Preceden

Battle of Chosin Reservoir Timeline

(November 27, 1950 – December 13, 1950)

The Battle of Chosin Reservoir was a decisive 17-day campaign during the Korean War, fought from November 27 to December 13, 1950, in freezing conditions around the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. Roughly 30,000 United Nations troops, primarily U.S. Marines and Army soldiers of X Corps, were encircled by approximately 120,000 soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army. Despite overwhelming odds and temperatures plunging below -30°F (-34°C), UN forces fought their way through Chinese lines in a fighting retreat to the port of Hungnam, inflicting heavy casualties on their attackers while evacuating with their equipment and wounded. Less

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Prelude and Buildup

UN forces advance into North Korea

Oct 1950

United Nations forces advanced rapidly into North Korea with the intention of reuniting North and South Korea before the end of 1950.

Image source: Battle of Chosin Reservoir

UN forces advance into North Korea

Korean War appears nearly over after Inchon landing

Oct 15, 1950

By mid-October 1950, after the successful landing at Inchon by the US X Corps, the Eighth Army breakout from the Pusan Perimeter and the subsequent pursuit and destruction of the Korean People's Army, the Korean War appeared to be all but over.

People's Volunteer Army secretly crosses into North Korea

Oct 19, 1950

On 19 October 1950, large formations of Chinese troops, dubbed the People's Volunteer Army (PVA), secretly crossed the border and entered North Korea.

Geography of the Chosin Reservoir area

Nov 1, 1950

The roads through Yudami-ni and Sinhung-ni, located at the west and east side of the reservoir respectively, are connected at Hagaru-ri (now Changjin-ŭp). Dominant peaks, such as the Funchilin Pass and the Toktong Pass, overlook the entire length of the road, making movement extremely vulnerable to attack.

Cold front plunges temperatures to −36 °F

Nov 14, 1950

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), creating brutal conditions for both sides.

Battle Events

Chinese surprise attack on US X Corps at Chosin

Nov 27, 1950

On 27 November 1950, the Chinese force surprised the US X Corps commanded by Major General Edward Almond in the Chosin Reservoir area, beginning one of the most famous battles of the Korean War.

Armored attempts to rescue RCT-31 stall at Hill 1221

Nov 28, 1950 - Nov 29, 1950

Only the 31st Tank Company tried to rescue RCT-31, by attacking Hill 1221 from Hudong-ni, but without infantry support, the two armored attacks on 28 and 29 November were stalled by slippery roads, rough terrain, and close infantry assaults.

Image source: Task Force Faith

Armored attempts to rescue RCT-31 stall at Hill 1221

Chinese 242nd Regiment moves toward Hill 1221

Nov 28, 1950

The Chinese also sent the 242nd Regiment of the 81st Division towards Hill 1221, an undefended hill that controlled the road between Sinhung-ni and Hudong-ni, threatening the American withdrawal route.

3/7 Marines ordered to capture Hills 1542 and 1419

Dec 1, 1950

To start the breakout, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines had to first attack south and capture Hills 1542 and 1419 in order to cover the road from Chinese attacks.

3/7 Marines engage PVA 175th Regiment at Hills 1542 and 1419

Dec 1, 1950

On the morning of 1 December, 3/7 Marines engaged the PVA 175th Regiment of the 59th Division at Hills 1542 and 1419 in fierce fighting during the breakout from Yudam-ni.

1/7 Marines try to break Chinese blockade at Hill 1419

Dec 1, 1950

At the same time on 1 December, 1/7 Marines also tried to break the Chinese blockade at Hill 1419 as part of the breakout effort.

Convoy approaches roadblock under Hill 1221

Dec 1, 1950

Slowly, the convoy of Task Force Faith approached a roadblock under Hill 1221 in the late afternoon, coming under devastating Chinese fire.

Attempts to clear Hill 1221 fail amid chaos

Dec 1, 1950

Several parties tried to clear Hill 1221, but after taking part of the hill, the leaderless soldiers continued out onto the frozen reservoir instead of returning to the column.

PVA 180th Regiment destroys bridges below Hill 1081

Dec 1950

The PVA 180th Regiment that occupied Hill 1081 blew up the original concrete bridge and two improvised replacements in succession, believing the bridge was rendered irreparable and blocking the Marine escape route south.

1st Battalion, 1st Marines captures Hill 1081

Dec 9, 1950

In response, the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines attacked Hill 1081 from the south, and the hill was captured on 9 December, though the defenders fought to the last man.

Legacy and Commemoration

17 Medals of Honor awarded over fourteen days

Dec 1950 - Jan 1951

Over the course of fourteen days, 17 Medals of Honor (Army and Navy) and 78 Service Cross Medals (Army and Navy) were awarded by the United States, the second most as of 2020 after the Battle of the Bulge.

Cohen: retreat from Chosin was a UN victory

Mar 1951

Cohen writes that the retreat from Chosin was a UN victory which inflicted such heavy losses on the PVA 9th Corps that it was put out of action until March 1951.

General Smith blocks Task Force Faith citation proposal

Feb 1952

General Smith blocked the Presidential Unit Citation when it was first proposed in 1952 for Task Force Faith's actions at Chosin, delaying recognition for decades.

Operation Glory exchanges the war dead of both sides

Jul 1954 - Nov 1954

Operation Glory took place from July to November 1954, during which the dead of each side were exchanged after the armistice.

Image source: Operation Glory

Operation Glory exchanges the war dead of both sides

Chosin Few Memorial dedicated in Forest Park, St. Louis

Jan 1989

In 1989, the Chosin Few Memorial was erected in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri, honoring veterans who survived the fighting at the Chosin Reservoir.

North Korea excavates and returns more than 208 sets of remains

1990 - 1994

From 1990 to 1994, North Korea excavated and returned more than 208 sets of remains, which possibly include 200 to 400 US servicemen, but very few have been identified due to the co-mingling of remains.

Task Force Faith awarded Presidential Unit Citation

Sep 1999

This was eventually recognized in September 1999 when, for its actions at Chosin, Task Force Faith was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, an award that General Smith blocked when first proposed in 1952.

Additional remains recovered from Chosin battle site

2001 - 2005

From 2001 to 2005, more remains were recovered from the Chosin Battle site, and around 220 were recovered near the Chinese border between 1996 and 2006 as recovery operations continued.

Mount Chosin Few named in Alaska

2012

Mount Chosin Few is a summit in the Chugach Mountains in the Chugach National Forest of Alaska, United States. The peak was named in 2012 by the United States Board on Geographic Names after local and state efforts to rename the peak.

Image source: Mount Chosin Few

Mount Chosin Few named in Alaska

Aftermath and Casualties

MacArthur requests atomic bombs for 'retardation targets'

Dec 24, 1950

On 24 December 1950, MacArthur submitted a list of 'retardation targets' in Korea, Manchuria and other parts of China, and requested 34 atomic bombs from Washington with the purpose of sowing a belt of radioactive cobalt to prevent further Chinese advances.

PVA/KPA recapture North Korea, pushing UN south of 38th parallel

Dec 31, 1950

By the end of 1950, PVA/KPA forces had recaptured North Korea and pushed UN forces back south of the 38th parallel.

Chinese order of battle reduced to 18 divisions

Dec 31, 1950

With the absence of the shattered 9th Corps, the Chinese order of battle in Korea was reduced to 18 infantry divisions by 31 December 1950, as opposed to the 30 infantry divisions present on 16 November 1950.

Marines rebuild in South Korea and fight at Wonju

Jan 1951 - Feb 28, 1951

The Marines evacuated from North Korea and spent January and most of February 1951 rebuilding in relatively secure South Korea, where they destroyed the well-respected but already weakened North Korean 10th Division in counter-guerrilla operations during the Second Battle of Wonju.

Image source: First and second battles of Wonju

Marines rebuild in South Korea and fight at Wonju

Heavy Chinese losses credited with UN foothold in Korea

Jan 1951

With the absence of 12 out of 30 of Chinese divisions in Korea in early 1951, Roe says that the heavy Chinese losses at Chosin enabled the UN forces to maintain a foothold in Korea.

Official PVA casualty figures published

Jan 1988

According to official estimates by the People's Liberation Army General Logistics Department published in 1988, the PVA 9th Corps suffered 21,366 combat casualties, including 7,304 killed.

Key Facts

  1. UN forces at Chosin were outnumbered roughly four-to-one, facing about 120,000 Chinese People's Volunteer Army troops with around 30,000 defenders.
  2. Temperatures dropped as low as -35°F (-37°C), causing thousands of frostbite casualties on both sides—often more than combat wounds.
  3. The 1st Marine Division conducted a famous 'fighting withdrawal' along the 78-mile road from the reservoir to Hungnam, destroying seven Chinese divisions' offensive capability.
  4. The breakout was aided by close air support, including cargo aircraft like the C-119 that airdropped a vital bridge section at Koto-ri.
  5. The battle forced the complete evacuation of X Corps by sea from Hungnam by December 24, 1950, ending UN hopes of conquering all of Korea.

Source

This Battle of Chosin Reservoir timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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