Operation Polecharge was an offensive undertaken by United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

 (UN) forces during the Korean War

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...

 between 15–19 October 1951, following on from the successful Operation Commando

Operation Commando

Operation Commando was an offensive undertaken by UN forces during the Korean War between 2–5 October 1951. The U.S. I Corps seized the Jamestown Line, destroying elements of the 42nd, 47th, 64th and 65th Chinese Armies. This prevented the Communist forces from interdicting the U.N...

 which established the Jamestown Line

Jamestown Line

The Jamestown Line was a series of defensive positions occupied by United Nations forces in the Korean War. Following the end of the 1951 Chinese Spring Offensive the war largely became one of attrition and trench warfare, fought along static defensive lines reminiscent of the First World War...

.

Background

Operation Commando involved five UN divisions of I Corps, including the US 1st Cavalry Division, the US 3rd and 25th Infantry Divisions, the South Korean 1st Division

1st Infantry Division (South Korea)

The 1st Infantry Division is a military formation of the Republic of Korea Army's I Corps. The division was established on 12 May 1945 under the command of Colonel Suk-won Kim. It is based around three infantry regiments:The division was the first units of the ROK Army to be attacked by the North...

, and the 1st Commonwealth Division

1st Commonwealth Division

The 1st Commonwealth Division was the name given, after July 1951, to Commonwealth land forces in the Korean War. The division was a multinational unit that was part of British Commonwealth Forces Korea, and whilst British and Canadian Army units formed the bulk of the division, Australian...

. Operation Commando was intended to form a line of defense just north of the 38th parallel

38th parallel north

The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean...

 and ended on 15 October 1951, having successfully established the Jamestown Line

Jamestown Line

The Jamestown Line was a series of defensive positions occupied by United Nations forces in the Korean War. Following the end of the 1951 Chinese Spring Offensive the war largely became one of attrition and trench warfare, fought along static defensive lines reminiscent of the First World War...

. However, a few hills south of the line remained in Chinese hands and threatened supply lines to Seoul

Seoul

Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

. Operation Polecharge was intended to seize control of these high positions.

Operation Polecharge

The Fifth Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division, together with a Belgian battalion attached to the 3rd Infantry Division, was tasked with the capture of Hills 346, 272 and 230. The Eighth Cavalry Regiment would provide support if required.

The operation began on 15 October with the seizure of Hill 346 by the Fifth Cavalry. On 18 October Hill 230 was captured after initial attacks, supported by the Eighth Cavalry, were strongly rebuffed. Hill 272 was also strongly defended by the Chinese but fell to UN forces on 19 October, marking the successful conclusion of Operation Polecharge.

During Operations Commando and Polecharge, the UN forces inflicted heavy losses on the Chinese forces, in order of 16,000 men, and forced the Chinese to retreat north to their next line of defence, Yokkok-chon. The 1st Cavalry Division had suffered 2,900 casualties, including losses incurred during Operation Commando, and was withdrawn to Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 the following month.

Aftermath

Operation Polecharge saw the Jamestown line secure as well as the elimination of the threat posed by the Chinese forces to the UN's supply lines to Seoul. The conclusion of Operations Commando and Polecharge also marked the beginning of the static phase of the Korean War as well as the resumption of armistice negotiations at Panmunjom.

Sources

• Blair, Clay (1987) The Forgotten War: America in Korea 1950–1953. Times Books
• Edwards, Paul M. (2006) Korean War Alamanac. Facts on File.
• Edwards, Paul M. (2009) Combat Operations of the Korean War: Ground, Air, Sea, Special and Covert. McFarland.
• Edwards, Paul M. (2010) Historical Dictionary of the Korean War. Scarecrow Press.
• Korea Institute of Military History (2001) The Korean War (Vol. 3). Bison Books
• Malkasian, Carter (2001) The Korean War 1950–1953. Osprey Publishing