Battle of Hoengsong

Battle of Hoengseong
Part of the Korean War
Date11-13 February 1951
Location37°29′24″N 127°59′17″E / 37.490°N 127.988°E / 37.490; 127.988
Result Chinese victory[1][2]
Belligerents

 United Nations

 China
 North Korea
Commanders and leaders
United Nations Douglas MacArthur
United States Edward Almond
United States Clark L. Ruffner
South Korea Choi Yong-hee
Netherlands M. P. A. den Ouden 
China Peng Dehuai
China Li Tianyou
Units involved

United States X Corps

China 13th Army

North Korea V Corps
Casualties and losses
ROK: 9,844 casualties
US: 1,900 casualties including 726 killed
Total: 11,862 casualties[3]
4,141 casualties[2]

The Battle of Hoengsong, also known as the Hoengsong counteroffensive (Chinese: 橫城反擊戰) was a battle during the Korean War that took place between 11 and 15 February 1951. It was part of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) Fourth Phase Offensive and was fought between the PVA and United Nations forces. After being pushed back northward by the UN's Operation Thunderbolt counteroffensive, the PVA was victorious in this battle, inflicting heavy casualties on the UN forces in the two days of fighting and temporarily regaining the initiative.

The initial PVA assault fell on the Republic of Korea Army (ROK) 8th Infantry Division which disintegrated after several hours of attacks by three PVA divisions. When the U.S. armored and artillery forces supporting the ROK 8th Division found their infantry screen evaporating, they began to withdraw down the single road through the twisting valley north of Hoengsong; but they were soon outflanked by PVA infiltrating cross-country. Hundreds of U.S. soldiers were killed by PVA forces, which resulted in one of the most lopsided defeats suffered by the U.S. military in the Korean War.[3][4]

  1. ^ Malkasian, Carter (2001). The Korean War. Osprey Publishing. p. 39. ISBN 1841762822.
  2. ^ a b "Ambush at Hoengsong". Time. 12 May 1951.
  3. ^ 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. p. 279. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ Frankville, Frederick (2013). Running with the Dogs: War in Korea with D/2/7, USMC. iUniverse. p. 228. ISBN 9781475974751.