Battle of Kapyong

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The Battle of Kapyong was waged during the Korean War. The battle began on April 22 and lasted until April 25, 1951.

[edit] Legacy of the battle

To this day Kapyong stands as a model of consolidation, organized withdrawal under attack by superior force and courage and determination against superior numbers.^{[citation needed]} Three units were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (US) in recognition of the courage and fortitude displayed in the battle: two Commonwealth battalions, the 2nd Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR), and "A" Company of the 72nd Heavy Tank Battalion, United States Army.

[edit] The objective

The Chinese spring offensive began on the evening of 22 April 1951 with the objective of recapturing Seoul. The United Nations positions were initially overrun by the People's 118th Brigade of the People's Volunteer Army, which, with vast superiority in numbers, attacked on a broad front. The defense mounted by the 27th Commonwealth Brigade ultimately halted the advance on Seoul and thwarted the plan of the communist forces to recapture the city [1].

[edit] Opening of the battle

Under heavy pressure all along the front, the 6th Republic of Korea Division broke. A large number of South Koreans and Americans were forced to retreat in disarray through a gap in the line partly held by the Australians. The mission of the men of the 27th Commonwealth Brigade was to block the two approaches to Kapyong. In only a few hours, they managed to prepare defensive positions.

[edit] The main engagements

The Chinese onslaught, led by the 118th Chinese People's Volunteer Division, engaged the two forward battalions on the evening of 23 April. In the early part of the battle the 1st Battalion of the British Middlesex Regiment and the 16th Field Regiment of the Royal New Zealand Artillery were all but cut off. The forward positions, held by the 2nd Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) and the 3rd Battalion the Royal Australian Regiment, by force of arms permitted the 1st Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment to withdraw. It moved into place to provide a reserve. The 16th Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery, also managed to withdraw and combine with the 72nd Heavy Tank Battalion, United States Army. They provided close heavy gun support.

The initial Chinese attack at Kapyong engaged the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment on Hill 504. The Chinese then struck at the Canadian front. Wave after wave of massed Chinese troops kept up the attack throughout the night of 23 April. The Chinese had managed to infiltrate the brigade position by the morning of the 23rd. This resulted in Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry being completely surrounded. It had to be resupplied by air drops during this desperate time. By the evening of April 23 the Commonwealth 27th and 29th Brigades were facing the Chinese 118th Division. Throughout April 24 the battle was unrelenting. It devolved, on both fronts, into hand-to-hand combat with bayonet charges. This was some of the bloodiest and most ferocious hand-to-hand fighting of the Korean War.^{[citation needed]} The Australians, also facing encirclement, were ordered to make an orderly fall back to new defensive positions late in the day of April 24. The Canadians defended their position until eventually the Chinese assault collapsed. By the afternoon of 25 April the road through to the Canadians had been cleared of Chinese at which time the 2nd Battalion, PPCLI was relieved by units of the United States Army. The actions by the Australian and Canadian forces prevented a massive breakthrough that would certainly have resulted in the fall of Seoul.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] The face of the battle

Two incidents, one involving the Australians and one involving the Canadians, indicate the overwhelming situation in which they took a stand. After a night of fierce fighting an Australian major managed to get through on a radio phone to a general of the 1st U.S. Marine Division. The general was incredulous, thinking it was an enemy agent speaking. He told the major that the unit no longer existed, that it had been wiped out the night before. The major replied “I've got news for you, we are still here and we are staying here.”^{[citation needed]}

Captain Mills, in command of D Company, 2nd Bn, PPCLI, was forced to call down artillery fire on his own positions on Hill 677 several times during that night to avoid being overrun.

[edit] The aftermath of the battle

U.S. General James Van Fleet inspects members of 3 RAR after awarding a Presidential Unit Citation to the Battalion in December 1952

Despite their enormous advantage in numbers the Chinese troops had been badly outgunned. Their courage and tenacity could not overcome the well-trained, well-disciplined and well-armed Australians and Canadians.[2] In the end, the battlefield was a cluttered mass of corpses of the attackers, a silent testament to the ferocity of the fire that had rained down on them.

Australian losses were 31 killed, 59 wounded and 3 captured; Canadian losses were 10 killed and 23 wounded; New Zealanders had 2 killed and 5 wounded. The Chinese losses are estimated at over 1,000 killed and an unknown number of wounded.^{[citation needed]}

For their brilliant conduct of this engagement, Lieutenant-Colonel Bruce Ferguson of Australia and Lieutenant-Colonel James R. Stone of Canada were each awarded the Distinguished Service Order. For Stone, it was the second bar to the DSO he had first won at the Battle of Ortona in Italy in 1943.

The 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment were both awarded the United States Distinguished Unit Citation for their actions during the Battle of Kapyong.

[edit] Related Links

• Gapyeong Canada Monument