Baengma-goji battle Punchibeul battle Dosolsan battle Daewoosan battle Battle of Bloodshed Ridge Baekseoksan battle Gacheolbong battle Battle of Savage Ridge 949 heights battle Christmas battle Uijeongbu battle Chuncheon/ Hongcheon battle Ongjin battle Han River battle Donglakri battle Wharyeongjang battle Dabudong battle Ahngang/ Pohang battle Wonsan recapture operation Pyongyang recapture operation Chosan battle Unsan battle Jangjinho battle Wonju battle Hyunlee battle Beongkeogoji battle Geumseong battle Munsan battle Gangneung battle Miari battle Jungmiryeong battle Daejun battle Andong battle Kin-appointed military base operation Yeongcheon battle Seoul recapture operation Geumcheon battle Sukcheon/suncheon airborne operation Onjeongli battle Hyesanjin battle Heungnam withdrawal operation Jipyeongli battle Yongmunsan battle

Progress of the Warfare

Korea's 9th Division established its defense zone extending over the 10-kilometer area including Jangsong-dong, Baengma-goji and Hakdang-ri on September 22, 1952 and conducted a change of units within the Division, putting the 30th Regiment under Regimental Commander Im Ik-sun in charge of the left forefront and the 29th Regiment under Commander Kim Bongcheol in charge of the right fore-front; the 28th Regiment under Commander Lee Ju-il remained as reserve forces. Thus, the first battalion of the 30th Regiment was to bear the brunt of the main warfare at Baengma-goji. On October 3, our forces went on a full alert as they were tipped off by Red China's defecting lieutenant colonel that China's 340th Regiment, which had been trained in a special drill near Pyeongyang, were prepared to open a sluice of Bong-rae-ho Lake and assault Baengma-goji between October 4 and 6 and that the attack forces were complete with winter clothes which they would wear after the occupation. Division Commander Kim Jong-o, on October 4, received a support of 22 tanks from the 53rd Tank Squadron and the U.S. 73rd Tank Battalion's C Company. On October 6, upon a request by Division Commander Kim Jong-o, an intensive air raid was carried out upon several places around Baengma-goji where the enemy was anticipated to assemble. At 19:15, Red Chinese Army's 340th Regiment dispatched its main attack forces southwards along Yeokgokcheon Stream to engage the 10th company and its supporting forces to attack Nakta-neungseon (Camel Ridge) in an attempt to secure a break-through; they mounted a concerted assault for over one hour and succeeded in breaking open part of the 10th company. At 02:00 the following morning, four B-29 fighter bombers hurled 1,000 pounds of bombs on Hajinmyeong-dong and an assortment of 81 artillery guns (32 155-milimeter guns, 32 105-milimeter guns, 7 4.2-inch heavy mortars and 10 tank guns) sent intensive heavy blows; nevertheless, the enemy's breakthrough widened further. In the meanwhile, by the time when, at 05:00 on October 7, the 1st Battalion of the 28th Regiment retrieved the 10th company's breach, Nakta-neungseon had fallen in danger. A cumulative total of 48 warplanes showered 3,000 pounds of bombs on the enemy's artillery position. Soon after, the 3rd Battalion of the 30th Regiment launched a counterattack towards Nakta-neungseon, but, at 22:00, Baengma-goji ended up in the enemy's hands.

on October 8, it had to cede it after six hours; after the 3rd Battalion of the Regiment failed to counterattack at 17:00, it succeeded in winning it back in a joint attack with the 2nd Battalion of the 28th Regiment at 23:05. By making a recommendation to the Commander of the U.S. 9th Army Corps, Division Commander Kim Jong-o, in a move to reinforce his strength, had the Korean armed forces'51st Regiment reassigned to his division, replacing with it the 29th Regiment deployed on the right forefront and saving the latter for reserve. The enemy, too, who had suffered serious losses, changed its attack forces from the 340th Regiment to the 334th Regiment, and committed the 342nd Regiment for the assault on October 9. On October 10, the still fresh 29th Regiment made a counterattack and seized Baengma-goji and the 28th Regiment was immediately assigned to defend the right flank of the hill. The same day at 04:30, the enemy's 342nd Regiment recaptured the hill in an attack on Korea's 29th Regiment that had been defending the main peak; in two hours, though, the hill was seized back in an instant counterattack, to be lost again at 08:15. In the tiresome war of attrition, the allied forces relied on their overwhelming advantages in artillery support and close-range air support. At 08:00 on October 12, the 1st Battalion of the 30th Regiment struck out from the attack line. The 29th Regiment, which had mounted a counterattack four hours before the attack by the battalion, was being stalled just 40 meters from the enemy position. When no progress made in the two-hour attack, the 2nd Battalion was sent in on the right flank for a pincer movement. The 3rd company which was in the vanguard of the 1st Battalion was not making sufficient advances due to the resistant enemy's firings, the commander of the 1st company close behind the 3rd company was ordered to launch an overriding attack and succeeded in approaching the attack line. Baengma-goji was recaptured at 13:20, after a five-hour struggle. At 01:40 on October 13, under a close-range air cover by a cumulative total of 141 warplanes, the 28th Regiment was committed to Nakta-neungaseon, but the enemy's strong resistance forced it to withdraw to Baengma-goji six hours after the attack on the ridge had begun. The following day (October 14), the 29th Regiment executed another attack, and, at 10:40, the 22nd Battalion of the Regiment routed the enemy troops from Nakta-neungseon, thus seizing full control of Baengma-goji. During the 10-day warfare at Baengma-goji, Red China's Army, which had alternately sent in two divisions (six regiments), had to suffer a total of 14,332 casualties (8,234 identified deaths, 5,097 presumed deaths and 1,001 presumably injured persons) and 57 others were taken prisoner. Estimating the average strength of one Chinese division at 8,000, this loss of troops corresponds to the strength of two regiments. Furthermore, when the allied forces' long-range bombings and counter-bombings are taken into account, their losses would turn out to be higher. On the other hand, Korea's 9th Division netted a total of 3,422 casualties (505 dead, 2,562 injured and 391 missing), and the 1st Battalion of the 30th Regiment, which had taken charge of the early defense and finished off the last victorious attack, had to sustain a sacrifice of over four hundreds.