Chosin Reservoir

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Chosin Reservoir
Map showing location in North Korea
Map showing location in North Korea
Chosin Reservoir
LocationChangjin County, North Korea
Coordinates40°30′N 127°12′E / 40.500°N 127.200°E / 40.500; 127.200Coordinates: 40°30′N 127°12′E / 40.500°N 127.200°E / 40.500; 127.200
TypeLake
Native name장진호 (Korean)
Chosin Reservoir
Chosŏn'gŭl
장진호

Chosin Reservoir (Korean: 장진호; Japanese: 長津湖) is a lake located in Changjin County, North Korea. It was the site of the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in 1950, in which the People's Volunteer Army stopped the northward advance of UN forces, but had heavy casualties.

Geography[]

Chosin Reservoir is a man-made lake located in the northeast of the Korean peninsula.[1] The name Chosin is the Japanese pronunciation of the Korean place name Changjin, and the name stuck due to the outdated Japanese maps used by UN forces.[2] The battle's main focus was around the 78-mile (126 km) long road that connects Hungnam and Chosin Reservoir,[3] which served as the only retreat route for the UN forces.[4] Through these roads, Yudami-ni and Sinhung-ni,[a] located at the west and east side of the reservoir respectively, are connected at Hagaru-ri (now Changjin-ŭp) (

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40°23′02″N 127°14′56″E / 40.3838°N 127.249°E / 40.3838; 127.249). From there, the road passes through Koto-ri (
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40°17′02″N 127°18′00″E / 40.284°N 127.3°E / 40.284; 127.3) and eventually leads to the port of Hungnam.[5] The area around the Chosin Reservoir was sparsely populated.[6] The battle was fought over some of the roughest terrain during some of the harshest winter weather conditions of the Korean War.[7] The road was created by cutting through the hilly terrain of Korea, with steep climbs and drops. Dominant peaks, such as the Funchilin Pass and the Toktong Pass (
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40°23′38″N 127°09′40″E / 40.3938°N 127.161°E / 40.3938; 127.161), overlook the entire length of the road. The road's quality was poor, and in some places it was reduced to a one lane gravel trail.[5] On 14 November 1950, a cold front from Siberia descended over the Chosin Reservoir, and the temperature plunged, according to estimates, to as low as −36 °F (−38 °C).[8] The cold weather was accompanied by frozen ground, creating considerable danger of frostbite casualties, icy roads, and weapon malfunctions. Medical supplies froze; morphine syrettes had to be defrosted in a medic's mouth before they could be injected; frozen blood plasma was useless on the battlefield. Even cutting off clothing to deal with a wound risked gangrene and frostbite. Batteries used for the Jeeps and radios did not function properly in the temperature and quickly ran down.[9] The lubrication in the guns gelled and rendered them useless in battle. Likewise, the springs on the firing pins would not strike hard enough to fire the round, or would jam.[10]

History[]

Main article: Battle of Chosin Reservoir
Chinese advance on a U.S./UN position. "Contrary to popular belief the Chinese did not attack in 'human waves', but in compact combat groups of 50 to 100 men"[11]

In historical contexts the lake is sometimes known according to its Japanese pronunciation, as the Chōshin Reservoir.[12] In 1950 it was the site of a major battle of the Korean War, the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, in which the Chinese People's Volunteer Army stopped the northward advance of the United Nations allied forces, but paid a heavy price in casualties. When the battle began on 27 November 1950, the PVA 20th and 27th Corps of the 9th Army launched multiple attacks and ambushes along the road between the Chosin Reservoir and Kot'o-ri. At Yudam-ni, the 5th, 7th and 11th Marines were surrounded and attacked by the PVA 79th and 89th Divisions, with the 59th Division attacking the road between Yudam-ni and Hagaru-ri to cut off communication. Similarly, RCT-31 was isolated and ambushed at Sinhung-ni by the PVA 80th and 81st Divisions. At Hagaru-ri, the 1st Marine Division command headquarters was targeted by the PVA 58th Division. Finally, the PVA 60th Division surrounded elements of the 1st Marines at Kot'o-ri from the north.[13] Caught by complete surprise, the UN forces were cut off at Yudam-ni, Sinhung-ni, Hagaru-ri and Kot'o-ri by 28 November.[14]

Acting on Almond's instruction, Smith ordered the 5th Marines to attack west toward Mupyong-ni on 27 November.[15] The attack was soon stalled by the PVA 89th Division and forced the Marines to dig in on the ridges surrounding Yudam-ni.[16][17] As night came, three Chinese regiments of the 79th Division attacked the ridges on the north and northwest of Yudam-ni, hoping to annihilate the garrison in one stroke.[18] Close range fighting soon developed as the attackers infiltrated Marine positions,[19] but the 5th and 7th Marines held the line while inflicting heavy casualties on the Chinese.[20][21] As day broke on 28 November, the Chinese and Americans were locked in a stalemate around the Yudam-ni perimeter.[22] While the battle was underway at Yudam-ni, the PVA 59th Division blocked the road between Yudam-ni and Hagaru-ri by attacking the defending Charlie and Fox Companies of the 7th Marines.[23] The successful assault forced Charlie Company to retreat into Yudam-ni, which left Fox Company commanded by Captain William E. Barber isolated on a hill overlooking the Toktong Pass, a vital pass that controlled the road.[24] On 29 November, several efforts by the 7th Marines failed to rescue Fox Company, despite inflicting heavy casualties on the Chinese.[25] Aided by artillery from Hagaru-ri and Marine Corsair fighters, Fox Company managed to hold out for five days while enduring constant attacks by the PVA 59th Division.[26] After the battle ended, the northward advance of the UN forces came to a steady halt, with the Chinese forces having had very high casualties.

Other pages[]

Notes[]

Footnotes

  1. ^ The town of Sinhung-ni referred to in this article should not be confused with another identically named town located at south of Yudami-ni on the west side of Chosin Reservoir. See Appleman 1990, pp. 30, 32, 221, 376.

Citations

  1. ^ Russ 1999, p. 65.
  2. ^ Tucker et al. 2000, p. 108.
  3. ^ Appleman 1990, p. 32.
  4. ^ Appleman 1990, p. 29.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Appleman 1990, pp. 28–31.
  6. ^ Appleman 1990, p. 25.
  7. ^ Appleman 1990, p. 24.
  8. ^ Appleman 1990, p. xi.
  9. ^ Duncan, James Carl (2013). Adventures of a Tennessean. Author House. p. 190. ISBN 9781481741576.
  10. ^ Tilstra, Russell C. (2014). The Battle Rifle: Development and Use Since World War II. McFarland. p. 192. ISBN 9781476615646.
  11. ^ Simmons, Edwin H. "Frozen Chosin: The Marines at the Changjin Reservoir" (PDF). p. 48. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  12. ^ Roy E. Appleman (1992) [1961]. "Chapter XXXVIII The X Corps Advances to the Yalu". South to the Naktong, North to the Yalu. United States Army in the Korean War. United States Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 2006-11-07.
  13. ^ Guang 2007, p. 52.
  14. ^ Appleman 1990, p. 72.
  15. ^ Appleman 1990, p. 52.
  16. ^ Roe 2000, p. 301.
  17. ^ Appleman 1990, p. 56.
  18. ^ Guang 2007, p. 68.
  19. ^ Appleman 1990, pp. 64–68.
  20. ^ Guang 2007, pp. 68–71.
  21. ^ Appleman 1990, p. 74.
  22. ^ Guang 2007, p. 71.
  23. ^ Appleman 1990, p. 227.
  24. ^ Appleman 1990, p. 73.
  25. ^ Appleman 1990, p. 178.
  26. ^ Appleman 1990, p. 226.

References[]

  • Appleman, Roy (1990), Escaping the Trap: The US Army X Corps in Northeast Korea, 1950, 14, College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Military History Series, ISBN 978-0-89096-395-1
  • Guang, Ting (光亭) (April 2007), Dong, Min Jie (董旻杰) (ed.), "Ice and Blood, Changjin Lake (冰血长津湖)", Der Strum (突击) Magazine Korean War Special Issue (in Chinese), Hohhot, Inner Mongolia: Inner Mongolian People's Publishing House (内蒙古人民出版社), ISBN 978-7-204-08166-0
  • Russ, Martin (1999), Breakout: The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea 1950, New York, New York: Penguin Books, ISBN 978-0-14-029259-6
  • Roe, Patrick C. (2000), The Dragon Strikes: China and the Korean War, June-December 1950, Novato, California: Presidio, ISBN 978-0-89141-703-3
  • Tucker, Spencer C.; Kim, Jinwung; Nichols, Michael R.; Pierpaoli, Paul G. Jr.; Zehr, Norman R. (2000), Encyclopedia of the Korean War: A Political, Social, and Military History, I, Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, ISBN 978-1-57607-029-1
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