Kapyong
Post Second World War
Date
22 - 25 April 1951
Geographical parameters
(no geographical parameters defined)
Context
A separate engagement forming part of the theatre honour "Korea, 1950 - 1953"Footnote 1
Description
The Allied offensive had carried the troops of the United Nations to latitude 38° north, the line of demarcation between North and South Korea. The Communist Chinese forces, however, were preparing to launch a counter-offensive that would hurl the Allied line back to the south. The 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry was serving as a component of 27 British Commonwealth Infantry Brigade (Brigadier B.A. Burke). The formation had been involved in the advance to the north when they were relieved by units of the 6th Republic of Korea Division and took up defensive positions just to the north of the village of Kap’yong. (Kap’yong was the contemporary spelling.)
The three forward infantry battalions of 27 Brigade were situated with the Canadians left front, on Hill 677 – the height in metres – while the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, with an American tank company attached, was right front on Hill 504. Centre rear was the 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment and behind them the 24 105-mm guns of the 16th Field Regiment Royal New Zealand Artillery.
The Chinese offensive began on the night of 22 April 1951 and swiftly drove the South Korean formations back some ten miles. The Koreans were soon streaming past the positions of the Commonwealth troops, leaving them to face the Chinese onslaught. The Australians were the first to come under fire, on the evening of 23 April 1951. Chinese attacks continued throughout the night and were able to penetrate as far as battalion headquarters. Early the following morning the brigadier, realising that the Australians could not hold the position any longer, ordered a withdrawal, which was carried out with the assistance of the American tanks. The Australian withdrawal left the Canadians next in the line of attack. On the morning of 24 April 1951 the first attacks were mounted against the Canadian’s right flank. These attacks continued all day and into the night. At 0200 hours on 25 April it became apparent that these attacks had been a diversion for the enemy’s main effort which was directed against the Canadian’s left flank.
Canadian positions were lost and retaken in the night while the guns of the New Zealanders hammered the contested battalion position for over two hours. With the coming of the dawn on 25 April 1951 the enemy withdrew and by late afternoon the Canadians were able to assess the damage. Ten Canadians had been killed and 23 wounded. Intelligence assessments determined that 27 Brigade had halted the attack of two Chinese regiments with a combined strength of approximately 6,000 troops.