Battle of the Soyang River

Battle of the Soyang River
Part of the Korean War
Map of the Battle of Soyang River
Battle of Soyang River map
Date16–22 May 1951
Location
Soyang River
Result

Tactical PVA/KPA victory[1][2]

  • Collapse and retreat of ROK forces[3]
  • Disbandment of III Corps on 26 May[4]

Strategic UN victory[5]: 334, 427, 458 

  • PVA/KPA overextends, suffering heavy casualties and ultimately failing to achieve their objective[5]: 334 [6]: 439–464 
Belligerents

 United Nations

 China
 North Korea
Commanders and leaders
United Nations Matthew Ridgway
United States James Van Fleet		 China Peng Dehuai
Units involved
United States 2nd Infantry Division
United States 7th Infantry Division
United States 1st Marine Division
First Republic of Korea I Corps
First Republic of Korea III Corps
French Fourth Republic French Battalion
Netherlands Netherlands Battalion		 China 12th Army
15th Army
20th Army
27th Army
60th Army
North Korea II Corps
V Corps
Strength
8 divisions[6]: 439–464  138,000 Chinese
38,000 North Koreans
Casualties and losses

UN sources: 8,769 total casualties
United States 1,221 casualties[7]: 666 

Chinese estimate: 44,000 total casualties[8]

Chinese sources: 40,000 total casualties[8]

UN estimate: 90,609 total casualties [7]: 666 

The Battle of the Soyang River, also referred to as the "May Massacre",[5]: 330–4  or Battle of Hyeon-ri (Korean: 현리 전투, Chinese: 縣里戰役) in Korean and Chinese was fought during the Korean War between United Nations Command (UN) and the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) and Korean People's Army (KPA) during the Spring Offensive of April–May 1951. The attack took place across the entire front but with the main thrust below the Soyang River in the Taebaek Mountains. The objective of the main effort was to sever the six Republic of Korea Army (ROK) divisions on the eastern front from the remainder of the US Eighth Army and annihilate them and the US 2nd Infantry Division. Secondary attacks would be mounted by PVA and KPA forces across the entire front.

The attack was launched on 16 May 1951 and succeeded in swiftly pushing back the ROK I Corps which retreated in good order and III Corps which was routed, while the US 2nd Infantry Division to their left mounted a stronger defense before gradually giving up ground. By 19 May the PVA/KPA advance was losing momentum due to reinforcement of the UN forces, supply difficulties and mounting losses from UN air and artillery strikes. On 20 May the UN launched a counterattack on the west of the front and the PVA/KPA began to withdraw after suffering heavy losses with the offensive coming to an end on 22 May.

  1. ^ "현리전투". 한국학중앙연구원. Archived from the original on 15 April 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  2. ^ Ministry of National Defense of Republic of Korea 1988.
  3. ^ 中国人民解放军军事科学院, 抗美援朝战争史 第二卷, 北京: 中国人民解放军军事科学院出版社, 2000, ISBN 0-7864-1980-6
  4. ^ Paik Sun Yup, Sŏn-yŏp Paek (2000). From Pusan to Panmunjom. Brassey's. p. 156. ISBN 9781574882025.
  5. ^ a b c Fehrenbach, T. R. (2000). This kind of war: the classic Korean War history (50th anniversary ed.). Washington, D.C.: Brassey's. pp. 334, 427, 458. ISBN 1574882597.
  6. ^ a b Mossman, Billy (1988). United States Army in the Korean War: Ebb and Flow November 1950-July 1951. United States Army Center of Military History.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ^ a b Clodfelter, Micheal (2017). Warfare and Armed Conflicts : A Statistical Encyclopedia of Casualty and Other Figures, 1492-2015 (Fourth ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 9780786474707.
  8. ^ a b 抗美援朝战争史 第二卷. 北京: 中国人民解放军军事科学院出版社. 2000. ISBN 0-7864-1980-6.