Battle of Hoengsong

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Battle of Hoengseong
Part of the Korean War
Date 11–13 February 1951 Location Hoengseong, South Korea 37°29′24″N 127°59′17″E / 37.490°N 127.988°E / 37.490; 127.988 Result Chinese victory[1][2]
Belligerents
United Nations  United States  South Korea  Netherlands	China  North Korea
Commanders and leaders
Douglas MacArthur Edward Almond Clark L. Ruffner Choi Yong-hee M. P. A. den Ouden †	Peng Dehuai Li Tianyou
Units involved
X Corps 3rd Infantry Division 5th Infantry Division 8th Infantry Division 2nd Infantry Division 7th Infantry Division 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team Regiment van Heutsz	13th Army 39th Army 40th Army 66th Army V Corps
Casualties and losses
ROK: 9,844 casualties US: 1,900 casualties including 726 killed Total: 11,862 casualties[3]	4,141 casualties[2]

The Battle of Hoengsong, also known as the Hoengsong counteroffensive (Chinese: 橫城反擊戰) was a battle during the Korean War that took place between 11 and 15 February 1951. It was part of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) Fourth Phase Offensive and was fought between the PVA and United Nations forces. After being pushed back northward by the UN's Operation Thunderbolt counteroffensive, the PVA was victorious in this battle, inflicting heavy casualties on the UN forces in the two days of fighting and temporarily regaining the initiative.

The initial PVA assault fell on the Republic of Korea Army (ROK) 8th Infantry Division which disintegrated after several hours of attacks by three PVA divisions. When the U.S. armored and artillery forces supporting the ROK 8th Division found their infantry screen evaporating, they began to withdraw down the single road through the twisting valley north of Hoengsong; but they were soon outflanked by PVA infiltrating cross-country. Hundreds of U.S. soldiers were killed by PVA forces, which resulted in one of the most lopsided defeats suffered by the U.S. military in the Korean War.^[3][4]