Battle of Ka-san

Battle of Ka-san
Part of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter
The walled Gasansanseong Fortress on Hill 902.
Date September 1–15, 1950 Location Ka-san (Ka mountain), Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea 36°2′14″N 128°34′57″E / 36.03722°N 128.58250°E / 36.03722; 128.58250 Result United Nations victory
Belligerents
United Nations  United States  South Korea	North Korea
Commanders and leaders
Hobart R. Gay Paik Sun Yup	Hong Rim Choi Yong Chin
Units involved
1st Cavalry Division 1st Infantry Division	1st Division 3rd Division 13th Division
Strength
US: 15,000 South Korea: 10,500	14,000
Casualties and losses
US: ~600 killed ~2,000 wounded South Korea: heavy	10,000+ killed, wounded and captured

The Battle of Ka-san was an engagement between United Nations Command (UN) and North Korean forces early in the Korean War from September 1 to September 15, 1950, in the vicinity of Ka-san (Ka mountain), Chilgok County in South Korea. It was a part of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter, and was one of several large engagements fought simultaneously. The battle ended in a victory for the United Nations after large numbers of United States Army (US) and Republic of Korea Army (ROK) troops repelled a strong Korean People's Army (KPA) attack.

Attempting to capture Taegu as part of the Great Naktong Offensive, the KPA 1st and 13th Divisions advanced to the hill masses north of the city where they confronted the US 1st Cavalry Division and the ROK 1st Division. The KPA sought to occupy a number of hill masses, most prominently Hill 902, known to South Koreans as Ka-san, for the ancient fortress situated atop it.

In two weeks of fighting in and around the fortress, the KPA were able to gradually push back the UN forces from Ka-san and Hills 755 and 314 to the south, but the UN forces held out strongly and the KPA were not able to quickly consolidate their gains. The UN forces defended the ground tenaciously, even assigning a battalion of engineers to fight on the front lines, eventually preventing the KPA from advancing long enough for the KPA to be outflanked by the Inchon landings on 15 September and on 16 September the UN forces began their breakout from the Pusan Perimeter which drove the KPA from the area.