THE KOREAN WAR: AN OVERVIEW

 

June 25, 1950: North Korean attack across the 38th parallel

       Security Council Resolution calls for withdrawal to 38th    

 

June 30: Truman orders a naval blockade and bombing of              North Korea

      

July 4 U.N forces land at Pusan and sent to Osan to attempt   to block the North Koreans: “Task Force Smith”

 

Attacks on Pusan perimeter continue, front settled outside              of Pusan by Sept. 10th, Walker assures MacArthur that

       “the line will hold”

 

Sept. 15th Inchon: Amphibious Landing of U.S. X Corps

       230 vessels involved, landing behind enemy lines

       which threatened communist supply lines

 

Sept. 16th: U.N. Counterattack at Pusan, north pulls back              rapidly to avoid encirclement

 

Sept. 26th Seoul recaptured by  X Corps

 

Three Choices of U.N. forces:

       A) stop at the 38th parallel

       B) take Pyongyang and stop (creating a buffer zone)

       C) take Yalu river and unite the nation

 

October 1: South Korean forces cross the 38th parallel

 

October 7: UN resolution “all necessary steps be taken to

       ensure stability in Korea

 

October 25: ROK and Chinese troops clash near the Yalu

Oct 27-9: X Corps and 8th army are halted by Chinese                    troops and begin retreating south

 

Nov 24 MacArthur launches new offensive to the Yalu

 

Nov 26: Massive Chinese counterattack which halts UN

       offensive by Nov 28

 

8th Army and X Corps begin withdrawal on Dec 1, X Corps

       is evacuated from Wonsan by US Navy on Dec 9

 

Dec 23: General Walker killed in a jeep accident, Chinese               cross the 38th on Christmas day

 

Dec 27: General Matthew Ridgway takes command of UN

       forces in Korea and restores UN morale

 

December 31: Chinese attack again, Seoul falls on January

       4th, 1951

 

January 15th 1951: communist offensive halted south of

       Wonju

 

March 7: Operation Ripper: central push to the 38th parallel

       Seoul recaptured on March 15th (a great day!) and

       reaches and crosses the line in early April

 

Phase line advances into North Korea: Idaho, Kansas, Utah

       Wyoming will be the new UN strategy

 

April 12th MacArthur is relieved of duty for “insubordination”

       and Ridgway takes command of all UN forces, he is

       replaced by General Van Fleet

 

July 10, 1951: first peace meetings at Kaesong; it will take

       nearly two years to finalize the agreement

Issues= POW’s and repatriation, armistice line, postwar

       status of troops in Korea

 

Air Operations: Strangle (to cut off supplies) and Saturate

       to make communists more “cooperative”

 

May 1952: “All Quiet” in Korea except uprisings at UN

       prison camps such as Koje-do

 

Oct 8 1952: communists reject final POW offer, talks cease

 

November: Eisenhower elected and fulfills his promise that

       “I will go to Korea” on December 5

 

March 1953: Chinese agree that prisoners unwilling to be

       repatriated will be transferred to a neutral state

 

April 1953: Operation Little Switch: exchange of P.O.W.s

       at Panmunjon, mainly wounded and sick POWs; talks

       resume on April 26

 

June 10: Communists attack ROK II Corps at Kumsong

 

June 15: Communists attack US I Corps, fighting continues

       until June 30

 

June 17: revised line is settled (near 38th parallel), Rhee

       releases all North Korean prisoners who do not want

       to be repatriated

 

July 20: main line of UN resistance is on southern bank of

       Kumsong River

 

July 27th 1953 final truce signed at Panmunjon