander of the 8th Army James Van Fleet
and overall UN commander Matthew Ridgway
and overall UN commander Matthew Ridgway their withdrawal successfully”. Even taking into halt. The UN had lost around 25,000 men in
were disappointed to lose the Glosters. In
were disappointed to lose the Glosters. In account exaggeration, the action fought on the decisively defeating both attacks of the Fifth
public, they heaped praise on them, Van Fleet
public, they heaped praise on them, Van Fleet Imjin dramatically slowed down the Chinese Phase Offensive, the Communists an estimated
calling their stand “the most outstanding offensive and allowed the rest of the 8th Army 85,000. Its lessons were immediately obvious:
calling their stand “the most outstanding
example of unit bravery in modern warfare”. He to “roll with the punch”. Any chance that the the Chinese could no longer expect to arrive
example of unit bravery in modern warfare”. He
later said that the loss of the Glosters had been
later said that the loss of the Glosters had been Chinese had of taking Seoul was crushed. on the battlefield and watch the fleeing backs
necessary to save the whole 8th Army. They They had sustained horrific casualties and of their enemies; the UN had mastered the
even received a Presidential Unit Citation. But their timetable had been completely thrown. tactics needed to inflict massive casualties.
in private, there was concern. Van Fleet ordered When they did resume the advance, they found Marshal Peng reported to his political masters
that, from now on, all units should be kept that the UN had withdrawn to a line known as that it would be months before his forces
within supporting distance, and were not “Golden”, just north of Seoul, which had been recovered from their losses. Never again did
constructed by Korean workers over the the Chinese attempt to win the war with a
previous weeks. The 25th Division’s sector spectacular breakthrough on the battlefield. w
This bridge across the Imjin River of it alone had 786 crew-served weapons,
was built to carry UN convoys to such as heavy machine guns, and was
Kaesong for ceasefire meetings
protected by 74,000 yards of double-apron
wire fence, 510,000 sandbags and 25,000
logs. The Chinese carried food for only five
days and, with so much time and effort having
been taken up fighting the 29th Brigade on
the Imjin, the spent forces had no chance
of smashing through this fortified line.
Nevertheless, the Chinese crawled forward, This feature is an edited extract
hammered by artillery and air attacks, and from the book 20th Century
made an attempt on Seoul; but they were Battlefields by Peter and Dan
beaten back with heavy losses. They tried to Snow, published by BBC Books,
AP cross the Han River in small boats, but aircraft, RRP £9.99. It is available from
artillery and naval fire decimated them and the www.eburypublishing.co.uk
HISTORY WAR 71
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