Battle of Pork Chop Hill
The Battle of Pork Chop Hill, fought during the final months of the Korean War, was a significant engagement between U.S. and Chinese forces despite the hill's limited strategic value. Located less than sixty miles north of Seoul, Pork Chop Hill became a focal point for military operations as both sides aimed to assert their dominance before the conclusion of the Panmunjom Peace Talks. The Chinese military, under the leadership of General Peng Dehuai, launched three major assaults on the hill between March and July 1953. The initial attacks were repelled, but a brief Chinese occupation occurred in mid-April, only to be lost following a robust U.S. counteroffensive supported by a substantial artillery barrage. The final Chinese offensive commenced on July 6, just weeks before the war's end, but after intense fighting, U.S. command determined that the hill's strategic importance did not justify the escalating casualties. Consequently, Pork Chop Hill was evacuated on July 11, 1953, and later became part of the demilitarized zone following the armistice on July 27. This battle exemplified the brutal and costly conflict that characterized the Korean War, reflecting the complexities of military strategy and the human cost of warfare.
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Battle of Pork Chop Hill
Type of action: Ground battle in the Korean War
Date: Spring, 1953
Location: East-central Korea
Combatants: United Nations Command vs. Chinese Communist forces
Principal commanders:United Nation, General Maxwell Taylor (1901–1987); Chinese, Commander in Chief Peng Dehuai (1898–1974)
Result: Chinese take Pork Chop Hill near the conclusion of the Korean War
Named because of its shape, Pork Chop Hill became a test of endurance for U.S. and Chinese military forces during the last five months of the Korean War. Located less than sixty miles north of Seoul, Pork Chop Hill possessed little strategic value. However, the Chinese, led by Peng Dehuai, wanted to take possession of the hill before the conclusion of the Panmunjon Peace Talks to demonstrate China’s will to continue fighting if necessary.
The Chinese mounted three attacks on Pork Chop Hill between March 23 and July 11, 1953. The first two attempts were unsuccessful, although on March 26, the Chinese did secure Old Baldy, a hill near Pork Chop. In mid-April, a second attack took and held Pork Chop Hill for two days but then lost it to U.S. counterattacks on April 18, thanks to help from an allied artillery barrage of more than seventy-seven thousand rounds during the two-day battle.
The third and final Chinese attack began on July 6, just three weeks before the end of the war. For three days, there were U.S. counterattacks, until General Maxwell Taylor decided that increasing the number of casualties was not commensurate to the strategic value of the hill. Pork Chop Hill was evacuated on July 11, 1953. After the armistice on July 27, Pork Chop Hill became a part of both North Korea and the demilitarized zone.
Bibliography
Hermes, Walter G. Truce Tent and Fighting Front. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1966.
Marshall, S. L. A. Pork Chop Hill: The American Fighting Man in Action, Korea, Spring, 1953. 1956. Reprint. Norwalk, Conn.: Easton Press, 1993.