In the inhospitable valleys of North Korea, the winter of 1951 was extraordinarily long and brutal. An unexpected battle is unfolding with a thunderbolt, a test and a disaster.
The soldiers of the French Foreign Legion, these tough guys from all over the world, have faced unprecedented challenges in a foreign land. They thought that they could make a difference on the battlefield with their rich combat experience and sturdy equipment, but they did not expect to face an enemy that caught people off guard - the Chinese Volunteer Army. What will be the outcome of this matchup?
Arrival in North Korea: November 1950
In November 1950, in the cold wind of the Korean Peninsula, a special army, the French battalion, set foot on this war-torn land.
This force of more than 1,000 soldiers is different from ordinary armies, they are carefully selected from the French Foreign Legion, and each of them has a wealth of combat experience.
The French government sent such an elite force to North Korea in order to demonstrate its unshakable position and military capabilities in the Western camp in the context of the Cold War.
Upon arrival in North Korea, the soldiers were quickly integrated into the multinational force under the command of the United Nations. The soldiers of the French battalion wore their signature uniforms with gold insignia on their caps, which was especially conspicuous on the battlefields of Korea. Their arrival has added a new force to the United Nations forces and brought new tactics and experience to the battlefield.
In the days after their first arrival in North Korea, the soldiers of the French battalion underwent rigorous terrain and tactical adaptation training. They studied in detail the topographical features of North Korea, especially those areas that would become key areas for future battles.
During the training, the soldiers conducted several simulated offensive and defensive drills on the muddy ground to adapt to the changing climate and complex terrain of North Korea.
Their combat formations are compact, skillful and swift, demonstrating their high professionalism and ease of control in combat. In the unit, the soldiers used the most advanced equipment provided by the French military at the time.
They are equipped with standard weapons such as light machine guns, rifles and grenades, and each squad has a dedicated communications and medic unit to ensure continuous communication and wounded care on the battlefield. In addition, the troops are specially equipped with several armored vehicles for performing special tasks and rapid maneuvers.
First meeting: February 1951
In February 1951, the cold winter winds mixed with the smoke of war raged over the Korean Peninsula. The French battalion was stationed at a strategic point with a regiment of the U.S. Army, which was their responsibility as part of the "United Nations Force". At this time, facing them was the strong strength of the 8 regiments of the Volunteer Army, which was a duel with a huge disparity in strength.
The Volunteers had seriously misjudged the enemy force in the area, and based on reconnaissance reports, they erroneously believed that the area was garrisoned only by soldiers of the French battalion.
Based on this judgment, the Volunteer Army planned to take advantage of the numerical superiority and quickly break through the UN defense line with a concentrated and fierce attack. The commander of the Volunteer Army mobilized a large number of forces and prepared to deliver a decisive blow to the French battalion.
The defensive readiness of the American army appeared rather weak in this battle. Due to the lack of reconnaissance information and the rush of preparation time, the positions of the US troops were not fully established, and the fortifications and logistical supplies were still being intensified. This state of affairs made the defensive line extremely vulnerable to the first round of attacks by the Volunteers.
With the battle on the verge of breaking out, before the first rays of the morning sun illuminated the battlefield, the volunteers began their offensive. A large number of infantrymen, carrying light and heavy weapons, charged the positions of the French battalion and the American army under the cover of artillery fire. Their attack was swift, with a flood of soldiers pouring into the UN lines.
The French battalion reacted quickly in this sudden battle. Although they were far inferior in numbers to the volunteers, the French soldiers, with their training and combat experience, quickly moved into combat form.
They took advantage of every inch of cover available on the position, from sandbags to trenches and even destroyed vehicles, which were used to build fortifications.
The regiments of the American army also tried their best to stabilize their positions in the chaos. Their machine-gun and mortar positions began to open fire on the rushing volunteers. Despite the great firepower, the firepower of the American troops did not completely stop the advance of the Volunteer Army due to the weakness of the positions and insufficient preparation.
20 Minutes of Bloody Battle: Desperate Resistance
In that morning light, filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood, the soldiers of the French battalion ushered in their first severe test in Korea. In the face of the brave and fearless volunteers, the French battalion did not show flinching, but quickly adjusted their formation, preparing for hand-to-hand combat, which they excelled in.
The battle intensified with the incessant roar of artillery fire. The soldiers of the Volunteer Army charged the positions of the United Nations forces in waves, while the soldiers of the French battalion, taking advantage of their flexibility and training, launched a fierce counterattack.
As the enemy and the enemy got closer, the noise of guns and artillery fire was gradually replaced by the sound of bayonets clashing. The French soldiers skillfully used their bayonets and rifle butts to engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat in the melee. At this time, the battlefield became extremely chaotic.
Each French soldier was turned into an independent fighting unit, and they fought directly against the volunteer soldiers in the line of fire, taking advantage of every bunker, every inch of favorable terrain.
Although the battle did not last long, every second was filled with tension and danger. The soldiers of the French battalion demonstrated their ability and determination as an elite unit of the European Army in this extreme environment.
It was this intense hand-to-hand combat that gave the U.S. military valuable time to regroup. Under the cover of the French battalion, the soldiers of the American army began to rearrange and strengthen their positions.
At the same time, the firing range of the artillery was adjusted in preparation for the upcoming larger-scale counterattack. Air support also arrived at this moment, and the fighters of the UN forces began to inflict precision strikes on the offensive positions of the Volunteers.
Tank battle in Wendencheon: a joint operation between the United States and France
After the first battles of the French battalion showed significant tactical results, the U.S. military recognized the importance of strengthening military cooperation with France.
In order to further suppress the activities of the Volunteers in the Wendengchuan area, the US military planned a large-scale tank assault operation aimed at destroying the artillery positions of the Volunteers, which had been the main factor in the obstruction of the UN offensive.
After exhaustive tactical discussions and planning, the U.S. military mobilized a large number of tank forces, consisting mainly of the M26 Pershing tank and the M4 Sherman tank, which were selected for the operation because of their superior firepower and protection capabilities.
In the pre-dawn darkness, the tanks were activated, and as the sky grew brighter, they advanced like a torrent of steel towards the area controlled by the Volunteers.
The infantry of the French battalion was responsible for protecting the flanks and rear of the tanks against surprise attacks by infantry or other light units of the Volunteer Army. While the tanks were moving forward, the French soldiers closely monitored the surrounding terrain and possible ambush points to ensure that the tank units could advance unhindered to the target location.
When the tank units approached the artillery positions of the Volunteer Army, suddenly, the environment changed. The Volunteer Artillery, which had originally focused on fighting the infantry, quickly adjusted its firing strategy and switched to tanks as the focus of the attack. They began to use anti-tank guns and howitzers to carry out heavy shelling of approaching American tank groups.
Under the cover of such high-intensity firepower, the tank units of the US army suffered a great blow. Each hit of the howitzer can cause the tank's tracks to break, the engine stall or even the explosion of the ammunition depot, causing the tank to lose its combat capability on the spot.
Thick smoke billowed from the scene, and the flames of explosions and scattered debris filled the battlefield, forming a shocking scene of war. During this bombardment, 28 tanks were completely destroyed, another 8 suffered heavy losses and had to withdraw from the battle.
With the loss of tank units, the infantry units of the American and French armies suddenly lost important mobile fire support. These infantry originally relied on the fire suppression and physical cover provided by tanks to maintain their combat effectiveness and safety. However, with the destruction of the tanks, their defense line suddenly became extremely vulnerable.
In the absence of tank support, the U.S. and French infantry had to rely on their own light weapons to sustain the battle. Although their machine guns, rifles and grenades could effectively strike the enemy, they were unable to cope with the heavy fire support of tanks and in the face of the all-round pressure of the volunteers.
The infantry and special forces of the Volunteer Army, perceiving this weakness, began to attack the infantry positions of the American and French forces even more boldly. Taking advantage of the terrain and numerical superiority, they launched a fierce attack on the American and French infantry, which had lost tank support.
Under the double blow of continuous artillery fire and infantry attacks, the defensive line of the US and French infantry was seriously threatened, and some cases even collapsed.
A heavy price: the loss of the French battalion
This fierce battle with the Volunteer Army was an extremely severe test for the French battalion, and the result was extremely painful. During the battle, the French battalion suffered a heavy blow, more than 200 soldiers were killed in the fighting, and more than 400 were lost in the chaos, which almost meant that the combat capability of the entire battalion was weakened to the extreme.
Although the remaining soldiers survived, many were also injured to varying degrees, and many of them were unable to continue fighting and had to be evacuated to medical posts in the rear for treatment.
The supplies and equipment of the French battalion also suffered great damage. Many important supplies were destroyed by fire or lost during the retreat, including communications equipment, weapons and ammunition and other strategic goods.
All this greatly weakens their ability to sustain operations. After this brutal battle, the French military made a serious assessment. In their internal reports and assessments, they expressed great disappointment and dissatisfaction with the experience of this operation.
They commented that the Chinese fought in a tactical, brutal and unprepared manner. They also pointed out that the rapid and effective tactical changes of the Volunteer Army, which were able to make precise judgments and adjustments to the battlefield situation in a very short time, put the French army at an extreme disadvantage.
Commenting on the battle, the French military hierarchy described the opponent's tactics as "real hooligans", meaning that their fighting style was eclectic and often adopted surprise tactics, making it difficult for the French to respond effectively.
Due to the heavy losses in this battle, the French battalion had to reconsider its strategic deployment in Korea.
Resources:
Zhao Yanchang, Ji Zhigrad, Research on the Narrative Development of Archives Resources to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea: Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea[J].Archives and Construction,2023(12):8-11
CCTV "The French in the Korean War: Defeated by the Volunteers and Lost Their Combat Effectiveness";