Battle of Bloody Ridge

The Battle of Bloody Ridge was a military engagement fought between the United Nation forces and the communist army of North Korea, from August 18 to September 5, 1951, in Gangwon province, about 10 miles north of the 38th parallel, during the Korean War. The UN forces were composed of the US 2nd Infantry Division (8th Army), under the command of General Ruffner, and South Korean troops. 

Summary 

On the morning of August 18, 1951, the 36th Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division launched an assault on one of the peaks of Bloody Ridge to destroy enemy observation posts, from which the enemy had been directed artillery fire on UN positions.

On August 23, after several frontal attack, the US regiment managed to take the ridge, which would later be called “bloody ridge”. However, they could not secure it as they had to fall back after a vicious North Korean counter-attack.

On August 28, the 9th Regiment (2nd Division) launched another attack on Bloody Ridge; thus, the ferocious fighting between the US infantry and the communists continued for another week.

On September 5, the US 2nd Division troops finally captured the three hills that made up “Bloody Ridge”. The North Korean troops had fled, leaving behind their weapons, and wounded and dead soldiers.

Below, an M-26 Pershing tank provides fire support to US troops fighting against the communist troops on top of on one of the peaks of Bloody Ridge