Battle of White Horse Hill

Battle of White Horse Hill
Part of the Korean War

White Horse Hill memorial
DateOctober 6–15, 1952
Location
Northwest of Cheorwon, Korea
38°17′24″N 127°09′00″E / 38.29000°N 127.15000°E / 38.29000; 127.15000
Result United Nations victory
Belligerents

 United Nations (UNC)

 China
Commanders and leaders
First Republic of Korea Kim Jong-oh[1] Jiang Yonghui[2]
Units involved
First Republic of Korea 9th Infantry Division
United States 7th Infantry Division
United States Fifth Air Force

38th Corps[3]

  • 334th Regiment
  • 339th Regiment
  • 340th Regiment
  • 342nd Regiment
Casualties and losses
South Korean sources: 3,500[4]
Chinese estimation: 9,300[3]
Chinese sources:
1,768 killed
3,062 wounded
562 missing[3]
South Korean estimation: 10,000[4]

The Battle of White Horse Hill (Korean: 백마고지 전투, Chinese: 白马山战斗; pinyin: Bái Mǎ Shān Zhàn Dòu)took place during the Korean War. White Horse Hill (Hill 395) in the Iron Triangle, formed by Pyonggang at its peak and Gimhwa-eup and Cheorwon-eup at its base, a strategic transportation route in the central region of the Korean peninsula.

White Horse Hill was the crest of a 395-metre (1,296 ft) forested hill mass that extended in a northwest-to-southeast direction for about 2 miles (3.2 km), part of the area controlled by the U.S. IX Corps, and considered an important outpost hill with a good command over the Yokkok-chon Valley, dominating the western approaches to Cheorwon. Loss of the hill would force IX Corps to withdraw to the high ground south of the Yokkok-chon in the Cheorwon area, denying the IX Corps use of the Cheorwon road net and would open up the entire Cheorwon area to enemy attack and penetration.