Battle of Chonan

Coordinates: 36°48′36″N 127°08′51″E / 36.81000°N 127.14750°E / 36.81000; 127.14750
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Battle of Chonan
Part of the Korean War
An arrow moving from north to south along a road
Map of the 34th Infantry Regiment's delay action from July 5 to 8
DateJuly 7–8, 1950
Location
Chonan, South Korea
36°48′36″N 127°08′51″E / 36.81000°N 127.14750°E / 36.81000; 127.14750
Result North Korean victory
Belligerents

 United Nations

 North Korea
Commanders and leaders
William F. Dean
Robert R. Martin †
Robert L. Wadlington
Lee Kwon Mu
Units involved
34th Infantry Regiment

4th Infantry Division

  • 16th Infantry Regiment
  • 18th Infantry Regiment

105th Armored Division

  • 107th Tank Regiment
Strength
2,000 12,000
Casualties and losses
~300 killed, wounded or missing (98–109 killed/missing)[1] and 60 captured Unknown

The Battle of Chonan was the third engagement between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War. It occurred on the night of July 7/8, 1950, in the town of Chonan in western South Korea. The fight ended in a North Korean victory after intense fighting around the town, which occurred throughout the night and into the morning.

The

4th Infantry Division as it advanced south following its victories at the Battle of Osan and the Battle of Pyongtaek the days before. The regiment emplaced north and south of Chonan, attempting to delay the North Koreans in an area where the terrain formed a bottleneck between mountains and the Yellow Sea
.

The 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry, set up a defensive perimeter north of the city and, by nightfall, was engaged in combat with superior numbers of North Korean troops and tanks. American forces, unable to repulse North Korean armor, soon found themselves in an intense urban fight as columns of North Korean troops, spearheaded by T-34 tanks, entered the town from two directions, cutting off U.S. forces. The fight resulted in the near destruction of the 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry, and the death of the 34th Infantry Regiment's new commander, Colonel Robert R. Martin.

Background

Outbreak of war

On the night of June 25, 1950, 10 divisions of the

Republic of Korea. The force of 89,000 men moved in six columns, catching the Republic of Korea Army completely by surprise, resulting in a disastrous rout for the South Koreans, who were disorganized, ill-equipped, and unprepared for war.[2] Numerically superior, North Korean forces destroyed isolated resistance from the 38,000 South Korean soldiers on the front, advancing steadily south.[3] Most of South Korea's forces retreated in the face of the invasion, and by June 28, the North Koreans had captured Seoul, South Korea's capital, forcing the government and its shattered forces to withdraw south.[4]

Soldiers carrying their bags off of a train in a Korean train station
Task Force Smith arrives in South Korea.

The

William F. Dean. However, the division was under strength and was only two-thirds the size of its regular wartime size. Most of the 24th Infantry Division's equipment was antiquated due to reductions in military spending following World War II. Despite these deficiencies, the 24th Infantry Division was ordered into South Korea,[5] with a mission to take the initial "shock" of North Korean advances while the rest of the Eighth Army could arrive in Korea and establish a perimeter.[6]

Early engagements

From the 24th Infantry Division, one battalion was assigned to be airlifted into Korea via

Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II.[7] On July 5, Task Force Smith engaged North Korean forces at the Battle of Osan, delaying over 5,000 North Korean infantry for seven hours before being routed and forced back.[8]

During that time, the

Ansong, 10 mi (16 km) south of Osan, to fight the next delaying action against the advancing North Korean forces.[9] 34th Infantry Regiment was similarly unprepared for a fight; in the ensuing action, most of the regiment withdrew to Chonan without ever engaging the enemy.[10] The 1st Battalion, left alone against the North Koreans, resisted their advance in the brief and disastrous Battle of Pyongtaek. The 34th Infantry was unable to stop North Korean armor because equipment had not arrived that could penetrate the thick armor of the T-34 tank.[11] After a 30-minute fight, the battalion mounted a disorganized retreat, with many soldiers abandoning equipment and running away without resisting the North Korean forces. The U.S. forces at Pyongtaek and Ansong were unable to delay the North Korean force significantly or inflict significant casualties on the enemy.[12][13][14]

Battle

Opening moves

A Caucasian man with gray hair in a military uniform.
William F. Dean, commander of the 24th Infantry Division during the fight at Chonan

Having pushed back U.S. forces at both Osan and Pyongtaek, the

Lee Kwon Mu in two infantry regiments supported by dozens of tanks. They were well trained, well equipped, and had high morale following previous victories, giving them advantages over the poorly trained and inexperienced Americans.[15][16]

Following the retreat from

Chochiwon to keep the railway and supply line to Chonan open. This left the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 34th Infantry alone in Chonan.[20] By this time, most South Korean troops and civilians had abandoned the region, leaving only the U.S. forces to oppose the North Korean Army.[11]

At around 1300, L Company of 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry was 5 mi (8.0 km) north of Chonan when it was hit with North Korean small arms fire. Around this time, Martin received a message from Dean that around 50 North Korean

Operations Officer John J. Dunn.[14] The battalion briefly retreated when around 50 North Korean scouts began assaulting its positions, leaving behind several wounded men and equipment, including a wounded Dunn who the North Koreans captured.[22][23] It was two hours before the main North Korean force advanced through this position.[13][24] The battalion returned to Chonan in disorder. By 1700, it re-established defensive positions around the town's northern and western edges, around a railroad station.[25][26] The 1st Battalion, still disorganized and under-equipped after its engagement at Pyongtaek the day before, remained in defensive positions south of the town. It would not see combat in Chonan.[24][27] Around 1800, Dean ordered Martin to take command of the 34th Infantry Regiment from Lovless.[19]

North Korean attack

Throughout the evening of July 7, North Korean pressure developed from the west edge of town. Around 2000, a column of North Korean tanks and infantry approached the town from the east. The column was hit by shells from the 63rd Field Artillery Battalion, which was supporting the 34th Infantry with 105 mm

white phosphorus and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shells. The 63rd Field Artillery Battalion was able to destroy two of the tanks, but by midnight the column had infiltrated Chonan.[25] The 63rd Field Artillery continued to fire white phosphorus throughout the night, illuminating the terrain for the U.S. forces and preventing them from being overrun.[11] After midnight, the North Korean force was able to cut off 80 men, including Martin, from the rest of the U.S. forces, and Lieutenant Colonel Robert L. Wadlington, the regimental executive officer, took command and contacted Dean requesting additional ammunition. By 0220 on July 8, Martin had returned to the town, and the supply road to Taejon was reopened.[24][25]

Within a few hours, a second infantry column assaulted the town from the northwest. Five or six tanks at the head of the column infiltrated Chonan and began destroying all vehicles in sight and any buildings suspected of harboring Americans. Around 0600, infantry from the northwest column began flooding into the city and engaged in an intense and confused battle with the 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment in the streets of Chonan.

companies of the 3rd Battalion from the rest of the force.[25] Around 0800, Martin was killed by a North Korean tank when he fired a 2.36-inch bazooka at a North Korean T-34 tank at the same time it fired its main cannon at the building he was in. He had commanded the 34th Infantry Regiment for only 14 hours.[26][29] The tank was undamaged by Martin's shot, as the weapon was obsolete and could not penetrate T-34 armor.[28]

American withdrawal

After Martin's death, the 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry, began to buckle as increasing numbers of North Korean troops flooded into Chonan from the northwest and eastern roads. The battalion suffered heavy casualties but was saved by the continuous fire laid down by the 63rd Field Artillery Battalion.[29] Between 0800 and 1000, U.S. units began a disorganized retreat from the town, many soldiers deserting their units and running from the battle.[28] Wadlington, now in command of the 34th Infantry, moved the 3rd Battalion to a collecting point south of the town, where the 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry was holding a blocking position and had not been engaged.[30] As the 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry, began to pull back to rally points, the 1st Battalion began to come under mortar fire from North Korean forces but withdrew without engaging them.[31]

As this was happening, General Dean arrived south of the town with

Kum River. 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry, now down to 175 men, had lost two-thirds of its strength in Chonan, around 350 men. Most of the battalion's heavy equipment, including mortars and machine guns, were also lost.[26] The North Korean radio reported 60 Americans were taken prisoner in the town. The regiment began its retreat in the late afternoon, with North Korean forces moving on ridges parallel to the regiment.[30] Most of the battalion moved out on foot and by truck, resting on the evening of July 8 before arriving at the Kum River on July 9 and setting up new defensive positions.[28]

Aftermath

The 34th Infantry pulled back to the Kum River, its two battalions having been mauled in the battles of Pyongtaek and Chonan. It was able to delay North Korean forces for 14–20 hours, allowing the 21st Infantry Regiment to set up the next delaying action at

Battle of Pusan Perimeter.[34]

Robert R. Martin, the 34th Infantry Regiment's commanding officer during the battle, was

posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions at Chonan, the first such decoration awarded during the Korean War.[29]

References

Citations

  1. ^ "Battle of Cheonan - Martin Park - Cheonan, Korea". Archived from the original on 2016-02-14. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
  2. ^ Alexander 2003, p. 1.
  3. ^ Alexander 2003, p. 2.
  4. ^ Varhola 2000, p. 2.
  5. ^ a b Varhola 2000, p. 3.
  6. ^ Catchpole 2001, p. 14.
  7. United States Army Japan. Archived from the original
    on 2010-08-24. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
  8. ^ Varhola 2000, p. 4.
  9. ^ Alexander 2003, p. 62.
  10. ^ Fehrenbach 2001, p. 74.
  11. ^ a b c Catchpole 2001, p. 15.
  12. ^ Gugeler 2005, p. 16.
  13. ^ a b c Alexander 2003, p. 66.
  14. ^ a b Fehrenbach 2001, p. 78.
  15. ^ Alexander 2003, p. 63.
  16. ^ Gugeler 2005, p. 12.
  17. ^ Appleman 1998, p. 81.
  18. ^ Appleman 1998, p. 82.
  19. ^ a b Appleman, p. 83.
  20. ^ Appleman 1998, p. 89.
  21. ^ Appleman 1998, p. 84.
  22. ^ Appleman 1998, p. 85.
  23. ^ Fehrenbach 2001, p. 79.
  24. ^ a b c Fehrenbach 2001, p. 80.
  25. ^ a b c d Appleman, p. 86.
  26. ^ a b c d Alexander 2003, p. 67.
  27. ^ Gugeler 2005, p. 18.
  28. ^ a b c d Fehrenbach 2001, p. 81.
  29. ^ a b c Appleman 1998, p. 87.
  30. ^ a b Appleman 1998, p. 88.
  31. ^ Gugeler 2005, p. 19.
  32. ^ Gugeler 2005, p. 20.
  33. ^ Appleman 1998, p. 90.
  34. ^ Fehrenbach 2001, p. 101.

Sources

External links

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