Name
were part of an advance force that would seize and hold an objective
until the main force could arrive to take it over. By May 28, they
moved north of the 38th parallel.
The Korean War, Part 2
Most of the large hills were designated by numbers. The battles
at Kakhul-bong and Chorwon Plain centered around those hills.
Canadian positions had to patrol constantly to keep the enemy from
sneaking up on them.
By Mary Lynn Bushong
Caption: René Levesque, 23rd
Premier of Canada, worked as a war
correspondent for the CBC during
the Korean War. In this picture, he
puts his mini-tape recorder on his
head and fords a small stream as he
works his way forward to RCR troops
deeper in enemy territory in Korea.
Cease-fire negotiations began during the summer of 1951. The
talks dragged on for two years. During the summer, the Canadians
were held in reserve, and they helped with patrols to protect the
supply line through Chorwon to Seoul.
Once the U.N. forces were again
facing a possible victory, they
stopped pushing. As soon as the
Chinese were pushed north of the
38th parallel, heated debate set in on what to do next. Some wanted
a complete military victory, while others wanted to negotiate for
peace. General MacArthur lost his job over it when he disagreed
with the U.N. and Truman's goal of negotiated peace.
In October and November, the Chinese counterattacked. The
Commonwealth Brigade suffered heavy attacks. Canadians hung
onto their positions as tenaciously as they could. Hill 355 was
especially important to the U.N. positions. If taken by the Chinese,
it would expose other U.N. forces to attack. Possession of the hill
see-sawed back and forth for four days; in the end, U.N. forces
remained in control.
The Chinese were not willing to give up. They were able to
rebuild their troops for a counteroffensive. The Chinese struck at a
Commonwealth Brigade position along the Kapyong River.
The troops were trying to keep open the retreat for soldiers and
were under attack themselves starting on April 23, 1951. For a short
time the supply line was cut off. The Canadians continued to fight
and called for supplies to be air dropped.
The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry were recognized
for their valor. They held their position and inflicted heavy enemy
damage with few casualties of their own.
In February 1951, it was decided to send the rest of the promised
Canadians in. The 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade landed in Korea
in May. They were just in time to help the third march to the 38th
parallel.
The Canadians served with the 25th U.S. Infantry Division. They
From September 11 to October 8, American and Commonwealth
forces pushed north over the Imjin River. They moved to within
easy view of the enemy's main line.
Finally, on November 27 a temporary cease-fire was called. It
ended when it became obvious that the Chinese were not honoring it.
For the rest of the war, there were no more real battles. Instead, it
was nothing more than a stalemate. Raids, bombardments, traps, and
land mines formed the backbone of casualty causes.
During October and November of 1952, Chinese attacks
increased. An attack was made against Hill 355. The struggle was
bitter, but the Canadians held the hill.
November 27, orders were given to stop the fighting patrols due
to negotiations for another cease-fire. They were only to respond to
weapons fire, not initiate it.
The remainder of the war was spent strengthening defenses in a
"Twilight War."
Some of the worst casualties were suffered by Canadian troops
when they were assaulted by the enemy in early May 1953.
5. Why was the battle for hill 355 so fierce?
Name
Fighting finally ended on July 27, 1953, when the Korean
Armistice was signed. It was the first time U.N. coalition forces
were used to bring peace to a problem in the world.
Canadians came third behind the U.S. and Britain in actual
numbers of soldiers (27,000), but their contribution was much higher
when compared to the actual percentage of the population. In spite
of the Canadian troop involvement, the government was not very
interested in recognizing their achievements. This has only begun
changing in the last decade as the forgotten warriors are remembered.
The Korean War, Part 2
Questions
1. The U.N. pushed for total victory in Korea.
A. True
B. False
6. Why did the November 1951 cease-fire not hold?
7. The Korean War did not change the fact that the country was
split in half.
A. False
B. True
8. What is significant about the U.N. action in Korea?
2. How did the communist Chinese use the negotiation time?
A. They went home.
B. They rebuilt their troops for a counterattack.
C. They made raids on the U.N. troops.
D. None of the above
3. The main part of the Canadian troops arrived in time to help
push the communist Chinese north of the 38th parallel for the
third time.
A. True
B. False
4. United Nations coalition forces gave hills in Korea numbers
rather than names.
A. False
B. True
Why do you think the communist Chinese were so interested in
getting involved in the Korean War?
Name
Has the U.N. done more harm than good, getting involved in
international conflicts? Explain your answer.