Battle of the Punchbowl

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Battle of the Punchbowl
Part of the Korean War
Map of the Punchbowl, Heartbreak Ridge and Bloody Ridge
Date 31 August – 21 September 1951 Location The Punchbowl, Haean, Korea Result UN tactical victory
Belligerents
United Nations  United States  South Korea	North Korea
Commanders and leaders
Matthew Ridgway James Van Fleet Gerald C. Thomas Kim Dae-shik	Kim Il Sung
Units involved
X Corps 1st Marine Division 1st Marine Regiment	II Corps 1st Division 2nd Regiment 3rd Regiment 14th Regiment 2nd Division 6th Regiment 15th Division 45th Regiment 45th Division 91st Regiment
Strength
30,000	40,000
Casualties and losses
69 killed 575 wounded 122 killed 466 wounded	2,799 killed (body count) UN estimate: further 2,374 killed 4,707 wounded

The Battle of the Punchbowl (Korean: 펀치볼 전투), was one of the last battles of the movement phase of the Korean War. Following the breakdown of armistice negotiations in August 1951, the United Nations Command (UN) decided to launch a limited offensive in the late summer/early autumn to shorten and straighten sections of their lines, acquire better defensive terrain, and deny the enemy key vantage points from which they could observe and target UN positions. The Battle of Bloody Ridge took place west of the Punchbowl from August–September 1951 and this was followed by the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge northwest of the Punchbowl from September–October 1951. At the end of the UN offensive in October 1951, UN forces controlled the line of hills north of the Punchbowl.