Battle of Pork Chop Hill

The Battle of Pork Chop Hill was a long and vicious military engagement fought between the UN forces, under James van Fleet, and Chinese communist troops during the Korean War. It took place from March to July, 1953, in Cheorwon, in the northeast corner of South Korea. It was a long battle of attrition, which cost both sides the lives of thousands of men, with waves of attacks and counteroffensives. However, it was a Chinese victory.

Pork Chop Hill was a 990ft-high ridge, which had been recaptured for the United Nations by the US Army 180th Infantry Regiment in May 1952. The hill was defended by elements of the US 7th Infantry Division, when the Chinese 423rd Regiment launched an attack on the American positions on the morning of March 23, 1953, overrunning and taking a UN outpost. The next day, after savage fighting, most of the ridge summit fell to the Chinese. However, US infantry units counter-attacked and regained the lost positions.

As the Battle of Pork Chop Hill raged on, with particularly intense fighting taking place in April, the hill changed hands several times. Nevertheless, on July 6, Chinese infantry units charged up the hill again during a night attack, overwhelming and permanently capturing the UN positions on top on July 10, after four days of vicious attacks and counter-attacks.

Below, US Army 105-mm howitzers providing fire support to the UN infantry units fighting for Pork Chop Hill.