First and Second Battles of Wonju

First and Second Battles of Wonju
Part of the Korean War
A group of soldier shoving snow in front of a convoy
US 2nd Infantry Division move through a mountain pass at the south of Wonju
DateDecember 31, 1950 – January 20, 1951
Location
Wonju, South Korea
37°21′09″N 127°56′58″E / 37.35250°N 127.94944°E / 37.35250; 127.94944
Result United Nations victory
Belligerents

 United Nations (UNC)

 South Korea		  China
 North Korea
Commanders and leaders
United States Matthew B. Ridgway
United States Edward Almond
First Republic of Korea Lee Hyung Koon[1]
First Republic of Korea Yu Jae-hung
United States Robert B. McClure
United States Clark Ruffner
French Fourth Republic Ralph Monclar[2]
Netherlands M. P. A. den Ouden[3]
Kingdom of Greece Dionysios Arbouzis[4]		 China Peng Dehuai
North Korea Kim Ung
North Korea Pak Il-u
North Korea Ch'oe Hyon
North Korea Pang Ho San
Units involved

First Republic of Korea II Corps
First Republic of Korea III Corps
United States X Corps

United States 5th Cavalry Regiment
Kingdom of Greece Greek Battalion[6]		 North Korea II Corps
North Korea III Corps
North Korea V Corps
China 42nd Corps[nb 1]
China 66th Corps
Strength
US: 79,736[7][nb 2]
South Korea: Unknown		 ~61,500[8]
Casualties and losses
United States ~600 dead[9][nb 3]
French Fourth Republic ~18 killed		 ~18,000 (estimated)[8]

The First and Second Battles of Wonju (French: Bataille de Wonju), also known as the Wonju Campaign or the Third Phase Campaign Eastern Sector[nb 4] (Chinese: 第三次战役东线; pinyin: Dì Sān Cì Zhàn Yì Dōng Xiàn), was a series of engagements between North Korean and United Nations (UN) forces during the Korean War. The battle took place from December 31, 1950, to January 20, 1951, around the South Korean town of Wonju. In coordination with the Chinese capture of Seoul on the western front, the North Korean Korean People's Army (KPA) attempted to capture Wonju in an effort to destabilize the UN defenses along the central and the eastern fronts.

After a joint Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) and KPA assault breached the UN defenses at Chuncheon on New Year's Eve of 1951, KPA V Corps attacked US X Corps at Wonju while KPA II Corps harassed US X Corps' rear by engaging in guerrilla warfare. In response, US X Corps under the command of Major General Edward Almond managed to cripple the KPA forces at Wonju, and the UN forces later carried out a number of anti-guerrilla operations against the KPA infiltrators. In the aftermath of the battle, the KPA forces on the central and the eastern fronts were decimated, allowing the UN front to be stabilized at the 37th parallel.

  1. ^ Chae, Chung & Yang 2001, p. 302.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference appleman123 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs 2010, p. 114.
  4. ^ Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs 2006, p. 64.
  5. ^ Appleman 1990, p. 122.
  6. ^ Appleman 1990, p. 134.
  7. ^ Appleman 1990, p. 42.
  8. ^ a b Appleman 1990, p. 99.
  9. ^ Ecker 2005, pp. 73–75.


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