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The End of the War

 

THE UN INVADES NORTH KOREA ... AGAIN

Feb–Mar 1951: 8th Army launched Operations Thunderbolt, Killer, Ripper, Courageous, Tomahawk → pushed PVA back to 38th Parallel.

Apr 1951: Operation Rugged crossed Parallel, reaching ‘Kansas Line’ (5 miles into North Korea). Operation pushed to ‘ Line’ (20 miles in).

         

WHY did UN Command invade North Korea a second time?

    1. PVA/NKPA were retreating → aim = push them back as far as possible.

    2. Strategic reasons: 38th Parallel = undefendable; Wyoming Line = stronger ground.

    3. Wanted to threaten IRON (key flatland east of Pyongyang).

    4. Ceasefire talks had begun → aim = gain best position before politicians halted war.

    5. MacArthur disagreed w. Truman, esp. over nukes & escalation.

         

WHY did Truman sack MacArthur?

    1. He had been forced to meet MacArthur at Wake Island (seen as a huge insult).

    2. MacArthur kept making STATEMENTS opposing official policy (in defiance of orders).

    3. MacArthur wanted to use nuclear weapons.

    4. His 2nd invasion broke clear instructions to avoid provoking China.

         

On 1951: Truman sacked MacArthur.

    

STALEMATE

1951 fighting = disaster for both sides:

    •  Apr–May: Chinese Fifth Phase Offensive failed → est. 100k PVA losses.

    •  UN’s Sept offensive incl. ‘Bloody Ridge’ & ‘ Ridge’ = equally costly.

         

→ war of attrition:

    •  Mostly night raids. Front stayed static.

    •  ⅓ of all US losses came during this period.

    •  PVA tactics = swarm UN positions, then fight to death as UN retook them.

    •  Avg 24k shells/day fired onto UN lines; in attacks, up to 1k in 10 mins.

    •  Eg: White Horse Hill changed hands 24× in 10 days (6–15 Oct 1952).

    •   Hill (July 1953) = 1.5k UN vs 5.5k Chinese casualties in 6 days, incl. hand-to-hand fighting.

         

Air war:

    •  USAF bombed North Korea so heavily they reported no targets left.

    •  USSR sent MiG jets & pilots (disguised as Chinese).

    •  Huge air losses: Soviets/PVA 3k planes, UN 3.5k.

         

Behind lines:

    •  Communist POWs on Island (off Pusan) rioted, kidnapped US camp commander = propaganda win. → UN could hold South Koreans plains, but not North Korean hills = too costly to retake (WWI-level deaths). → US govt told Army losses no longer politically acceptable. → UN passed : stopped demanding Chinese withdrawal, seek ceasefire.

         

Peace talks began.

    

ATROCITIES

By the North Koreans – 1954 US Army report (based on POW accounts) found:

    •  Many US troops murdered after capture.

    •  Survivors = beaten, tortured, starved, marched long distances w/o food, water, clothes, shelter or medical care.

    •  Also humiliated, displayed, or molested.

         

By the South Koreans:

    •  ROK troops may have killed 100k civilians during communist retreat (eg 30k members massacred).

         

By the US:

    •  At (July 1950): US troops & planes killed at least 150 fleeing civilians (mainly women, kids, old men).

    •  Saturation (eg: Pyongyang = 10k litres napalm + 697 tons bombs dropped → 8k deaths.)