Battle of the Twin Tunnels
Encyclopedia
The Battle of the Twin Tunnels took place during the Korean War
. In which the 1st Battalion 23rd Infantry Regiment 3rd Brigade Combat Team 2nd Infantry Division and elements of the 21st Infantry Regiment 24th Infantry Division inflicted heavy casualties for the People's Volunteer Army
.
The "Twin Tunnels" refer to a series of railroad tunnels at 37°26′35"N 127°40′21"E along the Central Line in eastern Jije-myeon, Yangpyeong County
, Gyeonggi-do
Province, South Korea
.
A series of battles, including Twin Tunnels, the Battle of Chipyong-ni
, and the Battle of Wonju
between January and February 1951 marked a turning point in many ways for the entire Korea War. Importantly, these battles (especially Chipyong-ni on February 13–14, 1951) shaped the tactics that would replay throughout both Korea and Vietnam whereby well equipped isolated firebases, in communication by air and radio with regional divisional forces, held out against numerically superior light infantry formations. Eventually such tactics turned around the UN's disastrous retreat from the north into a stalemate that led to an Armistice two years later relatively close to the site of these important battles.
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. In which the 1st Battalion 23rd Infantry Regiment 3rd Brigade Combat Team 2nd Infantry Division and elements of the 21st Infantry Regiment 24th Infantry Division inflicted heavy casualties for the People's Volunteer Army
People's Volunteer Army
The Chinese People's Volunteer Army was the armed forces deployed by the People's Republic of China during the Korean War. Although all units in the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army belonged to the People's Liberation Army , the People's Volunteer Army was separately constituted in order to...
.
The "Twin Tunnels" refer to a series of railroad tunnels at 37°26′35"N 127°40′21"E along the Central Line in eastern Jije-myeon, Yangpyeong County
Yangpyeong County
Yangpyeong County is a county in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.- Korean War :Yangpyeong includes the village of Jipyeong, which was a Korean War battle site.-External links:*...
, Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946...
Province, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
A series of battles, including Twin Tunnels, the Battle of Chipyong-ni
Battle of Chipyong-ni
The Battle of Chipyong-ni , also known as the Battle of Dipingli , was a decisive battle of the Korean War, and it took place from 13–15 February 1951 between members of the 23rd Infantry Regiment and various units of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army . It took place in the village of...
, and the Battle of Wonju
First and Second Battles of Wonju
The First and Second Battles of Wonju , also known as the Wonju Campaign or the Third Phase Campaign Eastern SectorThe Western Sector is the Third Battle of Seoul. , was a series of engagements between North Korean and United Nations forces during the Korean War. The battle took place from...
between January and February 1951 marked a turning point in many ways for the entire Korea War. Importantly, these battles (especially Chipyong-ni on February 13–14, 1951) shaped the tactics that would replay throughout both Korea and Vietnam whereby well equipped isolated firebases, in communication by air and radio with regional divisional forces, held out against numerically superior light infantry formations. Eventually such tactics turned around the UN's disastrous retreat from the north into a stalemate that led to an Armistice two years later relatively close to the site of these important battles.
External links
- The 2nd Infantry Division in Korea: Wonju and Twin Tunnels
- Combat Actions in Korea, Chapter 7: Twin Tunnels Patrol Ambush
- Map: Chipyong-ni, 13–14 February 1951 from Billy C. Mossman, Ebb and Flow: November 1950 – July 1951 (Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, 1990)
- Commanders
