During the Korean War, many people believed that the Korean People's Army and the South Korean Army were both background walls, and the volunteer army and the U.S. army were the focus of the battle. The author believes that this view is inappropriate, and both the Korean People's Army and the Rokk Army played their due role in the Korean War.
In particular, the Korean People's Army defeated the Rokk army with U.S. support in the early days of the Korean War. How powerful is the Korean People's Army?
On June 25, 1950, after the outbreak of the Korean War, the Korean People's Army crossed the 38th Parallel and marched south to attack the ROK border troops. The U.S.-ROK coalition fought hard and clamored for the annihilation of the Korean People's Army and the reunification of the Korean Peninsula.
But they punched the face very quickly, and in just three days, the North Korean army occupied Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Immediately afterward, the North Korean troops marched south and won successive victories in the Battle of Daejeon and the Battle of Daegu, annihilating more than 60,000 South Korean troops until they surrounded the U.S.-South Korean forces in a small area around Busan.
If it were not for the landing of the US troops from Inchon, the Korean People's Army would have driven the US-ROK coalition forces into the sea long ago, the Korean Peninsula would have been reunified, and the terror of the Korean People's Army's combat effectiveness really stunned everyone.
The Korean People's Army is so powerful, why did the volunteer army come to fight after entering the DPRK, and basically did not hear about the Korean People's Army?
This is also related to the arrogance of the DPRK army, the Korean People's Army has been victorious one after another, and the US-ROK coalition army has been defeated all the way. The DPRK army had been overwhelmed by the victory and repeatedly ignored Chairman Mao's reminders, at which time Chairman Mao warned the Korean People's Army to be vigilant against the landing of American troops from Inchon, but unfortunately the DPRK army could not listen.
On September 15, 1950, U.S. troops landed at Inchon, cutting off the logistics supply line of the North Korean army, so that the North Korean army could not advance or retreat. Even if the willpower of the North Korean army is strong, they cannot stay on the battlefield for a long time without food.
So the U.S. army wrapped them a big dumpling, and many very experienced officers and men and the main soldiers were annihilated or captured.
This war almost wiped out all the family foundation accumulated by the Korean People's Army in World War II, so the shadow of the Korean People's Army could hardly be seen in the later Korean War
Because most of the elite of the North Korean army was killed after the landing at Inchon in the United States.
So why was the Korean People's Army so fierce in the early days of the Korean War, in theory North Korea had the support of the Soviet Union, but the South Korean army also had the support of the United States? There is no reason why there will be such a big difference and a one-sided situation. The author believes that the main reasons are as follows
First, soviet aid to North Korea was far greater than U.S. aid to South Korea
The Korean Peninsula is not large in size, but there are no less political forces, and the dispute between various forces within the DPRK is actually a contest between the United States and the Soviet Union behind the two countries.
North Korea is directly related to the security of the Soviet Far East, and will directly determine whether the Soviet Pacific Fleet can obtain a long-term freeze-free port in the Far East.
South Korea is also important to the United States, but it is clear that the United States devotes most of its energy to supporting Japan, and has no time for South Korea.
In August 1945, after Soviet troops liberated and occupied the land north of the 38th Parallel on the Korean Peninsula, they helped Korea establish the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
After the liberation of the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, the Soviet Union did not withdraw its troops, but remained in Korea for three years. It was not until December 1948 that the northern region of Korea was withdrawn
Before the Soviets withdrew, the Soviets had helped the North Korea build an armed force with 4 divisions and 5 border guards, leaving up to 3,000 military advisers.
What concept? In the North Korean army, Soviet advisers even went all the way down to company-level units, and there were up to 30 Soviet advisers in a North Korean infantry regiment.
By contrast, the U.S. military left only 500 military advisers to South Korea before it withdrew, and the United States built a well-equipped and well-trained armed force for South Korea of up to 100,000 people. Before the outbreak of the Korean War, the Soviet Union had helped North Korea build an army of 135,000 people.
Second, in terms of weapons and equipment, the DPRK army is superior to the ROK army, and the tank soldiers crush the ROK
According to relevant information, the Korean People's Army had 10 infantry divisions, 2 independent regiments, 1 armored brigade and 1 armored regiment before the war, with a total strength of 135,000 people. It is equipped with more than 600 artillery pieces of various types, 150 tanks and 196 combat aircraft.
The total number of the PLA is dozens of times that of the DPRK, but the number of aircraft in our air force is only about 100, which is less than that of the DPRK, and this level of equipment is comparable to the main force of the Soviet Union.
The ROK army's strength and weapons and equipment are a bit shabby. According to relevant information, the ROK army has 8 infantry divisions with a total strength of about 98,000 people. The ROK army had 27 armored vehicles, 32 aircraft, 98 artillery pieces, and not a single tank
Since the ROK army did not have tanks, the mechanized tank units of the DPRK army could annihilate the main force of the ROK army in an absolutely overwhelming posture, and the ROK army could not escape all the way.
And in terms of training aviation and tank troops, the Soviet Union is also very careful, basically teaching them to use by hand, the data cannot be understood, help them translate, and help you train the troops if they do not use them. It can be said that it is a one-stop service from equipment to personnel.
Third, more than 14,000 Chinese officers and soldiers of Korean nationality were handed over to North Korea, which greatly increased combat effectiveness
With Soviet military advisers and fully mechanized good equipment, what is missing next? Of course, it is an excellent backbone and soldier with enough combat experience and the will to fight. Although the North Korean army made rapid progress under the training of the Soviet Union, after all, it had no actual combat experience, and at this time, Stalin pinned his hopes on the newly established new China.
In January 1950, during Chairman Mao's visit to Moscow. During his talks with Chairman Mao, Stalin talked about the Korean question. Chairman Mao also agreed to hand over more than 14,000 North Korean officers and men of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, along with all the weapons they were equipped with, to the North Korean People's Army.
The vast majority of the more than 14,000 Officers and Men of Korean nationality joined the People's Army during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation, and they not only had rich combat experience, but also tempered a strong will to fight in the course of protracted combat.
Fourth, the South Korean army's willpower and combat literacy are generally lower than those of the North Korean army
As some military experts say, it must be the people who decide the outcome of the war, not the equipment, and the side with the strong will to fight can often laugh to the end.
At the beginning of the Korean War, the Rok army was a bit like the Kuomintang army during the Liberation War, with no willpower and desire to fight, and it ran away as soon as it was hit, and scattered when it was hit. On the contrary, everyone in the NORTH Korean army was highly motivated, and when it came time to charge, the killing shouts soared into the sky, which made the Korean army feel frightened, which was also the direct reason why the Korean army was defeated so quickly in just one month.
At that time, although the South Korean army had advanced equipment provided by the United States, morale was extremely low, and even the South Korean army had many mutinies. Coupled with the fact that the supreme leader of South Korea at the time, Syngman Rhee, was very despicable, organizing the assassination of party officials and forcing others to vote for him, which made him unpopular.
In general, the Korean People's Army in the early stages of the war was strongly supported by the Soviet Union in terms of equipment and personnel. The overall advantage was obviously greater than that of South Korea, but after the Inchon landing, most of the main force of the Korean People's Army was annihilated by the United States and South Korea, so the late Korean War was dominated by volunteers.
However, the main force of the Rokk army slowly grew up in the Korean War and became an indispensable force for the US-ROK coalition army.