Sun Tzu, the great Chinese general and philosopher once wrote, “All warfare is based on deception.” The United States’ innate ability to conduct glorious amphibious assaults from the sea is no better represented than during Operation Chromite, also referred to as the Battle of Inchon. During the Korean War, on September 15, 1950, U.S. and allied forces led by General MacArthur, inflicted a surprise attack on the North Korean-controlled harbor of Inchon. This operation was so successful, that it propelled Allied forces into North Korean territory, turning the tide of war in favor of allied forces. The success of the operation is attributed to the surprise inflicted upon the North Koreans accompanied by the use of deception by allied forces through …show more content…
The landing at Inchon (Operation Chromite) took place during the Korean War soon after the North Korean Army invaded past the 38th parallel that separated North Korean and South Korean territory. The North Koreans, after their swift invasion, captured the political epicenter of South Korea, Seoul. In order to place troops back into Korea and retake Seoul, General MacArthur of the U.S. forces decided to land at the port of Inchon, which was only 20 miles away from Seoul. This port city would allow MacArthur to tactfully place U.S. and allied forces into Korea and capture the nearby Kimpo airfield to sustain future operations. Likewise, this northern reinsertion would split North Korean forces in half ruining their logistical capability to support forces south, allowing for a simpler re-acquisition of the south. This amphibious assault proved to be tricky. With large tidal variations of the ocean and the region containing coastal defenses, nobody except MacArthur believed this plan would …show more content…
forces intended to land. If the U.S. did not surprise the enemy, U.S. troops would most certainly meet heavy entrenchments and coastal defense. As discussed earlier, enemies tend to know a counteroffensive will take place; however, if you can convince the enemy of a false location, they will be unprepared for the actual assault. The beach of Kunsan seemed like the perfect place to attack the North Koreans; Kunsan was much easier to access, and there were fewer North Korean forces at the time. Nevertheless, MacArthur knew that a shocking assault at Inchon could end the war, while a landing at Kunsan would lead to a long and harsh winter campaign. To achieve the maximum amount of trickery, MacArthur created a deception campaign, misguiding the North Koreans into thinking he would land in Kunsan, which was 105 miles south of Inchon. Nine days before the amphibious assault, bombings began taking place on roads and bridges to isolate Kusan, preventing North Korean reinforcements to the area. Moreover, South Korean soldiers raided enemy positions along the west coast to create further chaos amongst North Korean
The United States vows to protect the democratic South Korea. American forces defend South Korea but are almost pushed on the peninsula . Douglas Mccarthur is in charge of the American forces. He stages an impressive counter attack that pushes the North Koreans all the way back to China. This is when China enters the warand pushes American forces back to the 38Th parallel. In 1953 , the war ended In a stalemate. (document C)
Germany knew that an allied invasion of France was imminent. For months, allied spies and intelligence sought to leverage the knowledge gained through the invasion of Sicily and against weaknesses in the German defense of France. General Eisenhower knew that an attack on the coast would not be sufficient to invade because Germany had reserve troops and escape routes. The 101st Airborne division’s task was to seize four causeway exits because it was expected that VII Corps would have difficulty moving inland. The 101st and the 82nd were to jump in 5 hours before the landings on Omaha and Utah beach. The Pathfinders mission was crafted thr...
The Korean War began when the North Koreans invaded South Korea across the 38th parallel on June 25, 1950. The North Korean forces fought their way to Pusan at the southern edge of the Korean peninsula. With the North Koreans controlling most of the peninsula, General Douglas MacArthur landed an amphibious assault at Inchon on September 15, 1950 and wrested control of South Korea from North Korean forces. After MacArthur’s forces marched to the northern border of Korea, China entered the war. After a major Chinese attack and a major American counter attack, the front of the war had a new stage, the Chosin Reservoir (Henretta, Edwards & Self 768).
Introduction The Battle of the Chosin Reservoir was a pivotal battle in the Korean War. The battle was a brutal 17 day fight in bitterly cold weather fought from 27 November to 13 December 1950. [1] During the battle the United States X Corps was attacked by the Chinese 9th Army in the vicinity of the Chosin reservoir. The Chinese forces quickly surrounded the US troops and forced them to fight a retrograde attack in order to fight their way out to friendly lines to the south. Due to poor Chinese intelligence on UN forces and logistical shortcomings the UN forces were able to evade total annihilation and were able to retreat to safety with the majority of their men and equipment intact.
The Korean War , although successful in preventing the spread of communism, was one of the first tests of communism in Asia. North Korea was strictly communist while South Korea was democratic. As usual, the United States supported democratic South Korea and the Truman Doctrine was applied to the Korean situation. The North Korean forces crossed the dividing line (38th parallel) and invaded South Korea. Thus, they provoked a war over communism. With the possibility of democratic South Korea falling to the communistic North, the U.S. stepped in and supplied aid mostly through troops. The U.S. then urged the United Nations to support South Korea and fight against the communist North. Once the North Korean forces were defeated at Inchon, they eventually got pushed back to the 38th parallel. However, against President Truman’s word, American General MacArthur decided to keep pushing back the North Korean forces by crossing the dividing line. This caused more trouble because the People’s Republic of China (Communist China) now sent troops to aid the communists against the pro...
Amid the snow-covered hills in the tiny village of Chipyong-Ni, Korea, a battle ridden 23rd Regimental Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division made a decisive stand from February 13-15, 1951 that would lead to the first operational win against a much stronger and larger force. In what some considered being the Gettysburg of the Korean War, the Battle of Chipyong-Ni was a bitterly contested engagement between the X Corp, 23rd Regimental Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, under the command of COL. Paul Freeman the North Korean People’s Army and the Chinese Communist Forces’ (CCF). This analysis will demonstrate that COL Paul Freemans’ ability to properly use mission command ultimately led to the first operational defeat of the enemy since the Korean War had started.
On December 7th 1941, Japanese Planes and submarines attacked the United States Naval base at Pearl Harbor. This event singlehandedly brought the U.S from its then neutral stance in World War Two to a fighting member of the “Allied Powers.” Pearl Harbor was the first of a long series of confrontations between the U.S and the Japanese in an effort to gain control of the Pacific. Unlike the “War in Europe” the Pacific strategy was dominated by naval and aerial battles, with the occasional land-based “Island Hopping” Campaign. As such, one of the most important factors in the war in the pacific was Fleet Size, the more ships a country could send to war, the better. Pearl Harbor was the Japanese’s way of trying to deal with the massive U.S Pacific fleet. However, Pearl Harbor was not the turning point of the war. After December 7th the United States began work on numerous technological developments which would ultimately help them in one of the most important battles of WWII, the largest naval confrontation of the war, The Battle of Midway. The battle, which took place from June 4th to June 7th , 1942 is widely considered the turning point of the Pacific Theater (James & Wells). Through the Post-Pearl Harbor desire for “Revenge” and various technological advantages including code breaking and radar, the U.S were able to outsmart the Japanese at Midway and ultimately win the battle, eventually leading to a victory in the Pacific.
Admiral Nimitz in charge of planning the whole operation decided on the strategy to ‘soften’ up the beaches and then proceed to quickly invade and take over the airfields necessary for the victory of Okinawa and the invasion of Japan. He would also use the fleet to cut sea lanes limiting Japan’s mobility of forces. The Japanese strategy on the other hand, was to consolidate and fortify their position south of the Island and conserve as much of their force as possible so that by the time the weakened Americans arrived, they would easily be defeated. Colonel Yahara, a senior Japanese officer, best describes Japan’s position, “Japan was frantically preparing for a final decisive battle on the home islands, leaving Okin...
June 25, 1950 marked the day in which fighting between the North Koreans and South Koreans started. 135,000 North Korean troops crossed the border into South Korea while others attacked by sea. In several hours North Korea had successfully detained the South Korean city of Kaesong and in the next couple hours South Korea’s capital, Seoul, was under attack. Things were not looking good for Korea.
Later North Korea crossed the 38th parallel and entered South Korea. The United States responded by telling the United Nations to help South Korea. The United Nations did and they pushed North Korea so far back they hit the northern tip of China. China went into the war to protect its borders. At the end of the war, they went back to where they were in the beginning.
The Art of War is a treatise written in Ancient China that discusses the most and least effective military strategies for successful warfare according to Sun Tzu, a military general whose existence is still debated to this day. While not every military commander in the history of warfare has read it, the strategies provided can be used as a way to assess said commanders and the effectiveness of their campaigns. In Sun Tzu 's own words, “The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer: let such a one be retained in command! The general that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it, will suffer defeat:--let such a one be dismissed!”1 This paper will discuss various iconic battles throughout history and how closely the leading commanders of each army followed the advice of Sun Tzu. Despite the fact that Sun Tzu lived hundreds of years before many of these battles took place, the
The U.S. carried through all of the vital actions necessary with much intelligence. They practiced the tactics in The Art of War by Sun Tzu, furthering the probability of their success. With the Japanese's lack of executing their plans with efficiency and their failure to follow those guidelines that Sun Tzu had set, there was much disappointment from the unsuccessful attempts to defeat the U.S. Navy. The Battle of Midway was a very decisive battle in World War II, as it stopped the Japanese advances in the Pacific and prevented further expansion. American forces had conquered the invincible Japanese Navy.
Samuel B. Griffith’s translation of “Sun Tzu: The Art of War” is an inside look at military practices of today. I did not find one technique that is not or would not be utilized in modern military maneuver, leadership, or training. The most astounding fact is that the Art of War was written well over two thousand years ago, even at the most conservative date. Although most of the techniques in this text are already in practice today, the value of “The Art of War” is a never-ending treasure chest of knowledge, and it deserves a place as a required reading for anyone seeking knowledge about war fighting or the history of war.
Throughout history the United States has fought in many wars. Whether the fighting took place in Europe such as WWI or in our own land like the civil war. The one war many people seem to forget is the Korean War. The Korean War also known as the “forgotten war” was a war between North Korea, South Korea and the US together with the South Koreans to help. The Korean War was fought on sea, land, and in the air over and near the Korean peninsula (Brown, p.2). On June 25, 1950, the North Koreans rumbled across the thirty-eighth parallel. The invasion was successful because the south was not expecting or even prepare for a war. The invasion was so successful that they pushed the south to a tiny defensive area around Pusan. That’s when President Truman steps in real quick to halt the invasion of the North Koreans. Truman ordered American armed forces under General Douglas MacArthur to support South Korea. The Korean War was a clash between Communist forces and Free World (Brown, p.2).
...h Korea, was a battle that had no real outcome. Lives were lost and buildings were destroyed but there was no resolution that had settled the ongoing tension between both nations. The Battle of Incheon and the Battle of the Kapyong were two significant battles that turned the tide of the war towards one direction, through strategic fighting and with the help of allied countries that involved the United Nations, China and the Soviet Union. Many lives were affected as a result of this battle and it also was a vital advancement for the United Nations as the War allowed them to prosper. Despite the fact that the pressure between South and North Korea had not yet settled, both nations had learnt a great dealt from the War. Coming to understand the war fully, it is vital that we view the events both prior and after the war so that the War itself can be viewed as a whole.