Battle of Kapyong

The Battle of Kapyong was a military engagement of the Korean War. It was fought between the British 27th Brigade and the Chinese 118th Infantry Division, from April 22 to April 25, 1951. It took place in the Kapyong Valley, in northern South Korea, only a couple of miles from the 38th parallel.

Led by the United States Eighth Army, UN forces had launched a powerful offensive in February 1951, liberating Seoul by March 15, which had fallen to the North Korean army the year before. As they pushed their enemy northward, they approached the 38th parallel, which was the established border between North Korea, under a Communist regime, and South Korea, under a UN-recognized democratic government.

Summary

The Battle of Kapyong began with a massive Communist counter-offensive launched on April 22. The aim of this fierce onslaught was to destroy the US I and IX Corps and recover the lost ground. The Chinese 118th Infantry Division attacked the 27th Brigade positions on the morning of April 22. The Communist assault was ferocious, punching holes in the UN forces lines as they overran South Korean defenses.

On April 23, the Australian 3rd Battalion (3RAR) and the Canadian 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry bore the brunt of the offensive. However, after two days of fierce fighting, the Australians and Canadians had managed to hold off the Chinese attack, even though they were heavily outnumbered, permanently keeping their positions. Thus, the fall of Seoul to the Chinese had been prevented by the Australian and Canadian troops, who had fought fiercely and with determination.

Below, Chinese infantry unit attacking at night during the Battle of Kapyong. Infiltration in the dark was their main tactic.