Battle of Yultong

Template:Short description The Battle of Yultong (Korean: ; RR: Template:Category handler; Template:Langx),Template:Sfn also known as the Battle of Meiluodong (Template:Zh), Battle of Yuldong, or Battle of Yuldong-ri, took place during the Korean War. It was fought between approximately 15,000 soldiers from elements of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) 34th Division (44th Division from Chinese sources)Template:Sfn and 900 Filipino soldiers 10th Battalion Combat Team (BCT), north of Yeoncheon during April 22–23, 1951.Template:Sfn The battle was part of the Chinese Spring Offensive.

Background

The Philippine 10th BCT was attached to the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division at the time of the offensive. Initially composed of 9 troops,Template:Sfn the battalion was reduced to 9 men due to previous casualties and other losses.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn To prepare for the incoming PVA offensive, the U.S. 65th Infantry Regiment deployed its 3rd and 2nd Battalions, facing west and northwest, respectively, along the Imjin River, while the attached Philippine 10th BCT held the regiment's right flank near Route 33. The Turkish Brigade, was just east of the Filipino unit.Template:Sfn

Opposite the United Nations Command forces in the area were the PVA's III Army Group, composed of the 12th, 15th, and 60th Armies. The overall commander of the PVA forces, Peng Dehuai, planned to have the 12th and 15th Army attack and encircle the Turkish Brigade and the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division, respectively.Template:Sfn Near the Imjin River, the 15th Army had a narrow zone between the river and Route 33 projecting through the area held by the 65th Regiment. Along Route 33 and east of it, the 12th Army and 60th Army were to attack through ground held by the Philippine 10th BCT on the right flank of the 3rd Division and through the Pogae-san ridges occupied by the Turkish Brigade and 24th Infantry Division.Template:Sfn

The battle

File:Yultong Map.jpg

Unit positions near Yultong during the Chinese Spring Offensive.

The assault began at 20:00 on 22 April when the enemy hit the Turkish Brigade with an artillery barrage. Shortly after midnight, an artillery and mortar barrage followed by intense small-arms and machine gun fire struck the entire 3rd Division line.Template:Sfn While the Turkish Brigade were engaged in fierce battle, the 10th BCT, deployed in the Yultong area on the left of the Turkish Brigade, from 23:00 was assaulted in waves by the PVA and fought a series of close combat engagements within its positions.Template:Sfn Communication with the 65th Regiment was disconnected by enemy artillery and some friendly fire supportTemplate:Sfn but was restored at 00:30.Template:Sfn Around midnight, the Turkish Brigade were ordered to withdraw to a position on the Line Kansas south of the Hantan River.Template:Sfn The 65th Regiment's 2nd Battalion was forced to fall back several hundred yards to regroup due to the intensity of the PVA attack.Template:Sfn

At 01:00 of 23 April, the 29th and 44th Divisions of the PVA 15th Army surrounded the 65th Regiment, cutting off its retreat.Template:Sfn The battle forced the 10th BCT's drivers, typists, clerks, medics, cooks, and even the chaplain to join the active combatants.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Each company was dispersed and fought in confusion without contact between the units.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The battalion's Baker (B) Company, commanded by Lt. Jose Artiaga Jr., was defending the strategic Yultong Hill when PVA forces overran their position; the left platoon of B Company was pushed back from their position at 03:00 and, after four hours of furious combat, the PVA infiltrated as deeply as Charlie (C) Company position in the reserve area. The company suffered heavy casualties, including Lt. Artiaga.Template:Sfn The battalion commander, Col. Dionisio S. Ojeda, received orders to withdraw. All units complied, except the Tank (renamed into Heavy Weapons) Company.Template:Sfn Tank Company commander Capt. Conrado Yap led a counterattack towards the hill to rescue any survivors and recover the dead men of B Company. Although Capt. Yap lost his life in the counterattack, Tank Company succeeded in their objective and recovered a squad of survivors.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

The 10th BCT held their positions until early morning and covered the retreat of the U.S. 3rd Division. At first light, the PVA offensive gradually declined, and the battalion launched a counterattack to restore the lost area of B Company.Template:Sfn C Company supported by two M24 Chaffee light tanks of Recon Company and an allied artillery unit led the counterattack.Template:Sfn At 09:00 on 23 April, Gen. James Van Fleet, commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, ordered a withdrawal to Line Kansas after concluding that many units in I and IX Corps were in danger of being enveloped by the PVA forces.Template:Sfn At 12:15, the 10th BCT finally received orders from Gen. Robert Soule to fall back to Line Kansas,Template:Sfn withdrawing to a position in Anhung-ri.Template:Sfn

Aftermath

For their actions, Capt. Conrado D. Yap was posthumously awarded the Philippine Medal of Valor and the U.S. Distinguished Service Cross, while Lt. Jose Artiaga Jr. was posthumously awarded the Philippine Distinguished Conduct Star.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn On July 27, 2018, Capt. Yap was awarded the First Class Taegeuk Cordon of the Order of Military Merit on the 65th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement.

The 10th Battalion Combat Team reported around 12 killed, 38 wounded, and 6 missing in action. PVA losses were reported to be more than 500 killed and 2 captured.Template:Sfn

A total of 7,740 Filipino officers and men served in Korea. They suffered 116 killed in action, 299 wounded and 57 missing (41 repatriated during POW exchanges). The last of the Philippine troops left Korea on 13 May 1955.

On 24 April 1951, the 10th BCT was attached to the British 29th Brigade Group as a reserve force and would later participate in the attempted rescue of the Gloucestershire Regiment during the Battle of the Imjin River.Template:Sfn

On 22 April 1966, the 15th anniversary of the Chinese Spring Offensive, a monument was erected to commemorate the battle in Yeoncheon, South Korea.

Further reading

• Uldarico Baclagon, Philippine Campaigns, Graphic House (Publishing), 1958
• Baclagon, Military History of the Philippines, Saint Mary's Publishing, 1975