Battle of Heartbreak Ridge

Battle of Heartbreak Ridge
Part of the Korean War

Heartbreak Ridge in South Korea, as seen from the north.
Date13 September – 15 October 1951
Location
38°18′N 128°1′E / 38.300°N 128.017°E / 38.300; 128.017 in Yanggu County, Gangwon Province, South Korea
Result United Nations victory
Belligerents

 United Nations

 South Korea
 North Korea
 China
Commanders and leaders
Clovis E. Byers
Thomas F. Deshazo
Robert N. Young
Pang Ho San
Units involved

X Corps

III Corps

68th Army

Casualties and losses
3,700 US claim: 25,000

The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge (Korean단장의 능선 전투; Hanja斷腸의 稜線 戰鬪; French: Bataille de Crèvecœur), also known as the Battle of Wendengli (Chinese: 文登里战斗; pinyin: Wéndēnglǐ Zhàndòu), was a month-long battle in the Korean War which took place between 13 September and 15 October 1951. After withdrawing from Bloody Ridge, the Korean People's Army (KPA) set up new positions just 1,500 yards (1,400 m) away on a 7-mile (11 km) long hill mass. If anything, these defenses were even more formidable than on Bloody Ridge.

The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge was one of several major engagements in the hills of North Korea a few miles north of the 38th Parallel, the pre-war boundary between North and South Korea, near Chorwon. For the Chinese, this battle is often confused with the Battle of Triangle Hill, which occurred a year later.