http://www.rt66.com/~korteng/SmallArms/TimeLine.htm
July 24, 1945 Potsdam Conference, President Truman asked USSR help against Japan
Aug 6, 1945 Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
Aug 8, 1945 120,000 Russian troops invaded Manchuria and Korea
Sept 9, 1945 US accepts Japanese surrender in Korea, South of 38th parallel
Nov 14, 1947 U.N. Resolution to remove troops from Korea after national elections.
Feb 8, 1948 North Korean People's Army (NK) officially activated
April 8, 1948 President Truman orders withdrawal of US troops from Korea
Aug 15, 1948 The Republic of Korea was proclaimed. Syngman Rhee was elected first president, (by a legislature formed by popular elections conducted in May).
Sept 9, 1948 Democratic People's Republic of Korea claims jurisdiction over all Korea
June 29, 1949 Last US troops leave South Korea
Korean Military Advisory Group (KMAG, 200 men) formed
1950
January 12 Truman's Secretary of State Dean Acheson confirms Korea and Taiwan are outside American Far East security cordon
June 1 NK strength at 135,000, with seven assault divisions and 150 T34 tanks
June 25 Korean time NK invades Republic of South Korea (ROK) without warning
June 25
New York time UN Security Council demands NK stop its attack and return to its borders
June 28 B-26 aircraft of the 13th and 8th Bomb Squadron suffer casualties at Han
June 29 ROK Capitol Seoul falls, bridges across Han river destroyed. Most of ROK army's best, with their equipment, trapped on northern side
June 30 NK 3rd Division (NK-3) crosses Han River; NK drives down Peninsula
June 30 President Truman commits US Troops to enforce UN demand
July 3 ROK forces mistakenly attacked by US and Australian Air Units
July 5 Task Force Smith, 1st Btn, 21st Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, supported by Battery A, 52nd FA Btn, crushed by NK 4th Division
July 6 Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) unit in Taejon, with 12 Army Nurses.
July 7 United Nations Command created, under General Douglas MacArthur
July 8 3rd Batt, 34th Regiment (3-34-24), crushed by NK-4 at Chonan
July 10 Fifth Air Force destroys many North Korean tanks and troops at Pyongtaek
US troops retreat along the Seoul-Taejon road.
July 12 US Eighth Army takes command of ground operations in Korea
July 13 Lt. General Walton Walker takes command of ground forces in Korea
US & ROKs form line from Kum river through Chongju to coastal Pyonghae-ri
NK begin general assault along the Kum river section around Taejon
July 12-23 NK-3 and NK-4 easily route US 24th Infantry Division, capture most of their equipment, capture Taejon, and take as prisoner Major General William F. Dean, 24id Commanding.
July 18 8th Cavalry Regiment lands, leading unit of 1st Cavalry Division
July 20 - 30 ROK 3rd Division, in desperate fighting, make only successful holding operation on Peninsula to that time
July 24-25 NK-3 defeats 8th and 5th Cavalry Regiments, and captures Yongdong, but halts its attack after taking 2,000 casualties, mostly from artillery
NK-2 defeats 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Division, in their first action
July 13 -
July26 NK-6 drives unnoticed down the West Coast, capturing Chonju, murdering ROK civil servants wherever they found them, and begins an assault on Chinju, having outflanked the Eighth Army. NK-6 is positioned to drive to Pusan and cut off all UN forces in Korea
July 26 Eighth Army orders withdrawal to prepared positions
July 25-31 NK-6 defeats 19th Regiment, 24th Division and captures Chinju
July 29 General Walker issues 'Stand or Die' order
July 31 9th Infantry Regiment 2nd Infantry Division, lands at Pusan
August 2 1st Provisional Marine Brigade lands, is attached to 25th Infantry Division, and moved up as reserves at Masan.
August 1-3 US and ROK troops fall further back, but establish a 'Pusan Perimeter' defense line anchored in the west along the Naktong river.
August 8 6th (M46 Pattons), 70th (M26 Pershings and M4A3 Shermans) and 73rd (M26) medium tank battalions land at Pusan, followed on August 16 by 72nd med tank bn. and two 2id tank companies. The tank battalions average 69 tanks each. By now UN forces outnumber the NK in tanks, troops, and artillery, and still have unchallenged air supremacy.
August 7-14 Task Force Kean - 25th Infantry Division makes first US counter attack. Though opposed only by NK-6, about 7,500 troops, and given crucial support by the Marine Brigade, the attack eventually fails. 25id does get needed combat experience and, except for its 24th Regiment, performs well in rest of Perimeter battles
August 5-19 First Battle of the Naktong Bulge. NK-4 forces three crossings of the Naktong against the 24th Division and ROK 17th Regiment. Heavily outnumbered, NK-4 still almost breaks through, but US and ROKs hold. The Marine Brigade is again brought into action, closely supported by two Carrier-based Corsair Squadrons from MAG33. They throw NK-4 back across the Naktong, eliminating them as a fighting force. NK-4 did not re-group until after the Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) enter the war.
August 17 Massacre of prisoners at Hill 303.
August 18-22 In savage fighting, ROK 3rd and 8th Divisions stopped three NK divisions, NK-8, NK-12 and NK-5. in their assault down the eastern Kyonju Corridor to Pusan.
August 29 British Commonwealth 27th Brigade lands at Pusan
August 27 -
Sept 15 Continuous Fighting around Pusan Perimeter
Sept 1-5 NK makes 5 simultaneous assaults along the Naktong
Sept 3 US attacks around Yongsan
Sept 4 5th Marines withdrawn to mount out for end-run at Inchon
Sept 15 Inchon Landings
Sept 16-19 UN breaks the Pusan Perimeter cordon
Sept 19-29 Yongdungpo and embattled Seoul recaptured in the north, savage infantry fighting, heavy Marine casualties. Mop-up starts in the south as surviving NK forces flee just ahead of ROKs, along un-blocked east coast roads.
Sept 27 MacArthur given permission to cross the 38th Parallel into North Korea
Sept 29 General MacArthur and ROK President Syngman Rhee enter Seoul
Sept 30 ROK troops cross 38th Parallel
October 9 1st Cavalry Division leads UN-sanctioned general assault across 38th Parallel to re-unify all of Korea
October 14 Lead Elements of CCF 38th Field Army crosses Yalu at Andong to begin China's support of North Korea
October 15 Truman and triumphant MacArthur meet on Wake Island
October 19 NK capitol Pyongyang falls
October 20 187th ARCT airborne assault north of Pyongyang
October 25 ROK 6th Division first UN troops smashed by elements of CCF 42nd Field Army around Chosan
October 26 1st Marine Division and X Corps land on east coast at Wonsan
October 29 Advanced ROK units routed by elements of CCF 38th and 40th Field Armies.
Nov 1-6 CCF 39th Army, around 30,000 lightly armed troops, opens China's First Phase offensive, by defeating 1st Cav and the ROKs, driving UN forces back to the Chongchon river. In the east, the 7th Marine Regiment destroys the CCF 124th Division in the only UN success
Nov 4 MacArthur intensifies bombing of communications routes to the Yalu
Nov 8 F-80 of 51st FIW downs MiG-15 in first all jet dogfight
Nov 21 US 17th Regiment reaches the Yalu
November 25 UN offensive begins from the Chongchon river to end the war by Christmas
Nov 26-30 US 2nd and 25th Divisions are defeated and begin general Eighth Army retreat in the west
Nov 27-30 Four CCF Armies attack 1st Marine Division and 7th Infantry Division at the Chosin Reservoir.
Nov 30 President Truman threatens use of atomic bomb against CCF
Nov 30 -
Dec 11 1st Marine Division fights through encircling CCF forces to reach our 3rd Infantry Division lines. The 10 CCF divisions attacking in Chosin were so wasted they never again saw action in the KW
December 11 UN Naval forces begin evacuation at Hungnam
December 14 UN passes a Cease Fire resolution
December 23 General Walker is killed in a jeep accident, and General Matthew Ridgway assumes command of Eighth Army
December 24 Last of X Corps evacuated from Hungnam, and North Korea
December 30 MiG-15 jets begin attacking UN airplanes over North Korea
1951
January 3 CCF and NK renew their offensive. Seoul is again abandoned.
January 14 Ridgway stabilizes UN lines along the 37th parallel
January 25 UN counterattacks in the 'Ridgway' offensive, Operation Thunderbolt, over a carpet of dead CCF. Twin Tunnels Ambush
February 1 UN resolution to end the Korean War
Feb 11-12 CCF counterattacks at Hoengsong, destroys ROK 8th Div.
February 14 23rd RCT and French Infantry Battalion stop CCF at Chipyong-ni. Ridgway says the successful defense of the Wonju line is a 'turning point'
February 18 -
March 17 Ridgway's Operation Killer. IX Corps has limited success clearing CCF from Chipyong-ni and mountains to east.
March 6-31 Eighth Army (1st Cav, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions and 1st Marine Division) re-crosses the Han in Operation Ripper. Chunchon recaptured and line Idaho reached against weak opposition, as CCF regroups.
March 18 UN forces take Seoul once again
April 1-22 Operations Rugged and Dauntless drive 15 miles north of Line Kansas
April 11 Truman relieves General MacArthur. General Ridgway takes FECOM
April 15 General James Van Fleet assumes command of Eighth Army
April 19 General MacArthur at Congressional hearings on his dismissal
April 22 CCF begins spring offensive with 27 Divisions of 250,000 foot infantry, smash Line Kansas, drive through 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions towards Seoul
April 24-25 Second Batt, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Third Batt Royal Australian Regiment and A Company 72nd US Medium Tank Batt, heavily outnumbered, stop CCF at Kapyong Valley.
April 30 CCF and NK pull back to re-group
May 10 -
June 5 Second CCF Spring Offensive begins, with the 'May Massacre'
May 20 CCF offensive stopped, after penetrating 30 miles on the east-central region
May 23 -
June 1 UN resumes attack north, regains both Line Kansas and the Wyoming bulge by mid-June. CCF 180th Division totally destroyed.
June 10 - 16 Punchbowl, near the Hwachon Reservoir. 1st Marine Division reaches northen ridges against North Koreans in brutal fighting
June 13, 1951
to
July 27, 1953 Washington orders Van Fleet to halt the attack and wait for armistice negotiations. UN forms a Main Line of Resistance (MLR)
The Communists use respite from our relentless assault to recoup their heavy losses, and build up positions opposite to MLR.
Toward the end of the KW, both sides often cannonade one another with artillery barrages exceeding those of WWI or WWII
June 13 Fighting lapses to patrolling and small-unit actions.
June 23 USSR UN Delegate Jacob Malik proposes truce
July 10 Truce talks begin at Kaesong
August 1 -
October 31 Limited UN attacks in vicious small-unit actions, to consolidate positions
August 23 Communists break off talks
Aug 17 - Sept 6 Battle of Bloody Ridge
Sept 5 - 23 Battle for Heartbreak Ridge
Oct 3-23 Operation Commando. Five UN Divisions, including the British Commonwealth Division (RAR, Maryang-san), attack elements of Four CCF Armies, to correct a sag along I Corps and X Corps boundaries. In the successful but savage fighting, I Corps estimates 21,000 CCF casualties, and over 4,000 UN casualties.
October 25 Peace talks resume at Kaesong
Nov 27 Truce talks continue at Panmunjom and a cease-fire line agreed on
Nov 1951 - April 1952 Stalemate on the MLR. Talks at Panmunjom go on and on
Dec 18 Exchange of POW lists
1952
January 2 UN POW Exchange Proposal
January 3 POW Exchange Proposal rejected by Communists
February 18 Riots in Koje-do prison camp
March 13 Another major riot at Koje-do
March 21 Outpost Eerie, K/179/45id, a typical post midway between the two opposing MLRs, pays part of the ongoing price for impeding enemy attacks and gaining information.
May 7 General Dodd captured by Koje-do POWs.
May12 -
June 12 General Haydon Boatner replaces General Colson at Koje-do and ends rioting. General Mark Clark assumes FECOM from General Ridgway.
May 27 Syngman Rhee declares martial law at Pusan
June 23 General Clark orders bombing of NK power plants
July 23 Air strikes knock out North Korea's hydroelectric power sources for over two weeks
June - Oct Vicious, bitter localized fighting along MLR as truce talks drag on.
Aug 12-25 Marines capture hill 122 east of Panmunjom, and hold it with a reinforced company against repeated battalion-level CCF attacks. They won it a proud nickname, Bunker Hill
August 29 Largest air strike of war, 1400 aircraft hit Pyongyang
Sept 17-24 In spite of a brave effort the largely Puerto Rican 65/3id lost Outpost Kelly to the determined and more experienced CCF 384th Regiment.
Oct 8 - Nov 18 Truce talks halted. General Clark initiates Operation Showdown
Oct 6-15 Battle of White Horse Hill - ROK 9th Division inflicts 10,000 casualties on CCF while repelling repeated ferocious assaults, helped largely by information from Chinese deserters.
Oct 26-28 1st Battalion of the Black Watch and Commonwealth Division tanks and reinforcements fight off the CCF in the Battle of The Hook
Nov 3 2/160/40id fight for Heartbreak Ridge, Hill 851
Nov 15-27 Communist hold "1952 POW Olympics" at Camp 5, Pyuktong
Dec 25 38/2id fights off savage CCF assault at T-Bone Hill
December -
January Stalemate continues, President-Elect Eisenhower visits, deadly small-unit battles continue
1953
Jan 25 31/7id assaults Spud Hill, enemy strongpoint at T-Bone, in Operation Smack. In spite of heavy tank and air support the 31st was repulsed with heavy casualties, and a newly arrived member of the press falsely castigated the assault as unnecessary loss of life in a battle staged for visiting brass. Foretaste of media sensationalism in Vietnam.
February 11 General Maxwell Taylor takes command of Eigth Army
March 5 New USSR Premier Georgi Malenkov speaks of peaceful coexistence
March 28 NK Premier Kim Il Sung and CCF Peng Teh-huai agree to POW exchange
March 30 Truce talks resume at Panmunjom
March -
April More savage fighting around Old Baldy, T-bone, outpost Eerie and Pork Chop. CCF-141 and CCF-67 take the Old Baldy - Pork Chop region from 7th Infantry Division and their Colombian Battalion, and hold it in a vicious struggle. Exchanging hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds, the CCF took the Vegas and Reno outputs from the 5th Marines on March 26, but the Marines re-took Vegas and held it against determined attacks until the CCF broke off the action.
March 17 9/2id loses and retakes portions of Little Gibraltar
March - April More savage fighting as UN forces lose Old Baldy and Eerie rather than inordinate sacrifice of life for ground during final stages of truce talks
April 16-18 17th and 31st Infantry Regiments suffer heavy casualties at Pork Chop Hill
April 20-26 Exchange of sick and wounded POWs
April 23 Panmunjom talks resume
June 6-10 7th Infantry Division suffer more heavy casualties at Pork Chop Hill and are withdrawn
June 14 Communist attack drives back ROK positions
June 18 ROKs release 27,000 NK POWs who refuse repatriation. Communists again break off truce talks
June 25 CCF sends 3 armies, almost 100,000 troops, against 5 ROK divisions totaling half their number, driving the ROKs back several thousand yards. The CCF drive stops under staggering UN artillery barrages, about 2.7 million rounds in June alone.
July 10 Truce talks resume after UN assures ROK acceptance of cease-fire terms
July 24-25 Chinese launch heavy attacks on 'The Hook'. U.S.Marines and adjoining 2RAR withstand and hold.
July 27 Cease-fire signed.
September 4 Repatriation of POWs starts at Freedom Village, Panmunjom
July 24, 1945 Potsdam Conference, President Truman asked USSR help against Japan
Aug 6, 1945 Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
Aug 8, 1945 120,000 Russian troops invaded Manchuria and Korea
Sept 9, 1945 US accepts Japanese surrender in Korea, South of 38th parallel
Nov 14, 1947 U.N. Resolution to remove troops from Korea after national elections.
Feb 8, 1948 North Korean People's Army (NK) officially activated
April 8, 1948 President Truman orders withdrawal of US troops from Korea
Aug 15, 1948 The Republic of Korea was proclaimed. Syngman Rhee was elected first president, (by a legislature formed by popular elections conducted in May).
Sept 9, 1948 Democratic People's Republic of Korea claims jurisdiction over all Korea
June 29, 1949 Last US troops leave South Korea
Korean Military Advisory Group (KMAG, 200 men) formed
1950
January 12 Truman's Secretary of State Dean Acheson confirms Korea and Taiwan are outside American Far East security cordon
June 1 NK strength at 135,000, with seven assault divisions and 150 T34 tanks
June 25 Korean time NK invades Republic of South Korea (ROK) without warning
June 25
New York time UN Security Council demands NK stop its attack and return to its borders
June 28 B-26 aircraft of the 13th and 8th Bomb Squadron suffer casualties at Han
June 29 ROK Capitol Seoul falls, bridges across Han river destroyed. Most of ROK army's best, with their equipment, trapped on northern side
June 30 NK 3rd Division (NK-3) crosses Han River; NK drives down Peninsula
June 30 President Truman commits US Troops to enforce UN demand
July 3 ROK forces mistakenly attacked by US and Australian Air Units
July 5 Task Force Smith, 1st Btn, 21st Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, supported by Battery A, 52nd FA Btn, crushed by NK 4th Division
July 6 Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) unit in Taejon, with 12 Army Nurses.
July 7 United Nations Command created, under General Douglas MacArthur
July 8 3rd Batt, 34th Regiment (3-34-24), crushed by NK-4 at Chonan
July 10 Fifth Air Force destroys many North Korean tanks and troops at Pyongtaek
US troops retreat along the Seoul-Taejon road.
July 12 US Eighth Army takes command of ground operations in Korea
July 13 Lt. General Walton Walker takes command of ground forces in Korea
US & ROKs form line from Kum river through Chongju to coastal Pyonghae-ri
NK begin general assault along the Kum river section around Taejon
July 12-23 NK-3 and NK-4 easily route US 24th Infantry Division, capture most of their equipment, capture Taejon, and take as prisoner Major General William F. Dean, 24id Commanding.
July 18 8th Cavalry Regiment lands, leading unit of 1st Cavalry Division
July 20 - 30 ROK 3rd Division, in desperate fighting, make only successful holding operation on Peninsula to that time
July 24-25 NK-3 defeats 8th and 5th Cavalry Regiments, and captures Yongdong, but halts its attack after taking 2,000 casualties, mostly from artillery
NK-2 defeats 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Division, in their first action
July 13 -
July26 NK-6 drives unnoticed down the West Coast, capturing Chonju, murdering ROK civil servants wherever they found them, and begins an assault on Chinju, having outflanked the Eighth Army. NK-6 is positioned to drive to Pusan and cut off all UN forces in Korea
July 26 Eighth Army orders withdrawal to prepared positions
July 25-31 NK-6 defeats 19th Regiment, 24th Division and captures Chinju
July 29 General Walker issues 'Stand or Die' order
July 31 9th Infantry Regiment 2nd Infantry Division, lands at Pusan
August 2 1st Provisional Marine Brigade lands, is attached to 25th Infantry Division, and moved up as reserves at Masan.
August 1-3 US and ROK troops fall further back, but establish a 'Pusan Perimeter' defense line anchored in the west along the Naktong river.
August 8 6th (M46 Pattons), 70th (M26 Pershings and M4A3 Shermans) and 73rd (M26) medium tank battalions land at Pusan, followed on August 16 by 72nd med tank bn. and two 2id tank companies. The tank battalions average 69 tanks each. By now UN forces outnumber the NK in tanks, troops, and artillery, and still have unchallenged air supremacy.
August 7-14 Task Force Kean - 25th Infantry Division makes first US counter attack. Though opposed only by NK-6, about 7,500 troops, and given crucial support by the Marine Brigade, the attack eventually fails. 25id does get needed combat experience and, except for its 24th Regiment, performs well in rest of Perimeter battles
August 5-19 First Battle of the Naktong Bulge. NK-4 forces three crossings of the Naktong against the 24th Division and ROK 17th Regiment. Heavily outnumbered, NK-4 still almost breaks through, but US and ROKs hold. The Marine Brigade is again brought into action, closely supported by two Carrier-based Corsair Squadrons from MAG33. They throw NK-4 back across the Naktong, eliminating them as a fighting force. NK-4 did not re-group until after the Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) enter the war.
August 17 Massacre of prisoners at Hill 303.
August 18-22 In savage fighting, ROK 3rd and 8th Divisions stopped three NK divisions, NK-8, NK-12 and NK-5. in their assault down the eastern Kyonju Corridor to Pusan.
August 29 British Commonwealth 27th Brigade lands at Pusan
August 27 -
Sept 15 Continuous Fighting around Pusan Perimeter
Sept 1-5 NK makes 5 simultaneous assaults along the Naktong
Sept 3 US attacks around Yongsan
Sept 4 5th Marines withdrawn to mount out for end-run at Inchon
Sept 15 Inchon Landings
Sept 16-19 UN breaks the Pusan Perimeter cordon
Sept 19-29 Yongdungpo and embattled Seoul recaptured in the north, savage infantry fighting, heavy Marine casualties. Mop-up starts in the south as surviving NK forces flee just ahead of ROKs, along un-blocked east coast roads.
Sept 27 MacArthur given permission to cross the 38th Parallel into North Korea
Sept 29 General MacArthur and ROK President Syngman Rhee enter Seoul
Sept 30 ROK troops cross 38th Parallel
October 9 1st Cavalry Division leads UN-sanctioned general assault across 38th Parallel to re-unify all of Korea
October 14 Lead Elements of CCF 38th Field Army crosses Yalu at Andong to begin China's support of North Korea
October 15 Truman and triumphant MacArthur meet on Wake Island
October 19 NK capitol Pyongyang falls
October 20 187th ARCT airborne assault north of Pyongyang
October 25 ROK 6th Division first UN troops smashed by elements of CCF 42nd Field Army around Chosan
October 26 1st Marine Division and X Corps land on east coast at Wonsan
October 29 Advanced ROK units routed by elements of CCF 38th and 40th Field Armies.
Nov 1-6 CCF 39th Army, around 30,000 lightly armed troops, opens China's First Phase offensive, by defeating 1st Cav and the ROKs, driving UN forces back to the Chongchon river. In the east, the 7th Marine Regiment destroys the CCF 124th Division in the only UN success
Nov 4 MacArthur intensifies bombing of communications routes to the Yalu
Nov 8 F-80 of 51st FIW downs MiG-15 in first all jet dogfight
Nov 21 US 17th Regiment reaches the Yalu
November 25 UN offensive begins from the Chongchon river to end the war by Christmas
Nov 26-30 US 2nd and 25th Divisions are defeated and begin general Eighth Army retreat in the west
Nov 27-30 Four CCF Armies attack 1st Marine Division and 7th Infantry Division at the Chosin Reservoir.
Nov 30 President Truman threatens use of atomic bomb against CCF
Nov 30 -
Dec 11 1st Marine Division fights through encircling CCF forces to reach our 3rd Infantry Division lines. The 10 CCF divisions attacking in Chosin were so wasted they never again saw action in the KW
December 11 UN Naval forces begin evacuation at Hungnam
December 14 UN passes a Cease Fire resolution
December 23 General Walker is killed in a jeep accident, and General Matthew Ridgway assumes command of Eighth Army
December 24 Last of X Corps evacuated from Hungnam, and North Korea
December 30 MiG-15 jets begin attacking UN airplanes over North Korea
1951
January 3 CCF and NK renew their offensive. Seoul is again abandoned.
January 14 Ridgway stabilizes UN lines along the 37th parallel
January 25 UN counterattacks in the 'Ridgway' offensive, Operation Thunderbolt, over a carpet of dead CCF. Twin Tunnels Ambush
February 1 UN resolution to end the Korean War
Feb 11-12 CCF counterattacks at Hoengsong, destroys ROK 8th Div.
February 14 23rd RCT and French Infantry Battalion stop CCF at Chipyong-ni. Ridgway says the successful defense of the Wonju line is a 'turning point'
February 18 -
March 17 Ridgway's Operation Killer. IX Corps has limited success clearing CCF from Chipyong-ni and mountains to east.
March 6-31 Eighth Army (1st Cav, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions and 1st Marine Division) re-crosses the Han in Operation Ripper. Chunchon recaptured and line Idaho reached against weak opposition, as CCF regroups.
March 18 UN forces take Seoul once again
April 1-22 Operations Rugged and Dauntless drive 15 miles north of Line Kansas
April 11 Truman relieves General MacArthur. General Ridgway takes FECOM
April 15 General James Van Fleet assumes command of Eighth Army
April 19 General MacArthur at Congressional hearings on his dismissal
April 22 CCF begins spring offensive with 27 Divisions of 250,000 foot infantry, smash Line Kansas, drive through 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions towards Seoul
April 24-25 Second Batt, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Third Batt Royal Australian Regiment and A Company 72nd US Medium Tank Batt, heavily outnumbered, stop CCF at Kapyong Valley.
April 30 CCF and NK pull back to re-group
May 10 -
June 5 Second CCF Spring Offensive begins, with the 'May Massacre'
May 20 CCF offensive stopped, after penetrating 30 miles on the east-central region
May 23 -
June 1 UN resumes attack north, regains both Line Kansas and the Wyoming bulge by mid-June. CCF 180th Division totally destroyed.
June 10 - 16 Punchbowl, near the Hwachon Reservoir. 1st Marine Division reaches northen ridges against North Koreans in brutal fighting
June 13, 1951
to
July 27, 1953 Washington orders Van Fleet to halt the attack and wait for armistice negotiations. UN forms a Main Line of Resistance (MLR)
The Communists use respite from our relentless assault to recoup their heavy losses, and build up positions opposite to MLR.
Toward the end of the KW, both sides often cannonade one another with artillery barrages exceeding those of WWI or WWII
June 13 Fighting lapses to patrolling and small-unit actions.
June 23 USSR UN Delegate Jacob Malik proposes truce
July 10 Truce talks begin at Kaesong
August 1 -
October 31 Limited UN attacks in vicious small-unit actions, to consolidate positions
August 23 Communists break off talks
Aug 17 - Sept 6 Battle of Bloody Ridge
Sept 5 - 23 Battle for Heartbreak Ridge
Oct 3-23 Operation Commando. Five UN Divisions, including the British Commonwealth Division (RAR, Maryang-san), attack elements of Four CCF Armies, to correct a sag along I Corps and X Corps boundaries. In the successful but savage fighting, I Corps estimates 21,000 CCF casualties, and over 4,000 UN casualties.
October 25 Peace talks resume at Kaesong
Nov 27 Truce talks continue at Panmunjom and a cease-fire line agreed on
Nov 1951 - April 1952 Stalemate on the MLR. Talks at Panmunjom go on and on
Dec 18 Exchange of POW lists
1952
January 2 UN POW Exchange Proposal
January 3 POW Exchange Proposal rejected by Communists
February 18 Riots in Koje-do prison camp
March 13 Another major riot at Koje-do
March 21 Outpost Eerie, K/179/45id, a typical post midway between the two opposing MLRs, pays part of the ongoing price for impeding enemy attacks and gaining information.
May 7 General Dodd captured by Koje-do POWs.
May12 -
June 12 General Haydon Boatner replaces General Colson at Koje-do and ends rioting. General Mark Clark assumes FECOM from General Ridgway.
May 27 Syngman Rhee declares martial law at Pusan
June 23 General Clark orders bombing of NK power plants
July 23 Air strikes knock out North Korea's hydroelectric power sources for over two weeks
June - Oct Vicious, bitter localized fighting along MLR as truce talks drag on.
Aug 12-25 Marines capture hill 122 east of Panmunjom, and hold it with a reinforced company against repeated battalion-level CCF attacks. They won it a proud nickname, Bunker Hill
August 29 Largest air strike of war, 1400 aircraft hit Pyongyang
Sept 17-24 In spite of a brave effort the largely Puerto Rican 65/3id lost Outpost Kelly to the determined and more experienced CCF 384th Regiment.
Oct 8 - Nov 18 Truce talks halted. General Clark initiates Operation Showdown
Oct 6-15 Battle of White Horse Hill - ROK 9th Division inflicts 10,000 casualties on CCF while repelling repeated ferocious assaults, helped largely by information from Chinese deserters.
Oct 26-28 1st Battalion of the Black Watch and Commonwealth Division tanks and reinforcements fight off the CCF in the Battle of The Hook
Nov 3 2/160/40id fight for Heartbreak Ridge, Hill 851
Nov 15-27 Communist hold "1952 POW Olympics" at Camp 5, Pyuktong
Dec 25 38/2id fights off savage CCF assault at T-Bone Hill
December -
January Stalemate continues, President-Elect Eisenhower visits, deadly small-unit battles continue
1953
Jan 25 31/7id assaults Spud Hill, enemy strongpoint at T-Bone, in Operation Smack. In spite of heavy tank and air support the 31st was repulsed with heavy casualties, and a newly arrived member of the press falsely castigated the assault as unnecessary loss of life in a battle staged for visiting brass. Foretaste of media sensationalism in Vietnam.
February 11 General Maxwell Taylor takes command of Eigth Army
March 5 New USSR Premier Georgi Malenkov speaks of peaceful coexistence
March 28 NK Premier Kim Il Sung and CCF Peng Teh-huai agree to POW exchange
March 30 Truce talks resume at Panmunjom
March -
April More savage fighting around Old Baldy, T-bone, outpost Eerie and Pork Chop. CCF-141 and CCF-67 take the Old Baldy - Pork Chop region from 7th Infantry Division and their Colombian Battalion, and hold it in a vicious struggle. Exchanging hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds, the CCF took the Vegas and Reno outputs from the 5th Marines on March 26, but the Marines re-took Vegas and held it against determined attacks until the CCF broke off the action.
March 17 9/2id loses and retakes portions of Little Gibraltar
March - April More savage fighting as UN forces lose Old Baldy and Eerie rather than inordinate sacrifice of life for ground during final stages of truce talks
April 16-18 17th and 31st Infantry Regiments suffer heavy casualties at Pork Chop Hill
April 20-26 Exchange of sick and wounded POWs
April 23 Panmunjom talks resume
June 6-10 7th Infantry Division suffer more heavy casualties at Pork Chop Hill and are withdrawn
June 14 Communist attack drives back ROK positions
June 18 ROKs release 27,000 NK POWs who refuse repatriation. Communists again break off truce talks
June 25 CCF sends 3 armies, almost 100,000 troops, against 5 ROK divisions totaling half their number, driving the ROKs back several thousand yards. The CCF drive stops under staggering UN artillery barrages, about 2.7 million rounds in June alone.
July 10 Truce talks resume after UN assures ROK acceptance of cease-fire terms
July 24-25 Chinese launch heavy attacks on 'The Hook'. U.S.Marines and adjoining 2RAR withstand and hold.
July 27 Cease-fire signed.
September 4 Repatriation of POWs starts at Freedom Village, Panmunjom
