Following the liberation of Seoul, South Korea in 1950, Americans were ecstatic about General Macarthur’s long fought and outstanding victory. American and South Korean forces continued to push well beyond the 38th Parallel—the delineation between North and South Korea—towards the Yalu River, the border between North Korea and Chinese Manchuria. In spite of the increasing likelihood of Chinese intervention, American and UN intelligence specialists ignored the possibility. Little did they know, that not only was it feasible, it was imminent. The Marines at the Chosin Reservoir prevailed despite being vastly outnumbered and outmaneuvered while underestimating their capabilities to relinquish security to Chinese and Korean forces by seizing an offensive initiative. From
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It began in the midst and chaos of the Cold War and never truly ended. Many of the operations and battles were to some degree successful. Others, such as the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, were imperfect. Both the Americans and the Chinese suffered mass casualties, unnecessarily so, as there was no particular strategic objective to be achieved by either side. The Second Phase Offensive was conducted on one hand to drive the American and South Korean forces out, and on another, to exact revenge on the Marines who had managed to overcome their surprise attack in the First Phase Offensive. They returned with a massive force to overwhelm the Marines, who lacked both communication and unity of command with allied forces, by sheer numbers and to gain a positional advantage over them. Despite being outmaneuvered, outmanned and surprised with the sudden onslaught, the Marines took offensive initiatives to assist other allied units and to ultimately escape North Korea. While it was not the vanquishment of Communism that the Americans had hoped for, the slow “deconstruction” of their forces proved the superior skill and might of the allied forces and the United States
It began in the midst and chaos of the Cold War and never truly ended. Many of the operations and battles were to some degree successful. Others, such as the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, were imperfect. Both the Americans and the Chinese suffered mass casualties, unnecessarily so, as there was no particular strategic objective to be achieved by either side. The Second Phase Offensive was conducted on one hand to drive the American and South Korean forces out, and on another, to exact revenge on the Marines who had managed to overcome their surprise attack in the First Phase Offensive. They returned with a massive force to overwhelm the Marines, who lacked both communication and unity of command with allied forces, by sheer numbers and to gain a positional advantage over them. Despite being outmaneuvered, outmanned and surprised with the sudden onslaught, the Marines took offensive initiatives to assist other allied units and to ultimately escape North Korea. While it was not the vanquishment of Communism that the Americans had hoped for, the slow “deconstruction” of their forces proved the superior skill and might of the allied forces and the United States