Korean WarID & SIG:Divided KoreaUS in AsiaNorth Korea Attacks: June 25, 1950United NationsForce ComparisonTask Force SmithSlide 9Implications of Task Force Smith“Hollow Army”Far East Command (FEC)Equipment in FECTraining ProblemsPusan Perimeter: June 27 to Sept 15Inchon (Operation Chromite) Sept 15Inchon and Selected Principles of WarElements of Operational DesignInchon and Selected Elements of Operational DesignSlide 20Slide 21Slide 22Slide 23Slide 24Slide 25Slide 26Slide 27Slide 28Approaching the YaluCounteroffensiveStalemateMacArthur’s ReliefSlide 33Slide 34The End of Mobile WarNegotiation and StalemateSlide 37Slide 38Slide 39Slide 40Slide 41Korean War and the Cold WarPost-war KoreaKorea TodayNextKorean WarLsn 29ID & SIG:•Inchon, limited war, MacArthur, Pusan Perimeter, Seoul, Task Force Smith, United Nations, Chinese interventionDivided Korea•After World War II, Japan’s former colony of Korea was divided into two occupation zones along the 38th parallel with the Soviet zone in the north and the US zone in the south•Before the occupation forces departed, an anticommunist regime was established in the south and a communist one in the northUS in Asia•The US was uncertain as to the extent of its commitment in Asia•It knew its umbrella definitely covered Japan, Okinawa, and the Philippines, but it was unclear about Taiwan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia•Believing the US did not intend to protect South Korea, the USSR allowed the North Koreans to invade the south in 1950Secretary of State Dean Acheson’s speech to the National Press Club omitted South Korea from the US “defensive perimeter”North Korea Attacks: June 25, 1950•North Korean army crossed the 38th parallel with an invasion force totaling over 90,000 troops and 150 Soviet-built tanks •By the night of June 28, Seoul had fallen and the South Korean forces were in disarray •South Korea appealed to the United Nations for assistance•The UN passed a resolution recommending that “the members of the United Nations furnish such assistance to the Republic of Korea as may be necessary to repel the armed attack and to restore international peace and security to the area.”United Nations•As a member of the UN Security Council, the Soviet Union could have vetoed UN involvement in the war, but instead Moscow was boycotting the Security Council at the time in protest of the UN’s failure to seat a representative of the newly established People’s Republic of China •In the absence of the USSR, the UN passed a resolution sending a military force to South Korea•The force was predominately American with Douglas MacArthur as the Supreme Commander –There were also substantial contributions from the UK, Canada and other Commonwealth countries.Force Comparison•U.S. Armed Forces in 1950– 10 Army divisions (4 in Japan)– 48 USAF air groups– 331 combatants (64 in Pacific)– 2 Marine divisions (-)•North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) – 14 Divisions (9 in invasion force)– Soviet trained, armed and advised– 150 tanks, almost 100 modern aircraftTask Force Smith•To stem the North Korea advance, the US deployed “Task Force Smith,” a delaying force of two reinforced rifle companies to Pusan•MacArthur thought this “arrogant display of strength” would cause the North Koreans to take pause and slow their aggressionElements of Task Force Smith arriving at Taejon•Task Force Smith began occupying defensive positions on July 5 at 3:00 am–At 7:00 they began seeing enemy movement–At 8:16 they began firing artillery–At 2:30 the commander decided to withdraw•When LTC Smith arrived at Ch’onan on July 6, he counted 185 men –He began with 540•After all stragglers returned, the total loss to TF Smith was 35%Task Force SmithImplications of Task Force Smith • Task Force Smith has become the poster child for the cost of military unpreparedness •“No more Task Force Smiths” – GEN Gordon Sullivan, Army Chief of Staff, 1991-1995 (administered the post Desert Storm Army downsizing)“Hollow Army” - World War II peak Army strength was 8,268,000 - 89 combat divisions in June 1945 - June 1950 strength was about 591,000 (1/14 the peak World War II size) - 10 active combat divisions - But to keep them fielded, one battalion from each infantry regiment and one firing battery from each field artillery battalion had been eliminated - This move effectively reduced combat power by 1/3Far East Command (FEC)• 108,500 troops under MacArthur • 4 infantry divisions in Japan (7th, 24th, 25th and 1st Cavalry) • Authorized peacetime divisions strength was 12,500 (13,500 for the 25th )• Authorized wartime strength was 18,900 • 3 of the 4 divisions in Japan had about 11,000 men • In addition to the missing infantry and artillery battalions each • Lacked three anti aircraft artillery batteries • Lacked the regimental tank companies • Had only a company of M24 Chaffee light tanks in place of the divisional tank battalion • Estimated the divisions could field 62% of normal infantry firepower, 69% of normal anti-aircraft capability, and 14% of armored supportEquipment in FEC • Mostly outdated World War II equipment and much of it was unserviceable– Of 18,000 jeeps only 8,000 were serviceable– Of 13,780 2 1/2 ton trucks, only 4,441 were serviceable • Had none of the new 3.5 inch antitank rocker launchers – Only the 2.36 inch Bazooka which had proved inadequate in 1944 – 1945 • Hydraulic fluid for recoil mechanisms in the M24 tanks had been on backorder for two years, so most of their 75 mm guns had never been fired • Some men were wearing tennis shoes because of a lack of boots • ¼ of the small arms were defectiveTraining Problems• Occupation duties took precedence over training • No unit training above the company level had taken place in Eighth Army before April 1949 • Limited maneuver area and an annual personnel turnover rate of 43% impeded training • The four divisions were rated as 65% to 84% combat ready – Some senior officers felt that 40% was more realistic US troops parade across the Yoshida BridgePusan Perimeter:June 27 to Sept 15•The American forces were unprepared for the North Korean attack•By the end of July, the North Koreans had pushed the U.N. forces to the southeast corner of the peninsula, where they dug in around the port of Pusan.Inchon (Operation Chromite) Sept 15•MacArthur completely changed the course of the war