Marines at the Chosin (Changjin) Reservoir

In late October, the 1st Marine Division landed at Wonsan and spread out to secure the approaches to the port city. The division was then ordered to advance northwest of Hungnam along a mountain road to the Chosin (Changjin) Reservoir, the site of an important hydroelectric plant. The Marines would then advance to the Yalu River — the border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China.


Despite intelligence in early November that Chinese communist forces had massed on the Korean side of the Yalu, the 1st Marine Division was ordered to continue its progress northwest from Hungnam to the Chosin Reservoir. The brief autumn weather was almost over, and temperatures were turning bitterly cold. On Nov. 27, elements of the Chinese Communist People's Liberation Army struck Marine positions in force. In a carefully-planned counterstroke, eight Chinese divisions charged down from surrounding mountains with the sole mission of destroying the 1st Marine Division.


Over the next four weeks, the Chinese and Marine Corps forces engaged in some of the fiercest fighting of the Korean War. In an epic movement, the 1st Marine Division completed a successful fighting withdrawal through 78 miles of mountain road in northeast Korea. The fighting withdrawal ended in mid-December with the amphibious evacuation of the Marines from the port of Hungnam, Korea. Although suffering more than 4,000 battle casualties and uncounted incidents of frostbite, Marine Corps air and ground units killed nearly 25,000 Chinese communist troops.

It appears that either is correct: Chosin or Changjin Reservoir

Quoted Text

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Marines at the Chosin (Changjin) Reservoir

In late October, the 1st Marine Division landed at Wonsan and spread out to secure the approaches to the port city. The division was then ordered to advance northwest of Hungnam along a mountain road to the Chosin (Changjin) Reservoir, the site of an important hydroelectric plant. The Marines would then advance to the Yalu River ? the border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China.


Despite intelligence in early November that Chinese communist forces had massed on the Korean side of the Yalu, the 1st Marine Division was ordered to continue its progress northwest from Hungnam to the Chosin Reservoir. The brief autumn weather was almost over, and temperatures were turning bitterly cold. On Nov. 27, elements of the Chinese Communist People's Liberation Army struck Marine positions in force. In a carefully-planned counterstroke, eight Chinese divisions charged down from surrounding mountains with the sole mission of destroying the 1st Marine Division.


Over the next four weeks, the Chinese and Marine Corps forces engaged in some of the fiercest fighting of the Korean War. In an epic movement, the 1st Marine Division completed a successful fighting withdrawal through 78 miles of mountain road in northeast Korea. The fighting withdrawal ended in mid-December with the amphibious evacuation of the Marines from the port of Hungnam, Korea. Although suffering more than 4,000 battle casualties and uncounted incidents of frostbite, Marine Corps air and ground units killed nearly 25,000 Chinese communist troops.

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From a Brief History of the Marine Corps

BC--note there is nothing here about the 7th Infantry Division. Their 17th Infantry Regiment was the only American unit to make it to the Yalu as I recall.
DJ

A good book about Korea war is:
" Ten Corps in Korea - 1950 ", by Shelby L. Stanton, Presidio Press, 1996 ( paperback )
First published ( in 1989, I think ) under the title:
" America' s Tenth Legion: X Corps in Korea, 1950 "
' ve a nice day...!

A good book that discusses the disaster at the Chosin and the winter of 1950 is "Disaster in Korea", by LTC Roy Appleman. He is also the author os a series of books on the Korean War, published by the Chief of Military History: "South to the Nakting, North to the Yalu", East of Chosin: Entrapment and Breakout in Korea, 1950". I forgot about "East of Chosin", which I have a copy somewhere. It is dedicated to the fight of the 32th & 31st INF task force on the east of the Chosin. This part of the campaign was badly bundled by the 10th Corps commander, MG Allmond, an old crony of MacArthur's since late WW2.

DJ - From what I read, MG Allmond was a pre-war cronie of MacArhur's. After the 92nd performed poorly in Italy, MG Allmond was able to escape "relief for cause" by claiming that the black soldiers weren't capable of combat, only as service troops, not the fact that he failed to properly train the division. You are correct that there was bigotry, a lot from Gen Allmond himself. He was able to get MacArthur to transfer him to his staff in the Pacific. The 10th corps was directly under Far Eastern Command and not part of GEN Walker's 8th Army, giving Allmond political protection. The move into North Korea and the pursuit to teh Yalu River was ill advised as the UN forces did not have adequate forces to cover the widening front, leaving a wide gap in the Taebek mountains that the Chinese exploited to turn 8th Army's right flank and almost turn 10th Corps' left flank, except for the 3rd ID the was able to secure the route of retreat for the rest of 10th Corps. It was an ugly mess.

After Ridgeway replaced Walker, after his death, he was abloe to get 10th Corps placed of command of 8th Army and unity of command was restored.

DJ - The Hoyt book discusses teh failure of US Chinese policy and the results - Chinese entry into the Korean War. It also gives views and info from the Chinese side that has not been available to all but most serious historians. It has been a number of years since I have read it, but I believe it offers another view. Hoyt's books on the WW2 Pacific War (his specialty), are excellent. He has an excellent book on the death of the US Asiactic Fleet at the beginning of WW2. Its at home somewhere.

The idea of a book list forum, for not just history, but for modeling subjects also, is great.

Jeff