On January 16, 2026, the Chinese Communist Army sent about 2 million troops to fight in North Korea at different times, suffering heavy losses. Externally, they dared only to claim a draw against 300,000 US troops and the United Nations forces, while internally they falsely boasted of victory. From the initial arrogant surprise attack to being pinned down at the 38th parallel, being stunned repeatedly, the battles of the Korean War still hold significance today.
Following up:
The death of Stalin broke the stalemate of the Korean War – How the Chinese Communist Army was stunned on the Korean battlefield (21st).
In the spring of 1953, the Chinese Communist Army launched another offensive, suffering significant casualties without achieving their operational goals. On April 23, Mao Zedong telegraphed Deng Hua, stating, “As for the early ceasefire or stopping the fight in order to facilitate negotiations, a decision can be made at an appropriate time in May.”
On April 24, Li Chengwan relayed to Eisenhower that if a ceasefire agreement allowed the Chinese Communist Army to remain south of the Yalu River, South Korean forces would withdraw from the United Nations forces and continue to fight independently if necessary.
The Chinese Communist Party had lost the support of the Soviet Union. In May 1953, the United States tested a new type of nuclear shell, creating a new deterrent against China. The ceasefire negotiations entered a new phase.
By May 1953, American warplanes were launching 22,639 attacks per month on targets in Korea, while the Chinese air force could only muster 1,164 attempts to intercept. The Chinese still feared that American forces might land on both the eastern and western coasts of Korea, risking encirclement of their million-strong army and falling into the same defeat as the Korean forces in 1950.
However, the US had no plans to expand the war and did not carry out amphibious landing operations. As a result, the Chinese Communist Party began provoking conflicts near the 38th parallel again, attacking 10 UN frontline outposts in early May, continuing into June, with the largest battle being the Battle of Harry Outpost.
Harry Outpost was a remote outpost on a small hill in the “Iron Triangle” region of the Korean Peninsula, about 100 kilometers northeast of Seoul and the most direct route to Seoul.
The outpost was an important defensive position in front of the main UN defense line, viewed as a strategic point of contention by the Chinese Communist Army. Losing the outpost would force the UN forces to retreat to the next defense line approximately 10 kilometers away.
On the morning of June 10, the US Army’s 15th Infantry Regiment K Company stationed at Harry Outpost received intelligence of an impending attack and prepared their defenses in time.
That evening, about 3,600 Chinese Communist troops launched a human wave attack, outnumbering the American defenders by 30 times. Despite heavy casualties under intense firepower, the Chinese continued to advance, quickly breaking through the frontline trenches. The American soldiers took cover in their positions, ordering artillery from behind to shell the area with timed explosives, causing significant casualties among the exposed Chinese soldiers. The US soldiers then counterattacked, driving off the remaining Chinese assault troops in close combat.
By the morning of June 11, only a few soldiers remained in the US K Company, with the rest killed or severely wounded, and were relieved by other companies. US tanks also arrived to provide support.
On the evening of June 11, the Chinese Communist forces launched a night-long attack, once again breaching the US trenches. Fierce close-quarter combat ensued between the two sides. At dawn on June 12, the Chinese Communist assault was halted.
On the night of June 12, the Chinese Communist forces repeated the same attack pattern but were repelled, with US tanks playing a crucial role. By the early morning of June 14, the Chinese Communist attacks remained unsuccessful, and they were forced to retreat.
On June 15, Harry Outpost returned to calm. In the early morning of June 16, the Greek Expeditionary Forces deployed near Harry Outpost, with some units rotating with US troops, quickly consolidating the defensive positions.
At midnight on June 17, the Chinese Communist forces launched a further assault, and the Greek N Company was ordered to reinforce and repel the attack. By the early morning of June 18, the Chinese Communist forces withdrew, and the fighting ceased. The Chinese Communist forces fired approximately 22,000 shells during this attack.
According to US military statistics, the Chinese Communist forces committed over 12,000 troops in several nights of the night assault, equivalent to the entire 74th Division, whose combat effectiveness was considered largely lost post-battle.
The Chinese Communist forces fired a total of 88,810 shells with a caliber over 81 millimeters, while the UN forces fired 368,185 shells over 81 millimeters in caliber.
A total of 103 US and Greek military personnel were killed, 553 wounded, and 44 missing in action. After the battle, four US companies and one Greek company were awarded for their outstanding performance.
The UN estimated that 1,450 Chinese Communist soldiers were killed and 3,800 wounded, while the Chinese Communist forces only acknowledged 2,038 casualties.
With the Chinese Communist defeat in this battle, negotiations continued, but the issue of repatriating prisoners of war remained unresolved. South Korean President Lee Cheng-won ordered the release of 27,000 unwilling prisoners to be repatriated to North Korea. The Chinese Communist and North Korean forces were infuriated and launched an attack on the Gimcheon salient, the last major battle of the Korean War.
The Gimcheon salient was a protrusion on the UN front line, located about 4.8 kilometers northeast of Geojeom, extending northeast to the hills south of Gimcheon, leading to the Ridge of Sorrow. The terrain was rugged, making it difficult for the South Korean troops stationed there to maintain a continuous line of defense, facing numerous challenges in mobility and supplies.
On the night of June 10, the Chinese Communist forces launched a regimental to brigade-sized human wave assault, breaking through the South Korean outposts’ frontline defenses and capturing Hill 973 and Hill 882, 16 kilometers northwest of the Ridge of Sorrow.
On June 11, the South Korean forces counterattacked, recapturing Hill 882 and securing it. They also partially recaptured Hill 973 but were pushed back by another Chinese Communist attack, forcing the South Korean forces to withdraw from Hill 973.
On June 12, the South Korean forces counterattacked Hill 973 again but were unsuccessful as the Chinese Communist forces continued to reinforce the mountain. That same day, the Chinese Communist forces launched a comprehensive assault on the South Korean defensive line, compelling the South Korean forces to retreat.
On June 13, the South Korean forces organized a counterattack, engaging in a back-and-forth struggle for several hills with the Chinese Communist forces.
Continued…