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 Sector ( ) , was a series of engagements between North Korean and United Nations ( UN ) forces during the Korean War . The battle took place from December 31 , 1950 to January 20 , 1951 around the South Korean town of Wonju . In coordination with the Chinese capture of Seoul on the western front , the North Korean People ' s Army attempted to capture Wonju in an effort to destabilize the UN defenses along the central and the eastern fronts . After a joint Chinese and North Korean assault breached the UN defenses at Chuncheon on New Year ' s Eve of 1951 , the North Korean V Corps attacked the US X Corps at Wonju while the North Korean II Corps harassed US X Corps ' rear by engaging in guerrilla warfare . In response , the US X Corps under the command of Major General Edward Almond managed to cripple the North Korean forces at Wonju , and the UN forces later carried out a number of anti - guerrilla operations against the North Korean infiltrators . In the aftermath of the battle , the North Korean forces on the central and the eastern fronts were decimated , allowing the UN front to be stabilized at the 37th parallel . Background . After launching a surprise invasion of South Korea in June 1950 , the North Korean People ' s Army ( KPA ) was shattered by the United Nations ( UN ) forces following the landing at Incheon in September 1950 , with the remnants of the KPA fleeing northward while seeking sanctuaries in the mountainous region along the Sino - Korean border . The destruction of the KPA prompted China to intervene in the Korean War , and Chinese forces launched a series of surprise attacks against the UN forces near the border during November 1950 . The resulting battles in the Ch ' ongch ' on River valley and at Chosin Reservoir forced the UN forces to retreat back to the 38th parallel by December 1950 . On the eastern front , the US X Corps was trapped at the port of Hungnam near the Chosin Reservoir during the surprise Chinese offensive , and was forced to evacuate North Korea by sea on December 24 , 1950 . In its absence , the Republic of Korea ( ROK ) Army was forced to take over the defenses of the central and the eastern fronts along the 38th parallel , including the important road junction of Wonju located near the central front . The sudden defeat of the UN forces offered the decimated KPA a brief respite , and the shattered North Korean forces soon rebuilt their strength at the end of 1950 . In the aftermath of the Chinese successes , China ' s Chairman Mao Zedong immediately ordered another offensive against the UN forces on the urging of North Korean Premier Kim Il - sung . The offensive , dubbed the " Third Phase Campaign " , was a border intrusion into South Korea that envisioned the total destruction of South Korean forces along the 38th parallel , and was aimed at pressuring the UN forces to withdraw from the Korean Peninsula . The western sector of the offensive was under the control of the Chinese People ' s Volunteer Army ( PVA ) 13th Army , and the 13th Army ' s action would later result in capture of Seoul on January 4 . With the PVA 9th Army decimated at the Chosin Reservoir , however , the eastern sector of the offensive was handed over to the rehabilitated KPA , under the overall command of Lieutenant General Kim Ung and Commissar Pak Il - u . On December 23 , 1950 , General Walton Walker , commander of the US Eighth Army , died in a traffic accident , and Lieutenant General Matthew B . Ridgway assumed command of the Eighth Army on December 26 , 1950 . Prelude . Locations , terrain and weather . The battle ' s main focus was around a road dubbed " Route 29 " , a strategically important line of communication to the UN forces in central Korea . Wonju was a critical crossroad village on Route 29 which ran north to south and connects Chuncheon on the 38th parallel with Daegu on the Pusan Perimeter . Another road , which ran from the northwest , connected Route 29 and the South Korean capital of Seoul at Wonju . Between Chuncheon and Wonju stood the town of Hoengseong , and from Wonju to Daegu were a series of towns such as Chechon , Tanyang , Punggi and Andong . The entire road network was situated within the rough hilly terrains of the Taebaek Mountain Range . The fighting around Wonju occurred during some of the worst Korean winter conditions , with temperatures as low as and snow as thick as on the ground . Indeed the weather was so cold that metal on artillery pieces would crack , while water could take an hour - and - a - half to boil . At times the cold weather alone was enough to stall all military activities , while frostbite caused more casualties than combat during the course of the battle . Forces and strategy . Just days before his death , Walker had tried to bolster the defences of the central and eastern sections of the 38th parallel by stretching the South Korean forces from Chuncheon to the Korean east coast . Following his instructions , the ROK III Corps was placed around Chuncheon while the ROK I Corps was deployed on the east coast . Meanwhile , the ROK II Corps , with its strength reduced to a single infantry division in the aftermath of the Ch ' ongch ' on River battle , filled the gap between the ROK I and III Corps . However with the absence of the US X Corps , the UN defenses on the central and eastern fronts were stretched thin , and there were gaps between the understrength South Korean units . Because the South Korean forces had suffered nearly 45 , 000 casualties by the end of 1950 , most of their units were composed of raw recruits with little training , and out of the four South Korean divisions that defended Chuncheon , only one was deemed battle worthy . Taking advantage of the situation , the North Korean forces had been probing the South Korean lines since mid - December , while thousands of North Korean guerrillas harassed the UN rear area from their mountain hideouts . On December 27 , 1950 , the KPA II Corps managed to move behind the UN defenses by mauling the ROK 9th Infantry Division on the ROK I Corps ' left flank at Hyon - ri . This development threatened to destabilize the entire UN eastern front . In order to defend against the North Korean penetration , Ridgway immediately ordered the US X Corps to reinforce the South Korean defenses . However , with most of the US X Corps still assembling at Pusan , the only unit that was available in the Eighth Army ' s reserve was the US 2nd Infantry Division , which was still recovering from its earlier losses in the Ch ' ongch ' on River valley . On December 28 , Ridgway ordered the US 2nd Infantry Division to defend Wonju while placing the division under US X Corps control . After the US 7th Infantry Division of the US X Corps finished reorganization on December 30 , Ridgway ordered Major General Edward Almond , commander of the US X Corps , to develop Route 29 as its main supply route , and the 7th Infantry Division was subsequently tasked with defending it . In coordination with the Chinese assaults against Seoul in the western sector of the Third Phase Campaign , the North Koreans deployed the KPA II , III and V Corps — an estimated total of 61 , 500 soldiers — against the UN forces on the central front . The North Korean plan was a frontal attack at Wonju by Major General Pang Ho San ' s KPA V Corps , while Major General Ch ' oe Hyon ' s KPA II Corps would infiltrate the US X Corps rear as guerrillas and block Route 29 . The aim of the offensive was to push the US X Corps back in concert with the Chinese attacks on Seoul , thereby isolating the South Korean forces in the Taebaek Mountains . As part of the Chinese attacks against Seoul , the Chinese 42nd and 66th Corps were deployed near Chuncheon in support of the KPA V Corps during the opening phase of the battle . Meanwhile the KPA III Corps would act as reinforcements for the KPA II and V Corps . However , like the South Koreans they were facing , the North Korean forces were also badly depleted and understrength . Although the North Koreans fielded more than 10 infantry divisions for the battle , most were only equivalent in strength to an infantry regiment . In contrast with the professional mechanized army that had existed at the start of the Korean War , the newly rebuilt North Korean formations were poorly trained and armed . Nevertheless , the start date of the Third Phase Campaign was set for New Year ' s Eve in order to take advantage of the full moon and the low alertness of the UN soldiers during the holiday . First Battle of Wonju . Opening moves . On the central front , the ROK III Corps defended the 38th parallel north of Gapyeong ( Kapyong ) and Chuncheon . Composed of the ROK 2nd , 5th , 7th and 8th Infantry Divisions , the ROK III Corps placed the ROK 2nd Infantry Division on the corps ' left flank in the hills north of Gapyeong , while the ROK 5th Infantry Division defended the corps ' center at Chuncheon . The winter conditions created great difficulties for the South Korean defenders , with the heavy snow hindering construction and icy roads limiting food and ammunition resupply . North Korean guerrillas were also active in the region , and caused serious disruption in the rear of the ROK III Corps . As part of the Chinese plan to capture Seoul , the PVA 42nd and the 66th Corps were tasked with protecting the Chinese left flank by eliminating the ROK 2nd and 5th Infantry Divisions , while cutting the road between Chuncheon and Seoul . Following instructions , the two Chinese corps struck quickly after midnight on New Year ' s Eve . The PVA 124th Division first penetrated the flanks of the ROK 2nd Infantry Division , then blocked the division ' s withdrawal route . The trapped ROK 17th and 32nd Regiments of the ROK 2nd Infantry Division were then forced to retreat in disarray . With the PVA 66th Corps pressuring the ROK 5th Infantry Division ' s front , the PVA 124th Division then advanced eastward in the South Korean rear and blocked the ROK 5th Infantry Division ' s retreat route as well . The maneuver soon left the ROK 36th Regiment of the ROK 5th Infantry Division surrounded by Chinese , and the ROK 36th Regiment had to escape by infiltrating the Chinese lines using mountain trails . By January 1 , the ROK III Corps was in full retreat , while the corps ' headquarters had lost contact with the 2nd and 5th Infantry Divisions . Responding to the crisis on the central front , the ROK III Corps sector ' s defense was handed over the US X Corps . While the Chinese were making a concentrated attack against the South Korean front , the North Korean forces that had infiltrated the UN rear were cutting the South Korean withdrawal route . In the days before the Chinese Third Phase Campaign , the KPA II Corps established a major roadblock to the north of Hoengsong with an estimated strength of 10 , 000 soldiers , which blocked the retreat of the ROK III Corps . In response , the ROK II Corps and the US 2nd Infantry Division conducted a siege operation against the roadblock from both the north and the south , and the roadblock was forced open by January 2 . Although the UN forces managed to eliminate a North Korean division at the roadblock , the ROK II Corps was nearly destroyed during the fighting , and it was disbanded on January 10 . The success of the initial Chinese and North Korean attacks forced the ROK I Corps to abandon its attempts to restore its original defensive position at Hyon - ri , and a large number of North Korean forces soon streamed into the gap between the US 2nd Infantry Division at Wonju and the ROK I Corps on the east coast . Ridgway interpreted the Sino - Korean attack on the central front as an attempt to surround the UN defenders at Seoul , and he immediately ordered their evacuation on January 3 . On January 5 , Ridgway ordered all UN forces to withdraw to the 37th parallel to set up a new defensive line , dubbed " Line D " , with the UN forces on central and eastern fronts setting up defenses between Wonju and the coastal city of Jumunjin ( Chumunjin ) . At the same time , the Chinese troops halted their offensive operations with the KPA II and V Corps relieving the PVA 42nd and 66th Corps . Wonju falls . In the aftermath of the South Korean collapse , the KPA V Corps proceeded to launch frontal attacks against US X Corps while the KPA II Corps infiltrated the UN rear through the area to the east of Wonju . The US 2nd Infantry Division ' s position had now become an exposed northern salient , and its defenses were further hampered by the flat terrain surrounding Wonju . However , given the strategic importance of Wonju in controlling central Korea , Ridgway declared that the village was " only second to Seoul " in importance , and therefore must be defended at all cost . In accordance with Ridgway ' s instructions , Almond ordered the US 2nd Infantry Division to defend the hills north of Wonju , yet Major General Robert B . McClure of the US 2nd Infantry Division believed that the salient was untenable due to the terrain and the low morale of his division . On January 7 , two infantry battalion s from the KPA V Corps launched an attack against the US 2nd Infantry Division . One North Korean battalion managed to infiltrate the American positions disguised as refugees while another battalion launched a frontal assault . Yet the weak attack was soon repulsed due to the lack of coordination between the North Korean units , and about 114 infiltrators were later captured . Although the North Korean attack inflicted little damage on the Americans , the disruption caused by infiltrators in US 2nd Infantry Division ' s rear convinced McClure to abandon Wonju on January 7 . Almond concurred with McClure ' s decision on the condition that the US 2nd Infantry Division would only retreat so that Wonju could be controlled by UN artillery fire . Regardless , McClure ordered the division to retreat more than south , putting the village out of artillery range . With Wonju under North Korean control , the Chinese declared that the Third Phase Campaign had reached a successful conclusion . Second Battle of Wonju . Hill 247 . Hill 247 was located among the hill mass south of Wonju , and was a critical height that commanded the streets of Wonju . With the loss of Wonju on January 7 , Almond was furious at McClure for disobeying the order to hold it , and this later resulted in Major General Clark Ruffner replacing McClure on January 13 . On January 8 , Almond ordered the US 2nd Infantry Division to retake Wonju . Following his orders , the US 23rd Infantry Regiment , under the command of Colonel Paul L . Freeman , attacked towards Wonju on January 8 . The 23rd Infantry Regiment managed to reach within at the south of Wonju and caught a sleeping North Korea regiment by surprise at Hill 247 . About 200 North Korean soldiers were killed in the ensuing battle , however the alerted North Korean forces soon counterattacked by outflanking the 23rd Infantry Regiment to the east , and the 23rd Infantry Regiment was forced to retreat to avoid encirclement . Encouraged by the heavy North Korean losses during the initial UN attacks , Almond again ordered the US 2nd Infantry Division to recapture Wonju on January 9 . About four infantry battalions from the US 23rd and 38th Infantry Regiment supported by French and Dutch troops advanced toward Wonju on January 9 , yet the attack was stalled at Hill 247 due to the cold weather and the lack of air support . As the UN forces tried to dislodge the North Koreans the next day , they were met by six defending North Korean battalions with an estimated strength of 7 , 000 soldiers . Under a heavy snowstorm and with no air support , the battle for Hill 247 continued for most of January 10 , and the fighting around the French Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment became particularly fierce . At one point , the French Battalion was forced to fend off several North Korean counterattacks with bayonet charges after running out of ammunition . The French Battalion ' s action at Wonju impressed Ridgway , who later encouraged all American units in Korea to utilize bayonets in battle . The North Koreans tried to encircle the attacking UN forces as the latter began to gain the upper hand , however artillery fire broke up the North Korean formations , and they had suffered an estimated 2 , 000 casualties in the aftermath of the battle . When air support returned on January 11 , the attacking UN forces inflicted another 1 , 100 North Korean casualties and captured Hill 247 by January 12 . Although the cold weather and the stubborn North Korean defenses prevented the UN forces from entering Wonju , the capture of Hill 247 had put all of Wonju within UN artillery range , and the village soon became a no man ' s land under the devastating bombardment . Anti - guerrilla operations . Although the capture of Hill 247 had forced the KPA V Corps to abandon Wonju with heavy losses on January 17 , the KPA II Corps ' infiltration in the UN rear area had become so serious that it threatened to outflank the entire UN front and force a complete evacuation of Korea by mid - January . With the bulk of the US X Corps tied up to the south of Wonju while the ROK III Corps was in disarray , the front between Wonju and the east coast was undefended , and about 16 , 000 North Korean soldiers entered the gap while establishing guerrilla bases from Tanyang to Andong . The battles along the central front soon degenerated into irregular warfare between company - sized UN patrols and North Korean guerrilla bands . In an effort to stabilize the front , Ridgway ordered the US 2nd Infantry Division to withdraw from Wonju while pulling the central and eastern fronts back to the area between Wonju and Samch ' ok , and this resulted in another retreat . Ridgway also sent the US 187th Regimental Combat Team , the US 5th Cavalry Regiment , the US 1st Marine Division and the Greek Battalion to contain North Korean guerrillas east of Route 29 and north of Andong and Yeongdeok . About 30 , 000 American infantry were deployed to the central front by mid - January , and the North Korean guerrillas were blocked in a narrow salient along the hills at the east of Route 29 . To eliminate the North Korean threat in the UN rear , Almond ordered all X Corps units on Route 29 to launch aggressive patrols to destroy the North Korean supply bases and guerrilla bands . Specially trained irregular forces , such as X Corps ' Special Action Group , also hunted North Korean units by operating as guerrillas themselves . The constant UN pressure slowly depleted the ammunition and the manpower of the KPA II Corps , while Major General Yu Jai Hung rallied the ROK III Corps and sealed the gap between Wonju and the east coast by January 22 . On January 20 , a patrol carried out by the US 9th Infantry Regiment of the US 2nd Infantry Division managed to reoccupy Wonju without much resistance . Lacking reinforcements and supplies , the KPA II Corps was scattered by the end of January , and only 8 , 600 soldiers from the KPA II Corps managed to survive and retreat back to North Korea . The KPA 10th Division , vanguard of the KPA II Corps , was also annihilated during the UN anti - guerrilla operations . Aftermath . By the end of January , the KPA II Corps was decimated during its guerrilla operations , and its estimated strength was reduced from 16 , 000 to 8 , 000 . The KPA V Corps ' attempt to capture Wonju had also resulted in crippling casualties , and its estimated strength was reduced from 32 , 000 to 22 , 000 by the end of January . In contrast , the UN losses were relatively moderate during the same period . The defeat of the North Korean army enabled the UN forces to consolidate their positions along the Korean central and eastern front , and the retreating US Eighth Army on the Korean western front could finally return to the offensive after its rear and eastern flank were secured . As soon as the US X Corps regained full control of the central front at the end of January , Ridgway immediately ordered the US Eighth Army to launch Operation Thunderbolt against Chinese and North Korean forces on January 25 , 1951 .