The Imjin and Kapyong Battles, Korea, 1951

5 KAPYONG: THE FIRST DAY

133 Kapyong:The FirstDay On Sunday, 22 April 1951, most of the men of 27th Brigade were if anything even less concerned about the prospect of battle than their counterparts in 29th Brigade. After all, when they had departed the front line a few days earlier for a couple of weeks of welldeserved rest and reorganization in IX Corps reserve, the Chinese were still withdrawing. Arrayed by unit north of the village of Kapyong in relatively idyllic surroundings variously dubbed “Sherwood Forest” and “Happy Valley”–located at this point over twenty-two miles behind the front–soldiers for the first time in weeks had the opportunity to properly bathe, play soccer, watch films, drink their beer ration, and generally put themselves at ease. “Life was very relaxing and pleasant,” Bruce Ferguson, the CO of the Australians (3RAR) recalled. “The weather was warm,” Mike Czuboka of the 2PPCLI mortar platoon remembered, also noting how he and his fellow Canadians “appreciated getting periods of uninterrupted and peaceful sleep” along with hot meals for the first time in weeks.3 Aside from the occasional parade and guard mounting, the only duties revolved around prearranged changes in formation and command structure. In the following days and weeks the two British infantry battalions were due to exchange places with fresh battalions from Hong Kong, 27th British Commonwealth Brigade giving way to 28th Commonwealth Brigade. The first steps were already under way over the weekend, the Argylls departing for Pusan in preparation for the arrival of the 1st Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers the following five 134 The Imjin and Kapyong Battles, Korea, 1951 Monday. Brigadier Brian Burke was already making arrangements for the handing over of command to Brigadier George Taylor, while within the remaining units the opportunity was taken to send officers and men on R&R to Tokyo, including a pair of company commanders–one from 2PPCLI, the other from 3RAR –and a battery commander from 16 Field Regiment. Lieutenant-Colonel Jim Stone, commanding officer of the Patricias,hadonlyjustreturnedafteramildboutofsmallpox.Asa3RAR company commander later reflected, “we believed it was impossible that we could be committed to operations.”4 Though as content as the next man that weekend, a few of those who would find themselves fighting for their lives over the next few days recalled obvious signs that the three South Korean regiments that had relieved 27th Brigade in the line between 16 and 19 April might not be up to the task if the Chinese suddenly turned around and attacked. In marked contrast to the veteran 1st ROK Division on the left flank of 29th Brigade, the 6th ROK Division twenty-plus miles to the north of 27th Brigade was hastily raised, undertrained, inexperienced, and poorly led. Barry Reed, a Middlesex subaltern, remembered thinking at the time that the Korean soldiers taking over his positions “weren’t terribly well organized.” Young conscripts in some cases did not know how to fix bayonets or indeed load their rifles, while junior officers were observed caring more about their personal comfort than the security of unit positions . “I reckon we’ll be back into it soon,” a Digger was overheard to remark. “Somehow I don’t reckon we can depend on these blokes.”5 The Chinese, as it happened, had their sights set on the destruction of both the relievers and the relieved. At the time the Commonwealth troops were going into reserve, Peng Te-haui was summarizing for his armygroupcommandersthemainobjectivesoftheFifthPhaseoffensive due to start within a few days, objectives for which the elimination of both the 6th ROK Division and 27th Brigade were a necessary prelude. Concerning the South Koreans, the Chinese operational directive read: The main task of the Fortieth Army [attached to the 8th Army Group] will be to wipe out the 6th Puppet [ROK] Division and open up a critical breach so as to sever the links between the American forces on the eastern and western fronts; once they have succeeded in doing this, the main force will penetrate directly to Mu-dong-ni and Kap’yong and cut the Ch’unch’on road. Kapyong: The First Day 135 While the 40th Army was to strike the left half of the 6th ROK Division, the 20th Army was assigned to the right half. Concerning the Commonwealth brigade, the relevant passage from the operational directive was as follows: The three armies of 9 Army Group will first concentrate an absolute superiority of troop strength...