Battle of Ka-san

Battle of Ka-san
Part of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter
A hill top lined with stone walls and crumbling fortifications
The walled Gasansanseong Fortress on Hill 902.
DateSeptember 1–15, 1950
Location
Ka-san (Ka mountain), Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea
36°2′14″N 128°34′57″E / 36.03722°N 128.58250°E / 36.03722; 128.58250
Result United Nations victory
Belligerents

 United Nations

  North Korea
Commanders and leaders
United States Hobart R. Gay
South Korea Paik Sun Yup		 Hong Rim
Choi Yong Chin
Units involved
United States 1st Cavalry Division
South Korea 1st Infantry Division		 1st Division
3rd Division
13th Division
Strength
US: 15,000
South Korea: 10,500		 14,000
Casualties and losses
US: ~600 killed
~2,000 wounded
South Korea: heavy		 10,000+ killed, wounded and captured

The Battle of Ka-san was an engagement between United Nations Command (UN) and North Korean forces early in the Korean War from September 1 to September 15, 1950, in the vicinity of Ka-san (Ka mountain), Chilgok County in South Korea. It was a part of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter, and was one of several large engagements fought simultaneously. The battle ended in a victory for the United Nations after large numbers of United States Army (US) and Republic of Korea Army (ROK) troops repelled a strong Korean People's Army (KPA) attack.

Attempting to capture Taegu as part of the Great Naktong Offensive, the KPA 1st and 13th Divisions advanced to the hill masses north of the city where they confronted the US 1st Cavalry Division and the ROK 1st Division. The KPA sought to occupy a number of hill masses, most prominently Hill 902, known to South Koreans as Ka-san, for the ancient fortress situated atop it.

In two weeks of fighting in and around the fortress, the KPA were able to gradually push back the UN forces from Ka-san and Hills 755 and 314 to the south, but the UN forces held out strongly and the KPA were not able to quickly consolidate their gains. The UN forces defended the ground tenaciously, even assigning a battalion of engineers to fight on the front lines, eventually preventing the KPA from advancing long enough for the KPA to be outflanked by the Inchon landings on 15 September and on 16 September the UN forces began their breakout from the Pusan Perimeter which drove the KPA from the area.