Battle of Inchon
Incheon, South Korea and the Yellow Sea
What happened
General Douglas MacArthur led United Nations forces, with Admiral Arthur Struble commanding the naval task force and General Edward Almond's X Corps, against the North Korean army. By the summer of 1950 North Korean forces had pushed United Nations and South Korean troops into a small area around the port of Pusan. MacArthur planned a surprise landing far behind North Korean lines at the port of Incheon, even though its tides were extreme and its harbour well defended. UN forces captured Wolmi Island, then landed and climbed the seawalls with ladders, and within two weeks they had retaken the capital, Seoul.
Why it matters
Result: United Nations victory Beginning of the North Korean withdrawal from South Korea Start of the UN offensive into North Korea. Leader: Douglas MacArthur / Arthur Dewey Struble. Why it matters: The landing reversed the course of the Korean War almost overnight. North Korean forces, cut off from their supplies, had to retreat.
What came next
On 29 September 1950 MacArthur returned Seoul's government to South Korean President Syngman Rhee. UN forces then advanced into North Korea from 30 September.
Did you know?
Before the landing, a small U.S. Navy team led by Lieutenant Eugene Clark secretly turned on a lighthouse to guide the invasion fleet into the harbour.
Timeline
- Summer 1950UN forces are pushed back to the Pusan Perimeter.
- 15 September 1950UN forces land at Incheon.
- 20-28 September 1950UN forces recapture Seoul.
- 29 September 1950MacArthur returns Seoul's government to Syngman Rhee.
- 30 September 1950UN forces begin advancing into North Korea.