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105-651: The Eighth Army is a U.S. field army which commands all United States Army forces in South Korea . It is headquartered at the Camp Humphreys in the Anjeong-ri of Pyeongtaek, South Korea . Eighth Army relocated its headquarters from Yongsan to Camp Humphreys in the summer of 2017. It is the only field army in the U.S. Army. It is responsible to United States Forces Korea and United States Army, Pacific . The unit first activated on 10 June 1944 in

210-669: A counteroffensive , the first conducted by the UN in the war, for August. It would kick off with an attack by the US reserve units on the Masan area to secure Chinju, followed by a larger general push to the Geum River in the middle of the month. One of Walker's goals was to break up a suspected massing of KPA troops near the Daegu area by forcing the diversion of some KPA units southward. On August 6,

315-429: A paramilitary civilian formation that is battalion -sized. Continuing is role as a combat service support unit, it is capable of being expanded and mobilized during a wartime situation. Field army Specific field armies are usually named or numbered to distinguish them from "army" in the sense of an entire national defence force or land force. In English , the typical orthographic style for writing out

420-656: A breakout operation at Pusan, broke away and hastily retired north. Both South and North Korea were almost entirely occupied by United Nations forces. However, once U.S. units neared the Yalu River and the frontier between North Korea and China , the Chinese intervened and drastically changed the character of the war. Eighth Army was decisively defeated at the Battle of the Chongchon River and forced to retreat all

525-608: A comprehensive rail interdiction plan ready. This plan sought to cut the flow of KPA troops and materiel from North Korea to the combat area. Two cut points, the Pyongyang railroad bridge and marshaling yards and the Hamhung bridge and Hamhung and Wonsan marshaling yards, would almost completely sever North Korea's rail logistics network. Destruction of the rail bridges over the Han River near Seoul would cut rail communication to

630-532: A fatal weakness of the KPA, costing it crucial defeats after an initial success with combat forces. The KPA's communications and supply were not capable of exploiting a breakthrough and of supporting a continuing attack in the face of massive air, armor, and artillery fire that could be concentrated against its troops at critical points. The UN forces established a perimeter around the port city of Busan throughout July and August 1950. Roughly 140 miles (230 km) long,

735-576: A field army was a hōmen-gun ( 方面軍 ; 'area army'). In the Soviet Red Army and the Soviet Air Forces , an army was subordinate in wartime to a front (an equivalent of army group ). It contained at least three to five divisions along with artillery, air defense, reconnaissance and other supporting units. It could be classified as either a combined arms army (CAA) or tank army (TA); and while both were combined arms formations,

840-526: A final stand against the invading Korean People's Army (KPA), 98,000 men strong. UN forces, having been repeatedly defeated by the advancing KPA, were forced back to the "Pusan Perimeter", a 140-mile (230 km) defense line around an area on the southeastern tip of South Korea that included the port of Busan (then spelt Pusan ). The UN troops, consisting mostly of forces from the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA), United States, and United Kingdom, mounted

945-1173: A headquarters, and usually controls at least two corps, beneath which are a variable number of divisions . A battle is influenced at the field army level by transferring divisions and reinforcements from one corps to another to increase the pressure on the enemy at a critical point. NATO armies are commanded by a general or lieutenant general . Pusan Perimeter [REDACTED]   United Nations [REDACTED] Eighth Army [REDACTED] Fifth Air Force [REDACTED] Seventh Fleet [REDACTED] South Korean Army [REDACTED] British Army [REDACTED] Royal Navy [REDACTED] Australian Air Force [REDACTED] Australian Navy [REDACTED] Netherlands Navy [REDACTED] Canadian Navy [REDACTED] French Navy [REDACTED] New Zealand Navy [REDACTED] Korean People's Army [REDACTED] Korean People's Navy [REDACTED] Korean People's Air Force [REDACTED] est. 40,000+ [REDACTED] 4,599 killed 12,058 wounded 2,701 missing 401 captured 60 tanks [REDACTED] 5 killed 17 wounded The Battle of

1050-551: A lack of a previously drafted plan forced UN logisticians to create a system on the fly. The majority of resupply by sea was conducted by cargo ships of the US Army and US Navy. The massive demand for ships forced the UN to charter private ships and bring ships out of the reserve fleet to increase the number of military vessels in service. Busan was the only port in South Korea that had dock facilities large enough to handle

1155-585: A last stand around the perimeter, fighting off repeated KPA attacks for six weeks as they were engaged around the cities of Taegu , Masan , and Pohang and the Naktong River . The massive KPA assaults were unsuccessful in forcing the UN troops back farther from the perimeter, despite two major pushes in August and September. North Korean troops, hampered by supply shortages and massive losses, continually staged attacks on UN forces in an attempt to penetrate

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1260-489: A logistical system which was very lean and substantially smaller than the UN system. This logistics network was therefore capable of moving far fewer supplies, and this caused considerable difficulty for front-line troops. Based on the efficient Soviet Army model, this ground-based network relied primarily on railroads to transport supplies to the front while troops transported those items to the individual units on foot, trucks, or carts. This second effort, though more versatile,

1365-401: A massive offensive on Cloverleaf Hill and Obong-ni on August 17. At first tenacious KPA defense halted the marines' push. The KPA then mounted a counterattack following this in hopes of pushing the marines back, but this failed disastrously. By nightfall on August 18, the KPA 4th Division had been nearly annihilated and Obong-ni and Cloverleaf Hill had been retaken by US forces. The next day,

1470-701: A memo from President Jimmy Carter said "...American forces will be withdrawn. Air cover will be continued." Bureaucratic resistance from the Executive Branch, with support in Congress, eventually saw the proposal watered down. Eventually one combat battalion and about 2,600 non-combat troops were withdrawn. This left the 2nd Infantry Division at the Korean Demilitarized Zone to assist the South Korean Army . Besides forming

1575-615: A severe drought in the summer of 1950, receiving only 5 in (130 mm) of rain as opposed to the normal 20 in (510 mm) during the months of July and August. Combined with temperatures of 105 °F (41 °C), the hot and dry weather contributed to a large number of heat and exertion casualties, particularly for the unconditioned American forces. On August 1, the Eighth Army issued an operational directive to all UN ground forces in Korea for their planned withdrawal east of

1680-561: A sizable amount of cargo. An emergency airlift of critically needed items began almost immediately from the United States to Japan. Although it did not fly into Korea, the Military Air Transport Service (MATS), Pacific Division, expanded rapidly after the outbreak of the war. The consumption of aviation gasoline thanks to both combat and transport aircraft was so great in the early phase of the war, taxing

1785-453: A trip-wire against another North Korean invasion, the 2nd Infantry Division remained there as the only Army unit in South Korea armed with tactical nuclear weapons . (Otherwise, there is only the U.S. Air Force in South Korea and on Okinawa .) All nuclear weapons were taken from the Army to be under Air Force control. Later, in 1991, all U.S. nuclear weapons were removed from South Korea. At

1890-476: Is sometimes translated as "field army", it may also be translated as the more generic "field force" or "mobile force" (as opposed to limitanei or garrison units). In some armed forces, an "army" is or has been equivalent to a corps-level unit . Prior to 1945, this was the case with a gun ( 軍 ; 'army') within the Imperial Japanese Army , for which the formation equivalent in size to

1995-709: Is the official musical unit of the HQ 8th Army and supports United States Forces Korea and the United Nations Command . The 41-member band was founded in 1916 as the Band of the 35th Infantry Regiment. During World War II, the band, then known as the 25th Infantry Division Band based out of Hawaii , served in the Pacific Theater , being a participant in Central Pacific and Guadalcanal campaigns. It

2100-458: The 39th Fighter Squadron and 40th Fighter Squadron from the airstrip, against the wishes of General MacArthur. In the event, the airstrip remained under the protection of UN ground forces and never came under direct fire. The squadrons were moved to Tsuiki Air Field on the island of Kyushu , Japan. In the meantime, the ROK 3rd Division, surrounded earlier in the month, was forced farther south to

2205-416: The 8th Infantry Regiment , 2nd Infantry Division. Task Force Bradley was tasked with defending P'ohang-dong. What followed was a complicated series of fights throughout the region around P'ohang-dong and An'gang-ni as ROK forces, aided by US air forces, engaged groups of KPA in the area. The KPA 12th Division was operating in the valley west of P'ohang-dong and was able to push back Task Force P'ohang and

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2310-411: The Battle of Andong . Outnumbered and under-equipped US forces—committed in piecemeal fashion as rapidly as they could be deployed—were repeatedly defeated and pushed south. The 24th Division, the first US division committed, took heavy losses in the Battle of Taejon in mid-July, which they were driven from after heavy fighting. Elements of the 3rd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment , newly arrived in

2415-599: The Dai-Ichi building in Tokyo . At the beginning of 1946, Eighth Army assumed responsibility for occupying all of Japan. Four quiet years then followed, during which the Eighth Army gradually transitioned from a combat-ready fighting force into a constabulary. Lieutenant General Walton H. Walker took command in September 1948, and he tried to re-invigorate the Army's training, with mixed success. The peace of occupied Japan

2520-636: The Fifth Air Force were positioned within the perimeter and in Japan, and just off the coast were US Navy aircraft aboard the USS ; Valley Forge and the USS  Philippine Sea . By the end of the battle the Eighth Army had more air support than General Omar Bradley 's Twelfth United States Army Group in Europe during World War II. From south to northeast, the KPA units positioned opposite

2625-576: The aftermath of the Korean War , the Eighth Army remained in South Korea. By the 1960s, I Corps, consisting of the 7th Infantry Division and the 2nd Infantry Division , remained as part of the Eighth Army. Then, in 1971, the 7th Infantry Division was withdrawn, along with the command units of I Corps, which were moved across the Pacific Ocean to Fort Lewis , Washington . Later, in March 1977,

2730-452: The 24th Infantry Division was ordered into South Korea. The KPA, 89,000 men strong, had advanced into South Korea in six columns, catching the ROKA by surprise and completely routing it. The smaller ROK suffered from widespread lack of organization and equipment, and was unprepared for war. Numerically superior, KPA forces destroyed isolated resistance from the 38,000 ROK soldiers on

2835-469: The 2nd Infantry Division will remain at Camp Casey , near Dongducheon . The headquarters of the Eighth Army was Yongsan Garrison , but moved southward to Camp Humphreys by 2019. In April 2017 the Eighth Army headquarters began its move from Yongsan to Camp Humphreys and held a ceremony to relocate a statue of General Walton Walker. Other army units based in South Korea: The 8th Army Band

2940-658: The Busan Perimeter area. On August 4, FEAF began B-29 interdiction attacks against all key bridges north of the 37th Parallel in Korea and, on August 15, light bombers and fighter-bombers joined in the interdiction campaign. The supremacy of the Fifth Air Force in the skies over Korea forced the North Koreans in the first month of the war to resort to night movement of supplies to the battle area. They relied primarily on railroads to move supplies to

3045-479: The Chinese advance at the battles of Chipyong-ni and Wonju . It then counter-attacked the Chinese, re-took Seoul, and drove to the 38th parallel , where the front stabilized. When General Ridgway replaced General of the Army Douglas MacArthur as the overall U.N. commander, Lieutenant General James Van Fleet assumed command of Eighth Army. After the war of movement during the first stages,

3150-420: The Eighth Army issued the operational directive for the attack by Task Force Kean , named for the US 25th Infantry Division commander, William B. Kean . Task Force Kean consisted of the 25th Division, less the 27th Infantry Regiment and a field artillery battalion, plus the 5th Regimental Combat Team and the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade attached — a force of about 20,000 men. The plan of attack required

3255-547: The Fourth Army). The Roman army was among the first to feature a formal field army, in the sense of a very large, combined arms formation, namely the sacer comitatus , which may be translated literally as "sacred escort". The term is derived from their being commanded by Roman emperors (who were regarded as sacred), when they acted as field commanders . While the Roman comitatensis (plural: comitatenses )

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3360-475: The KPA 15th Division formed up on the east side of the Naktong River in the vicinity of Yuhak-san, 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Tabu-dong. It was quickly locked in combat on Yuhak-san with the ROK 1st Division. South of Waegwan, two more KPA divisions stood ready to cross the Naktong River in a coordinated attack with the divisions to the north. The experienced KPA 3rd Division was concentrated in

3465-417: The KPA significantly in their invasion of South Korea, costing them 58,000 of their troops and a large number of tanks. In order to recoup these losses, the KPA had to rely on less-experienced replacements and conscripts, many of whom had been taken from the conquered regions of South Korea. During the course of the battle, the KPA raised a total of 13 infantry divisions and one armored division to fight at

3570-469: The KPA troops to scatter into the mountains. The division reassembled to the east and launched a concerted night attack, broke the ROK defenses, and began an advance that carried it twenty miles (32 km) southeast of Naktong-ni on the main road to Taegu. Within a week, the KPA 1st and 13th divisions were converging on the Tabu-dong area, about 15 miles (24 km) north of Daegu. During August 12–16,

3675-480: The KPA. Heavy fighting continued in the area for three days. By August 9, Task Force Kean was poised to retake Chinju. The Americans initially advanced quickly though heavy KPA resistance. On August 10, the Marines picked up the advance. However, the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade was withdrawn from the force on August 12 to be redeployed elsewhere on the perimeter. Task Force Kean continued forward, capturing

3780-542: The Kyongju and An'gang-ni areas, putting the supply road to Taegu out of immediate danger. By August 19 the KPA forces had completely withdrawn from the offensive. Shortly before the Busan Perimeter battles began, Walker established Daegu as the Eighth Army's headquarters. Right at the center of the Busan Perimeter, Daegu stood at the entrance to the Naktong River valley, an area where KPA forces could advance in large numbers in close support. The natural barriers provided by

3885-404: The Naktong River in the retreat. At one bridge in the 1st Cavalry Division sector, the division commander attempted several times to clear refugees from the bridge but they continued to cross it despite warnings and several attempts to clear the bridge. Eventually the commander was forced to demolish the bridge, taking several hundred refugees with it. Central to the UN defensive plan was to hold

3990-406: The Naktong River to the south and the mountainous terrain to the north converged around Daegu, which was also the major transportation hub and last major South Korean city aside from Busan itself to remain in UN hands. From south to north, the city was defended by the US 1st Cavalry Division, and the ROK 1st and 6th divisions of ROK II Corps. 1st Cavalry Division was spread out along a long line along

4095-476: The Naktong River to the south, with its 5th and 8th cavalry regiments holding a line 24 kilometres (15 mi) along the river and the 7th Cavalry Regiment in reserve along with artillery forces, ready to reinforce anywhere a crossing could be attempted. Five KPA divisions amassed to oppose the UN at Taegu; from south to north, the 10th , 3rd, 15th, 13th, and 1st Divisions occupied a line from Tuksong-dong and around Waegwan to Kunwi. The KPA planned to use

4200-465: The Naktong River to the west, and extremely mountainous terrain to the north, using the terrain as a natural defense. However the rough terrain also made communication difficult, particularly for the ROK forces in the P'ohang-dong area. Forces in this region also suffered from casualties related to the heat of the summer, as the Naktong region has little vegetation and clean water. Korea suffered from

4305-498: The Naktong River. UN units would then establish a Main line of resistance behind what was to be called the Busan Perimeter. The intent was to draw the line on retreating and hold off the KPA while the UN built up its forces and launched a counteroffensive. The US 25th Infantry Division held the southernmost flank at Masan , while the 24th Infantry Division withdrew from Geochang County to Changyeong. The 1st Cavalry Division withdrew to Waegwan. US forces demolished all bridges over

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4410-699: The North Korean invasion and to prevent South Korea from collapsing. However, US forces in the Far East had been steadily decreasing since the end of World War II , five years earlier, and at the time the closest forces were the 24th Infantry Division of the Eighth United States Army , which was headquartered in Japan . The division was understrength, and most of its equipment was antiquated due to reductions in military spending. Regardless,

4515-688: The Pusan Perimeter ( Korean : 부산 교두보 전투 ), known in Korean as the Battle of the Naktong River Defense Line ( Korean : 낙동강 방어선 전투 ), was a large-scale battle between United Nations Command (UN) and North Korean forces lasting from August 4 to September 18, 1950. It was one of the first major engagements of the Korean War . An army of 140,000 UN troops, having been pushed south to the brink of defeat, were rallied to make

4620-529: The Pusan Perimeter. The UN forces were organized under the command of the Eighth United States Army, which served and was headquartered at Daegu. Under it were three weak US divisions; the 24th Infantry Division was brought to the country early in July, while the 1st Cavalry Division and 25th Infantry Division arrived between July 14 and 18. These forces occupied the western segment of

4725-559: The ROK 3rd Division and took the area around P'ohang-dong. On August 10, the Eighth Army organized Task Force P'ohang — the ROK 17th , 25th, and 26th regiments as well as the ROK 1st Anti-Guerrilla Battalion, Marine Battalion and a battery from the US 18th Field Artillery Regiment . This task force was given the mission to clear out KPA forces in the mountainous region. At the same time, Eighth Army formed Task Force Bradley under Brigadier General Joseph S. Bradley , consisting of elements of

4830-417: The ROK 8th Division. This fighting was so heavy that the KPA 8th Division was forced to hold its ground for a week before trying to advance. Stalled again by ROK resistance, it halted to wait for reinforcements. However the other two attacks were more successful, catching the UN forces by surprise. East of the KPA and ROK 8th Divisions, the KPA 12th Division crossed the Naktong River at Andong, moving through

4935-571: The ROK Capital Division, which was along the line to the east. At the same time, the KPA 766th Infantry Regiment and elements of the KPA 5th Division fought Task Force Bradley at and south of P'ohang-dong. US naval fire drove the KPA troops from the town, but it became a bitterly contested no man's land as fighting moved to the surrounding hills. By August 13, KPA troops were operating in the mountains west and southwest of Yongil Airfield. USAF commanders, wary of KPA attacks, evacuated

5040-455: The ROKA. Support for the American and South Korean armies came through the United States and Japan. The re-equipping of the ROK presented the UN forces with major logistical problems in July. The biggest challenge was a shortage of ammunition. Though logistics situations improved over time, ammunition was short for much of the war. Consumption of supplies differed among the various units and

5145-711: The Sixth Army to engage in the Philippines Campaign (1944–45) . The Eighth Army again followed in the wake of the Sixth Army in December 1944, when it took over control of operations on Leyte Island on 26 December. In January, the Eighth Army entered combat on Luzon , landing the XI Corps on 29 January near San Antonio and the 11th Airborne Division on the other side of Manila Bay two days later. Combining with I Corps and XIV Corps of Sixth Army,

5250-542: The U.S. defenses despite U.S. air supremacy and the Eighth Army and U.N. forces retreated hastily to avoid encirclement. The Chinese offensive continued pressing U.S. forces, which lost Seoul , the South Korean capital. Eighth Army's morale and esprit de corps hit rock bottom, to where it was widely regarded as a broken, defeated rabble. General Ridgway forcefully restored Eighth Army to combat effectiveness over several months. Eighth Army slowed and ultimately halted

5355-526: The UN established its highest command under MacArthur in Tokyo, Japan . KPA forces in the meantime were suffering from overextended supply lines which severely reduced their fighting capacity. KPA forces had four possible routes in the perimeter: to the south, the pass through the city of Masan around the confluence of the Nam and Naktong rivers; another southerly route through the Naktong Bulge and into

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5460-548: The UN units were the 83rd Motorized Regiment of the 105th Armored Division and then the 6th , 4th , 3rd , 2nd , 15th , 1st , 13th , 8th , 12th , and 5th divisions and the 766th Independent Infantry Regiment . Throughout September 1950, as the battle raged, more UN forces arrived from the US and other locations. The 2nd Infantry Division , 5th Regimental Combat Team , 1st Provisional Marine Brigade , and British 27th Commonwealth Brigade arrived in Busan later in

5565-655: The United States, under the command of Lieutenant General Robert L. Eichelberger . The Eighth Army took part in many of the amphibious landings in the Southwest Pacific Theater of World War II , eventually participating in no less than sixty of them. The first mission of the Eighth Army, in September 1944, was to take over from the U.S. Sixth Army in New Guinea , New Britain , the Admiralty Islands and on Morotai , in order to free up

5670-476: The area around Chondong-ni. Eighth Army requested several of its units to redeploy to Taegu to be used elsewhere on the front, particularly at the Naktong Bulge. An attempt to move the 25th Infantry Division's division trains through the valley became mired in the mud through the night of August 10–11 and was attacked in the morning by KPA forces who had driven American forces from the high ground. In

5775-428: The bodies of 75 men, 55 from the 555th Field Artillery and 20 from the 90th Field Artillery, were found executed when the area again came under American control. Task Force Kean was forced to withdraw back to Masan, unable to hold its gains, and by August 14 it was in approximately the same position it had been in when it started the offensive. Task Force Kean had failed in its objective of diverting KPA troops from

5880-487: The confusion, KPA armor was able to penetrate roadblocks and assault the supporting US artillery positions. The surprise attack was successful in wiping out most of the 555th and 90th Field Artillery Battalions , with much of their equipment. Both KPA and American armor swarmed to the scene and US Marine aircraft continued to provide cover, but neither side was able to make appreciable gains despite inflicting massive numbers of casualties on one another. Upon later inspection,

5985-455: The country, were wiped out at Hadong in a coordinated ambush by KPA forces on July 27, leaving open a pass to the Busan area. Soon after, Chinju to the west was taken, pushing back the 19th Infantry Regiment and leaving open routes to Busan. US units were able to defeat and push back the KPA on the flank in the Battle of the Notch on August 2. Suffering mounting losses, the KPA force on

6090-457: The country. In June, 2015, members of the 8th Army Band celebrated its 99th anniversary in Mongolia with a concert on Sükhbaatar Square . The Korean Service Corps was a reserve force composed of South Korean volunteers who were augmented to the 8th Army. They provided labourers who were used to carry ammunition and supplies, and support the overall logistic elements of the army. It is today,

6195-646: The end of the Cold War Eighth Army consisted of the following units: In 2003, plans were announced to move the 2nd Infantry Division southward. The division, with 15 bases north of the Han River and just south of the DMZ, was to be the most important formation to be moved south of the Han River in two phases "over the next few years" a joint statement between the South Korean and U.S. governments said on June 5, 2003. As of 2015, it appears that one brigade of

6300-453: The exception of the Naktong delta to the south, and the valley between Daegu and P'ohang-dong , the terrain is extremely rough and mountainous. Northeast of P'ohang-dong along the South Korean line the terrain was especially treacherous, and movement in the region was extremely difficult. Thus, the UN established the Busan Perimeter in a location outlined by the Sea of Japan to the south and east,

6405-649: The fighting in Korea settled down to a war of attrition. Ceasefire negotiations were begun at the village of Panmunjom in the summer of 1951, and they dragged on for two years. During the final combat operation of the war, Lieutenant General Maxwell D. Taylor (promoted to general 23 June 1953) commanded the Eighth Army. When the Military Demarcation Line was finally agreed to by the Korean Armistice Agreement , South Korea and North Korea continued on as separate states. During

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6510-498: The fighting, along with large numbers of fresh troops and equipment, including over 500 tanks. By the end of the battle, Eighth Army's force had gone from three under-strength, under-prepared divisions to four formations that were well-equipped and ready for war. On July 1, the US Far East Command directed the Eighth Army to assume responsibility for all logistical support of the US and UN forces in Korea, including

6615-545: The following day . The battle was the farthest the KPA would advance in the war, as subsequent fighting ground the war into a stalemate. Following the outbreak of the Korean War, the United Nations decided to commit troops in support of South Korea, which had been invaded by the neighboring North Korea. The United States subsequently sent ground forces to the Korean Peninsula with the goal of fighting back

6720-550: The force to move west from positions held near Masan, seize the Chinju Pass, and secure the line as far as the Nam River. However, the offensive relied on the arrival of the entire 2nd Infantry Division , as well as three more battalions of American tanks. Task Force Kean launched its attack on August 7, moving out from Masan, but Kean's attack resulted in a meeting engagement with one being simultaneously delivered by

6825-401: The forces of Eighth Army next enveloped Manila in a great double- pincer movement . Eighth Army's final operation of the Pacific War was that of clearing out the southern Philippines of the Japanese Army , including on the major island of Mindanao , an effort that occupied the soldiers of the Eighth Army for the rest of the war. Eighth Army was to have participated in Operation Downfall ,

6930-408: The former contained a larger number of motorized rifle divisions while the latter contained a larger number of tank divisions . In peacetime, a Soviet army was usually subordinate to a military district . Modern field armies are large formations which vary significantly between armed forces in size, composition, and scope of responsibility. For instance, within NATO a field army is composed of

7035-593: The front before moving steadily south. Most of South Korea's forces retreated in the face of the advance. By June 28, the KPA had captured South Korea's capital Seoul , forcing the government and its shattered forces to retreat further south. Though it was steadily pushed back, ROK forces increased their resistance farther south, hoping to delay KPA units as much as possible. North and South Korean units sparred for control of several cities, inflicting heavy casualties on one another. The ROK defended Yeongdeok fiercely before being forced back, and managed to repel KPA forces in

7140-438: The front, due to extensive losses so far in the war. UN commander General Douglas MacArthur reported 141,808 UN troops in Korea on August 4, of which 47,000 were in US ground combat units and 45,000 in ROK combat units. Thus, the UN ground combat force outnumbered the KPA 92,000 to 70,000. UN forces had complete control of the air and sea throughout the fight as well, and US Air Force and US Navy elements provided support for

7245-482: The front, however a shortage of trucks posed the most serious problem of getting supplies from the trains to individual units, forcing them to rely on carts and pack animals. The KPA was able to maintain transport to its front lines over long lines of communications despite heavy and constant air attacks. The UN air effort failed to completely halt military rail transport. Ammunition and motor fuel, which took precedence over all other types of supply, continued to arrive at

7350-440: The front, though in smaller amounts than before. At best there were rations for only one or two meals a day. Most units had to live at least partially off the South Korean populace, scavenging for food and supplies at night. By September 1 the food situation was so bad in the KPA at the front that most of the soldiers showed a loss of stamina with resulting impaired combat effectiveness. The inefficiency of its logistics remained

7455-440: The ground units throughout the battle virtually unopposed. Overall command of the naval force was taken by the US Seventh Fleet , and the bulk of the naval power provided was also from the US. The United Kingdom also provided a small naval task force including an aircraft carrier and several cruisers. Eventually, Australia , Canada , the Netherlands , and New Zealand provided ships as well. Several hundred fighter-bombers of

7560-644: The invasion of Japan. It would have taken part in Operation Coronet , the second phase of the invasion, which would have seen the invasion of the Kantō Plain on eastern Honshū . However, the Japanese surrender cancelled the invasion, and the Eighth Army found itself in charge of a peaceful occupation . Occupation forces landed on 30 August 1945, with its headquarters in Yokohama , then the HQ moved to

7665-465: The line was at the town of An'gang-ni , 12 miles (19 km) west of P'ohang-dong, situated near a valley through the natural rugged terrain to the major rail hub of Kyongju, which was a staging post for moving supplies to Daegu. Walker chose not to heavily reinforce the area as he felt the terrain made meaningful attack impossible, preferring to respond to attack with reinforcements from the transportation routes and air cover from Yongil Airfield , which

7770-614: The meantime, Eighth Army had reorganized, since it had too many divisions under its command for it to exercise effective control directly. The I Corps and the IX Corps were reactivated in the United States and then shipped to Korea to assume command of Eighth Army's subordinate divisions. The stalemate was broken by the Inchon landings of the X Corps (tenth corps, consisting of soldiers and Marines). The North Korean forces, when confronted with this threat to their rear areas, combined with

7875-402: The mountains in small groups to reach P'ohang-dong. UN planners had not anticipated that the 12th Division would be able to cross the river effectively, and thus were unprepared. In the meantime, the ROK 3rd Division was heavily engaged with the KPA 5th Division along the coastal road to P'ohang-dong. The divisions' clashes centered on the town of Yongdok, with each side capturing and recapturing

7980-649: The names field armies is word numbers , such as "First Army"; whereas corps are usually distinguished by Roman numerals (e.g. I Corps) and subordinate formations with ordinal numbers (e.g. 1st Division). A field army may be given a geographical name in addition to or as an alternative to a numerical name, such as the British Army of the Rhine , Army of the Potomac , Army of the Niemen or Aegean Army (also known as

8085-410: The natural corridor of the Naktong valley from Sangju to Daegu as their main axis of attack for the next push south. Elements of the 105th Armored Division were also supporting the attack. By August 7, the KPA 13th Division had crossed the Naktong River at Naktong-ni, 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Daegu. ROK troops attacked the 13th Division immediately after it completed its crossing, forcing

8190-421: The north, and also failed in its objective of reaching the Chinju Pass. However, the offensive was considered to have significantly increased morale among the troops of the 25th Infantry Division, which performed extremely well in subsequent engagements. The KPA 6th Division had been reduced to 3,000-4,000 and had to replenish its ranks with South Korean conscripts from Andong. Fighting in the region continued for

8295-593: The north. Despite American counterattacks, the KPA were able to continue pressing forward and take Cloverleaf Hill and Oblong-ni Ridge, critical terrain astride the main road in the bulge area. By August 10 the entire KPA 4th Division was across the river and beginning to move south, outflanking the American lines. The next day, scattered KPA elements attacked Yongsan. The KPA forces repeatedly attacked US lines at night, when American soldiers were resting and had greater difficulty resisting. The 1st Marine Provisional Brigade, in conjunction with Task Force Hill , mounted

8400-466: The other two regiments and forced them back to the west bank. Only a small number of KPA reached the east side where either they were captured, or hid until recrossing the river the following night. At dawn on August 9, 1st Cavalry Division learned of the North Korean crossing. KPA infantry had gathered on Hill 268, also known as Triangulation Hill, which was 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Waegwan and 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Taegu. The hill

8505-409: The perimeter and collapse the line. The UN forces, however, used the port to amass an overwhelming advantage in troops, equipment, and logistics, and its navy and air forces remained unchallenged by the KPA during the fight. After six weeks, the KPA force collapsed and retreated in defeat after the UN force launched a counterattack at Inchon on September 15, and the UN forces in the perimeter broke out

8610-624: The perimeter stretched from the Korea Strait to the Sea of Japan west and north of Busan. To the west the perimeter was roughly outlined by the Naktong River where it curved at the city of Daegu, except for the southernmost 15 miles (24 km) where the Naktong turned eastward after its confluence with the Nam River . The northern boundary was an irregular line that ran through the mountains from above Waegwan and Andong to Yongdok . With

8715-407: The perimeter, along the Naktong River. The ROK, a force of 58,000, was organized into two corps and five divisions; from east to west, I Corps controlled the 8th Infantry Division and Capital Divisions , while II Corps controlled the 1st Infantry Division and 6th Infantry Division . A reconstituted ROK 3rd Infantry Division was placed under direct ROK control. Morale among the UN units

8820-580: The port of Busan, where vital ground supplies and reinforcements were arriving from Japan and the US. Busan possessed airfields where US combat and cargo aircraft were streaming into Korea with more supplies. A system similar to the Red Ball Express in World War II was employed to get supplies from Busan to the front lines. Hundreds of ships arrived in Busan each month, starting with 230 in July and increasing steadily thereafter. On July 24,

8925-540: The railroad lines at Miryang ; through the route into Daegu in the north; and through Kyongju in the eastern corridor. The KPA mounted a large offensive in August, simultaneously attacking all four entries into the perimeter. As a result, the Battle of Busan Perimeter was not one single engagement, but a series of large battles fought between the UN and KPA divisions all along the perimeter. The Eighth Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Walton Walker , began preparing

9030-610: The remains of the 4th Division withdrew completely across the river. In their hasty retreat, they left a large number of artillery pieces and equipment behind which the Americans used. The terrain along the ROK front on the eastern corridor made movement extremely difficult. A major road ran from Daegu 50 miles (80 km) east, to P'ohang-dong on Korea's east coast. The only major north–south road intersecting this line moved south from Andong through Yongch'on , midway between Daegu and P'ohang-dong. The only other natural entry through

9135-422: The rest of the month. About 7 miles (11 km) north of the confluence of the Naktong and Nam rivers, the Naktong curves westward opposite Yongsan in a wide semicircular loop. For most of this span, the Naktong river is around 1,300 feet (400 m) wide and 6 feet (1.8 m) deep, allowing infantry to wade across with some difficulty, but preventing vehicles from crossing without assistance. This perimeter

9240-405: The river further north but met with resistance and fell back. On the morning of August 6, the KPA attacked in an attempt to penetrate the lines to Yongsan. This caught the Americans, who were expecting an attack from further north, by surprise and drove them back, and the KPA captured a large amount of American equipment. The attack threatened to split the American lines and disrupt supply lines to

9345-433: The town several times. On August 5, the KPA attacked, again taking the town from the ROK and pushing them south. On August 6, the ROK launched a counteroffensive to retake the town. However, KPA 5th Division forces were able to infiltrate the coastal road south of Yongdok at Hunghae. This effectively surrounded the ROK 3rd Division, trapping it several miles above P'ohang-dong. The KPA 766th Independent Regiment advanced around

9450-407: The town. The KPA supply chain had completely broken down and more food, ammunition, and supplies were not available. UN forces began their final counteroffensive against the stalled KPA forces on August 15. Intense fighting around P'ohang-dong ensued for several days as each side suffered large numbers of casualties in back-and-forth battles. By August 17, UN forces were able to push KPA troops out of

9555-494: The transport of some troops and supplies, but they remained far too underdeveloped to support any large-scale logistical movements, and the port of Inchon in the south was difficult to navigate with large numbers of ships. In mid-July, the UN Far East Air Force Bomber Command began a steady and increasing campaign against strategic North Korean logistics targets. The first of these targets

9660-488: The very limited supply available in the Far East, that it became one of the serious logistical problems. From Busan a good railroad system built by the Japanese extended northward. The railroads were the backbone of the UN transportation system in Korea. The 20,000 mi (32,000 km) of Korean vehicular roads were all of a secondary nature, as measured by American or European standards. The North Koreans relied on

9765-501: The vicinity of Songju , while the untested KPA 10th Division was concentrated in the Koryong area. These two divisions crossed in the US 1st Cavalry Division's line. The KPA 3rd Division's 7th Regiment started crossing the Naktong on August 9. Despite being spotted and taking fire, the bulk of it reached the east bank safely and moved inland into the hills. The 5th Cavalry Regiment and its supporting artillery, now fully alerted, spotted

9870-469: The village of Changsa-dong, where US Navy craft amphibiously withdrew the division. The division would sail 20 miles (32 km) south to Yongil Bay to join the other UN forces in a coordinated attack to push the KPA out of the region. This evacuation was carried out on the night of August 16. By August 14, large KPA forces were focused entirely on taking P'ohang-dong. However they were unable to hold it because of US air superiority and naval bombardment on

9975-463: The way back to South Korea. The defeat of the U.S. Eighth Army resulted in the longest retreat of any U.S. military unit in history. General Walker was killed in a jeep accident on 23 December 1950, and replaced by Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway . The overstretched Eighth Army suffered heavily with the Chinese offensive, who were able to benefit from shorter lines of communication and with rather casually deployed enemy forces. The Chinese broke through

10080-439: The west flank withdrew for several days to re-equip and receive reinforcements. This granted both sides several days of reprieve to prepare for the attack on the Busan Perimeter. The KPA was organized into a mechanized combined arms force of ten divisions , originally numbering some 90,000 well-trained and well-equipped troops in July, with hundreds of T-34 tanks. However, defensive actions by US and ROK forces had delayed

10185-483: Was Wonsan on the east coast. Wonsan was important as a communications center that linked Vladivostok , Siberia , with North Korea by rail and sea. From it, rail lines ran to all the KPA build-up centers. The great bulk of Russian supplies for North Korea in the early part of the war came in at Wonsan, and from the beginning it was considered a major military target. By July 27, the FEAF Bomber Command had

10290-530: Was also a substantial disadvantage because it was less efficient and often too slow to follow the moving front-line units. North Korea's lack of large airstrips and aircraft meant it conducted only minimal air resupply, mostly critical items being imported from China . Other than this, however, aircraft played almost no role in North Korean logistics. The North Koreans were also unable to effectively use sea transport. Ports in Wonsan and Hungnam could be used for

10395-422: Was important for its proximity to lines of communication, as the main Korean north–south highway and the main double-track Seoul-Pusan railroad skirted its base. 1st Cavalry Division counterattacked the KPA gathering to force them back across the river, but their initial assault was repelled. The next morning, August 10, air strikes and artillery barrages rocked Hill 268, devastating the KPA, who withdrew back behind

10500-477: Was low due to the large number of defeats incurred to that point in the war. US forces had suffered over 6,000 casualties over the past month, while the ROK had lost an estimated 70,000. Troop numbers for each side have been difficult to estimate. The KPA had around 70,000 combat troops committed to the Pusan Perimeter on August 5, with most of its divisions far understrength. It likely had less than 3,000 personnel in mechanized units, and around 40 T-34 tanks at

10605-631: Was manned by a network of observation posts on the high ground where forces from the 24th Infantry Division monitored the river area. Forces in reserve would counterattack any attempted crossings by KPA forces. The division was spread extremely thinly; already understrength, it presented a very weak line. On the night of August 5–6, 800 KPA soldiers began wading across the river at the Ohang ferry site, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of Pugong-ni and west of Yongsan, carrying light weapons and supplies over their heads or on rafts. A second force attempted to cross

10710-736: Was reorganized in November 1950 and reassigned to the newly formed ROK, the same year the Korean War began. Awards and honors the band has received include the Meritorious Unit Commendation and two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations . Nicknamed Freedom's Ambassadors due to its area of responsibility , it has performed at events such as the Wonju Tattoo, the Gangwon International Tattoo as well as Korean War memorial ceremonies in

10815-498: Was shattered in June 1950 when 75,000 North Korean troops with Russian made tanks invaded South Korea, igniting the Korean War . U.S. naval and air forces quickly became involved in combat operations, and it was soon clear that U.S. ground forces would have to be committed. To stem the North Korean advance, the occupation forces in Japan were thus shipped off to South Korea as quickly as possible, but their lack of training and equipment

10920-516: Was south of P'ohang-dong. In early August, three KPA divisions mounted offensives against the three passes through the area, with the 8th Division attacking Yongch'on, 12th Division attacking P'ohang-dong and 5th Division, in conjunction with the 766th Independent Infantry Regiment, attacking An'gang-ni. The 8th Division drove for Yongch'on from Uiseong , but its attack failed to reach the Taegu-P'ohang corridor after being surprised and outflanked by

11025-478: Was telling, as some of the initial U.S. units were destroyed by the North Koreans. However, the stage was eventually reached as enough units of Eighth Army arrived in Korea to make a firm front. The North Koreans threw themselves against that front, the Pusan Perimeter , and failed to break it. Eighth Army arrived in July 1950 and never left. —Lt. Gen. Thomas S. Vandal, CG, Eighth Army, 29 August 2017 In

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