15-045 Garand Picture of the Day

[Mark in Rochester]

Army Fighting around Masan, soldiers taking cover in rice field as first US counterattack gets under way.



Location:Korea (North)


Date taken:August 1950

Photographer:Carl Mydans

Information

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[Mark in Rochester]

The Battle of Masan was an engagement between United Nations (UN) and North Korean (NK) forces, which took place early in the Korean War between August 5 and September 19, 1950, in the vicinity of Masan and the Naktong River in South Korea. It was part of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter, and was one of several large engagements fought simultaneously. The battle ended in a victory for the UN after large numbers of United States (US) and Republic of Korea (ROK) troops were able to repel the repeated attacks of two North Korean divisions.

Operating as the extreme southern flank of the Pusan Perimeter, the US Army's 25th Infantry Division placed its regiments around the South Korean city of Masan, with the US 24th Infantry Regiment and 5th Regimental Combat Team based in Haman and nearby Sobuk-san, and the US 35th Infantry Regiment based along the Nam River to the west of the city. Throughout the six-week battle, the Korean People's Army 6th and 7th Divisions attacked the 25th Division's regiments in an attempt to break through the UN forces and attack Pusan.

An initial UN counteroffensive out of Masan proved ineffective in stopping the North Koreans from advancing. In the subsequent fight, the 35th Infantry was able to repel the North Koreans at the Battle of Nam River and were highly regarded for these actions. However, the 24th Infantry performed very poorly at the battles of Blue Mountain and Haman, forcing the 25th Division to muster reserves to counter the North Korean gains against the 24th.

The UN units were able to defeat and repel the North Koreans repeatedly, including through a coordinated offensive across the entire perimeter. In delaying and pushing back the North Koreans, the 25th Infantry Division was able to buy time for UN forces to counterattack at Inchon, effectively defeating the North Korean Army at the Pusan Perimeter.