Battle of Kapyong

Battle of Kapyong
Part of the Chinese Spring Offensive in the Korean War
Kapyong, South Korea
Date 22–27 April 1951 Location Kapyong River, South Korea 37°52′36″N 127°31′48″E / 37.87667°N 127.53000°E / 37.87667; 127.53000 Result United Nations victory
Belligerents
United Nations (UNC)  South Korea  United States  United Kingdom  Australia  Canada  New Zealand	North Korea  China
Commanders and leaders
Brian Arthur Burke George Taylor Bruce Ferguson James Stone Matthew Ridgway James Van Fleet	Wen Yuchen[1] Deng Yue[2] Peng Dehuai Song Shilun
Units involved
27th Brit Comm Bde 3 RAR 2 PPCLI 1 MX 16th Field Regiment, RNZA 6th Division A Company 72nd Heavy Tank Battalion 5th Cavalry Regiment 213th Field Artillery Battalion 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion 74th Engineer Combat Battalion	118th Division 60th Division
Strength
One brigade ≈ 2,000 men	Two divisions ≈20,000 men
Casualties and losses
3 RAR: 32 killed, 59 wounded 2 PPCLI: 12 killed, 35 wounded 16th Field Regt: 2 killed, 5 wounded 72nd Heavy Tank Battalion: 3 killed, 12 wounded 5th Cavalry Regiment: 10 killed, several wounded Total: 59 killed at least 111 wounded	≈1,000–5,000 killed, many wounded

The Battle of Kapyong (Korean: 가평전투; 22–27 April 1951), also known as the Battle of Jiaping (Chinese: 加平战斗; pinyin: Jiāpíng Zhàn Dòu), was fought during the Korean War between United Nations Command (UN) forces—primarily Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand—and the 118th and 60th Divisions of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA). The fighting occurred during the Chinese Spring Offensive and saw the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade (27th Brigade) establish blocking positions in the Kapyong Valley, on a key route south to the capital, Seoul. The two forward battalions—the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) and 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI), both battalions consisting of about 700 men each—were supported by guns from the 16th Field Regiment (16 NZFR) of the Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery along with two companies of US mortars, fifteen Sherman tanks from US 72nd Heavy Tank Battalion, two companies of the US 74th Engineer Combat Battalion and 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. These forces occupied positions astride the valley with hastily developed defences. As thousands of soldiers from the Republic of Korea Army (ROK) began to withdraw through the valley, the PVA infiltrated the brigade position under the cover of darkness, and assaulted the 3 RAR on Hill 504 during the evening and into the following day. Five companies of the US and UK forces attached to 27th Brigade fled the battlefield without orders, expecting an imminent PVA breakthrough at the Kapyong Valley.

Although heavily outnumbered, the 3 RAR and U.S. tanks held their positions into the afternoon of April 24 before they retreated from the battlefield to a reserve position near brigade headquarters, with both sides having suffered heavy casualties. The PVA then turned their attention to the surrounded 2 PPCLI on Hill 677, whose encirclement prevented any resupply or reinforcements from entering. The 2 PPCLI were ordered to make a last stand on Hill 677. During a fierce night battle on 24/25 April the PVA forces were unable to dislodge the 2 PPCLI and sustained enormous losses. The next day, the PVA withdrew back up the valley in order to regroup, and the 2 PPCLI were relieved late on 26 April.

The fighting helped blunt the PVA Spring Offensive and the actions of the 2 PPCLI and 3 RAR at Kapyong were critical in preventing a breakthrough against the UN central front, the encirclement of US forces in Korea, which were at that point in general retreat, and ultimately, the capture of Seoul. The 2 PPCLI and 3 RAR battalions bore the brunt of the assault and stopped PVA divisional forces estimated at 20,000 in strength during the hard-fought defensive battle. Today, the battle is regarded as the most famous and significant action fought by the Canadian and Australian armies in Korea, and the most famous battle fought by the Canadian Armed Forces since WWII.