Battle of the Punchbowl

Battle of the Punchbowl
Part of the Korean War

Map of the Punchbowl, Heartbreak Ridge and Bloody Ridge
Date31 August – 21 September 1951
Location
The Punchbowl, Haean, Korea
Result UN tactical victory
Belligerents

 United Nations

 North Korea
Commanders and leaders
United Nations Matthew Ridgway
United States James Van Fleet
United States Gerald C. Thomas
First Republic of Korea Kim Dae-shik
Kim Il Sung
Units involved

United States X Corps

II Corps

Strength
30,000 40,000
Casualties and losses

United States 69 killed
575 wounded

South Korea 122 killed
466 wounded
2,799 killed (body count)
UN estimate: further 2,374 killed
4,707 wounded

The Battle of the Punchbowl (Korean: 펀치볼 전투), was one of the last battles of the movement phase of the Korean War. Following the breakdown of armistice negotiations in August 1951, the United Nations Command (UN) decided to launch a limited offensive in the late summer/early autumn to shorten and straighten sections of their lines, acquire better defensive terrain, and deny the enemy key vantage points from which they could observe and target UN positions. The Battle of Bloody Ridge took place west of the Punchbowl from August–September 1951 and this was followed by the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge northwest of the Punchbowl from September–October 1951. At the end of the UN offensive in October 1951, UN forces controlled the line of hills north of the Punchbowl.