Korea - 50 years ago this week, May 29-June 4, 1953
Chinese capture outposts, Rhee concedes on peace plan

by Jim Caldwell

May 27, 2003 - Wave after human wave of Chinese soldiers lost their lives attacking outposts in the Nevada complex 50 years ago this week in Korea, but the bloody assaults eventually convinced I Corps to fall back to its main line of resistance.

May 29, 1953 -- The Associated Press reports that the total casualties in the war for both sides now stand at more than 2.3 million. China has suffered more than one million of those casualties, while 802,000 North Koreans have been wounded and killed. There are almost 257,000 ROK casualties.

The report uses the Pentagon figures for American casualties as of May 22. They are135,221, with 24,119 dead. Great Britain is next with 3,763 casualties, followed by Turkey with 2,700 casualties.

The Pentagon update on American casualties was not announced for the week.

May 29-June 4 -- The battle for the 25th Infantry Division's Nevada complex of outposts in I Corps continues to rage. Turkish soldiers attached to the division defend the outposts. On Carson they are in serious trouble. A few manage to slip away to join their countrymen still holding Outpost Elko, but most of them die at their positions or in the trenches on Carson. As dawn breaks on May 29, the Chinese own Carson.

Enemy soldiers also take control of the northwest part of Outpost Vegas.

Maj. Gen. Samuel T. Williams, 25th Infantry Division commander, places the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment under the control of the Turk commander, Brig. Gen. Sirri Acar.

Before the GIs can be deployed, the Turks attack straight into the enemy. Using knives, hands and small weapons, the Turks push the Chinese off of Vegas.

The enemy strikes back quickly. Mindless of the bloodbath, Chinese commanders send wave after wave against the Turks, but still the Turks hold on to Vegas.

The situation is grim on Outpost Elko. Only a few Turks are able to fight. In early morning on May 29, Gen. Acar orders the 1st Battalion to send a platoon to reinforce Elko, and then to retake Carson. On the way to Elko, B Company runs into Chinese holding positions around the outpost. After a 25-minute fight, the company secures Elko.

B Company then leads another company against Carson. Halfway there the Americans begin taking heavy small arms and automatic weapons fire, along with artillery and mortars. The companies have to pull back to Elko.

Two more attempts are made against Carson, but the rain of metal against them is too much each time.

After the last attempt, the Chinese on Carson attack Elko. They repeatedly come through supporting artillery, tank guns and mortars. Twice they get close enough to throw grenades at the Americans. After that, the assault ceases momentarily.

That afternoon Williams and Lt. Gen. Bruce C. Clarke, I Corps commander, conclude that the Chinese will continue the attacks until they control the entire Nevada complex. More than 150 Turks and Americans have been killed. Little more than 40 men, many of them wounded, hold Vegas. On Elko there are a little more than 20 and many of them are also wounded.

The Chinese have suffered an estimated 3,000 casualties, but their commanders have shown they were willing to take those losses. Clarke decides the outposts aren't important enough to justify more American and Turkish lives. That evening the troops withdraw to the main line of resistance.

Fighting shifts east to X Corps where the North Koreans capture Hill 812, four miles northeast of the Punchbowl, from the ROK 12th Infantry Division on June 1.

On June 2 Gen. Maxwell Taylor, Eighth Army commander, tells Gen. Mark Clark, U.N. Supreme Commander, of his concerns about two line positions in the I Corps and IX Corps.

Positions north of the Imjin and Hantan Rivers are on easily defended territory, but the lines are thin. If the communists hit those positions using the same human wave assaults as in the most recent battles, they could break through. Once U.N. troops pull back across the rivers, it will result in heavy losses to contain the breakthrough.

Taylor has already taken the only actions he can to try to avoid this situation. He has put his reserves on alert, increased ammunition stocks and has Fifth Air Force flying reconnaissance missions in those areas to track possible enemy movements.

On June 4 North Koreans capture Anchor Hill in the ROK I Corps. Repeated counterattacks by the South Koreans to retake Anchor Hill results in heavy casualties among the communists, but they are losing men, too.

The counterattacks are stopped to keep from incurring more losses. ROK forces are redeployed to positions to keep the North Korean contained on the hills.

May 29-June 2 -- Dealing with the communists at the truce table is not the only problem the United States must face to obtain peace in Korea. South Korean government leaders are vehemently opposed to a settlement that leaves a divided Korea. They also don't like some of the proposals in the U.S. truce plan, and their actions could wreck the U.S. peace efforts.

On May 29 acting ROK Premier Pyun Yun Tae says the South Korean Army may be pulled from the front lines to fight elsewhere. One of its missions would be to prevent the landing of "any foreign troops of the five custodial nations."

President Syngman Rhee declares May 30 that his soldiers are "men of steel" and would fight alone to unite Korea. "Peace here is up to ourselves," he said. Rhee has demanded that after a truce is signed that Chinese troops must leave Korea.

The South Koreans are opposed to India being in charge of overseeing the prisoners during the explaining period and the political conference after that. They feel that India will side with the two communist countries on the prisoner commission. They say India has a track record of voting with the Soviet Union in the U.N. General Assembly.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower meets with his political, diplomatic and military staff May 29-30 to find a way to convince Rhee to accept a peace settlement with a divided Korea.

On June 2 Rhee says he has will concede to American pressure after receiving a message from Eisenhower, "Out of gratitude to the U.S." because "common sense and wisdom require that we cooperate with the U.S. at any cost. We must accept anything the U.S. president wants, but to allow Chinese soldiers to stay in our country is similar to a death sentence."

Reporters in Seoul suspect that Rhee changed his mind because Eisenhower guaranteed South Korea security and agreed to provide various loans to the South Korean government for reconstruction after the war.

June 4 -- The truce delegations meet on June 4 because on June 1 the communists request two more days to consider the U.N. proposal. Lt. Gen. William K. Harrison, chief U.N. delegate, has misgivings with only how the Reds have rewritten the proposal on what is to be done with the POWs who still refuse repatriation if their fate has not been decided at the end of 120 days. His superiors in the United States tell him not to make an issue of it at this time.

Chinese radio has been complaining about the clause that says if the issue isn't settled, the U.N. General Assembly will decide what to do with the POWs. Their sticking point is that the General Assembly, their opposition in the war, will make decisions abput Chinese and North Korean prisoners.