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Second Battle of Seoul
The Second Battle of Seoul resulted in United Nations forces recapturing Seoul from the North Koreans in late September 1950 during the Korean War.
Following the UN counterattack at Inchon on 15 September, UN forces consolidated their positions south of the Han River and prepared to recapture Seoul.
Before the battle, North Korea had just one understrength Korean People's Army (KPA) division in the city, with the majority of its forces south of the capital.
Mounting indications were that the battle for Seoul would be far more severe than had been the action at Inchon and the advance to the Han. Every day KPA resistance had increased on the road to Yongdungp'o, a big industrial suburb on the south bank of the Han, 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of Seoul. Aerial observers and fighter pilots reported large bodies of troops moving toward Seoul from the north. The KPA 18th Division, on the point of moving from Seoul to the Naktong front when the landing came at Inchon, was instead ordered to retake Inchon, and its advanced elements had engaged the 1st Marines in the vicinity of Sosa. On the 17th, KPA engineer units began mining the approaches to the Han River near Seoul. About the same time, the KPA 70th Regiment moved from Suwon to join in the battle. As they prepared to cross the Han, the Marines estimated that there might be as many as 20,000 enemy troops in Seoul to defend the city. The X Corps intelligence estimate on 19 September, however, undoubtedly expressed the opinion prevailing among American commanders, that the KPA was "capable of offering stubborn resistance in Seoul but unless substantially reinforced, he is not considered capable of making a successful defense."
The plan for crossing the Han River called for the 5th Marine Regiment to cross at the ferry site (37°36′25″N 126°48′32″E / 37.607°N 126.809°E) 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of Kimpo Airfield and 8 miles (13 km) west of Seoul. A swimming party of 14 men, mostly from the Reconnaissance Company, stepped into the Han at 20:00 on the evening of the 19th, crossed safely to the north side, and found that the crossing site was suitable for LVT's. A five-man patrol then continued up the slope of Hill 125 (37°36′00″N 126°49′05″E / 37.600°N 126.818°E), but turned back short of the crest. The swimming party gave the signal for the rest of the company to cross. When eight of nine LVTs carrying the Reconnaissance Company were in the water enemy mortar and machine gun fire suddenly struck among them. The LVTs turned around and made for the south bank. An hour later the swimming party arrived there with three wounded and one missing. Its plans disrupted, the 5th Marines now began preparing for an assault crossing of the Han after daylight.
After a heavy artillery preparation against Hill 125, I Company, 5th Marines, began the assault crossing at 06:45 on 20 September. Enemy fire from automatic weapons and small arms on Hill 125 caused rather heavy casualties in I Company, but it secured the hill by 09:40. Other elements of the 3rd Battalion, still riding LVT's, encountered little or no resistance and proceeded a mile inland to cut the Seoul-Kaesong railroad and a road at the village of Nung-dong by 08:30. Still riding in LVT's they now turned right and moved southeast along the railroad track toward Seoul. The 2nd Battalion followed the 3rd Battalion across the river at 10:00, passed through it, and continued the advance. By nightfall the 5th Marines with twelve tanks, and the 2nd Battalion, Republic of Korea Marine Corps, were across the river. Engineers had begun constructing a pontoon ferry at the crossing site.
On the morning of 21 September, the 5th Marines, after repulsing an enemy company-sized counterattack, advanced southeast astride the rail and road lines paralleling the Han River. Resistance, at first light, steadily increased. The 3rd Battalion captured and turned over to Korean Marines Hill 104 (37°34′05″N 126°55′19″E / 37.568°N 126.922°E), north of the rail line and 5.5 miles (8.9 km) from the crossing site, and then turned north east toward Hill 296 at the northwest edge of Seoul. In the meantime, the 1st Battalion attacked and captured a series of lower hills south of the rail and road lines (37°33′40″N 126°54′47″E / 37.561°N 126.913°E). That evening the 5th Marines faced a line of hills running generally north-south along the western edge of Seoul. At the southern end of the line, near the village of Sogang, the 1st Battalion was within 3 miles (4.8 km) of the main railroad station in Seoul.
Advancing on the right (south) of the 5th Marines, the 1st Marine Regiment gradually approached Yongdungp'o. Relieved by the 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, in the early afternoon of 19 September, the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, was ready to shift northeast to hill positions captured during the day by the 5th Marines at the west edge of Yongdungp'o. Because its transportation was late in arriving, darkness had fallen before the 1st Battalion reached its detrucking point. Company A climbed to the summit of Hill 118 (37°32′28″N 126°51′25″E / 37.541°N 126.857°E) to relieve the occupying force. Later C Company joined it there. Meanwhile, elements of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, had departed at 21:00 from Hills 80 (37°32′31″N 126°52′41″E / 37.542°N 126.878°E) and 85 (37°32′35″N 126°52′48″E / 37.543°N 126.880°E) nearby, because there was a deadline set for their departure that would enable them to march the 6–8 miles (9.7–12.9 km) to the 5th Marines' Han River crossing site.
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Second Battle of Seoul AI simulator
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Second Battle of Seoul
The Second Battle of Seoul resulted in United Nations forces recapturing Seoul from the North Koreans in late September 1950 during the Korean War.
Following the UN counterattack at Inchon on 15 September, UN forces consolidated their positions south of the Han River and prepared to recapture Seoul.
Before the battle, North Korea had just one understrength Korean People's Army (KPA) division in the city, with the majority of its forces south of the capital.
Mounting indications were that the battle for Seoul would be far more severe than had been the action at Inchon and the advance to the Han. Every day KPA resistance had increased on the road to Yongdungp'o, a big industrial suburb on the south bank of the Han, 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of Seoul. Aerial observers and fighter pilots reported large bodies of troops moving toward Seoul from the north. The KPA 18th Division, on the point of moving from Seoul to the Naktong front when the landing came at Inchon, was instead ordered to retake Inchon, and its advanced elements had engaged the 1st Marines in the vicinity of Sosa. On the 17th, KPA engineer units began mining the approaches to the Han River near Seoul. About the same time, the KPA 70th Regiment moved from Suwon to join in the battle. As they prepared to cross the Han, the Marines estimated that there might be as many as 20,000 enemy troops in Seoul to defend the city. The X Corps intelligence estimate on 19 September, however, undoubtedly expressed the opinion prevailing among American commanders, that the KPA was "capable of offering stubborn resistance in Seoul but unless substantially reinforced, he is not considered capable of making a successful defense."
The plan for crossing the Han River called for the 5th Marine Regiment to cross at the ferry site (37°36′25″N 126°48′32″E / 37.607°N 126.809°E) 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of Kimpo Airfield and 8 miles (13 km) west of Seoul. A swimming party of 14 men, mostly from the Reconnaissance Company, stepped into the Han at 20:00 on the evening of the 19th, crossed safely to the north side, and found that the crossing site was suitable for LVT's. A five-man patrol then continued up the slope of Hill 125 (37°36′00″N 126°49′05″E / 37.600°N 126.818°E), but turned back short of the crest. The swimming party gave the signal for the rest of the company to cross. When eight of nine LVTs carrying the Reconnaissance Company were in the water enemy mortar and machine gun fire suddenly struck among them. The LVTs turned around and made for the south bank. An hour later the swimming party arrived there with three wounded and one missing. Its plans disrupted, the 5th Marines now began preparing for an assault crossing of the Han after daylight.
After a heavy artillery preparation against Hill 125, I Company, 5th Marines, began the assault crossing at 06:45 on 20 September. Enemy fire from automatic weapons and small arms on Hill 125 caused rather heavy casualties in I Company, but it secured the hill by 09:40. Other elements of the 3rd Battalion, still riding LVT's, encountered little or no resistance and proceeded a mile inland to cut the Seoul-Kaesong railroad and a road at the village of Nung-dong by 08:30. Still riding in LVT's they now turned right and moved southeast along the railroad track toward Seoul. The 2nd Battalion followed the 3rd Battalion across the river at 10:00, passed through it, and continued the advance. By nightfall the 5th Marines with twelve tanks, and the 2nd Battalion, Republic of Korea Marine Corps, were across the river. Engineers had begun constructing a pontoon ferry at the crossing site.
On the morning of 21 September, the 5th Marines, after repulsing an enemy company-sized counterattack, advanced southeast astride the rail and road lines paralleling the Han River. Resistance, at first light, steadily increased. The 3rd Battalion captured and turned over to Korean Marines Hill 104 (37°34′05″N 126°55′19″E / 37.568°N 126.922°E), north of the rail line and 5.5 miles (8.9 km) from the crossing site, and then turned north east toward Hill 296 at the northwest edge of Seoul. In the meantime, the 1st Battalion attacked and captured a series of lower hills south of the rail and road lines (37°33′40″N 126°54′47″E / 37.561°N 126.913°E). That evening the 5th Marines faced a line of hills running generally north-south along the western edge of Seoul. At the southern end of the line, near the village of Sogang, the 1st Battalion was within 3 miles (4.8 km) of the main railroad station in Seoul.
Advancing on the right (south) of the 5th Marines, the 1st Marine Regiment gradually approached Yongdungp'o. Relieved by the 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, in the early afternoon of 19 September, the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, was ready to shift northeast to hill positions captured during the day by the 5th Marines at the west edge of Yongdungp'o. Because its transportation was late in arriving, darkness had fallen before the 1st Battalion reached its detrucking point. Company A climbed to the summit of Hill 118 (37°32′28″N 126°51′25″E / 37.541°N 126.857°E) to relieve the occupying force. Later C Company joined it there. Meanwhile, elements of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, had departed at 21:00 from Hills 80 (37°32′31″N 126°52′41″E / 37.542°N 126.878°E) and 85 (37°32′35″N 126°52′48″E / 37.543°N 126.880°E) nearby, because there was a deadline set for their departure that would enable them to march the 6–8 miles (9.7–12.9 km) to the 5th Marines' Han River crossing site.