On this day in history, August 18, 1951, the Battle of Bloody Ridge during the Korean War began.
The battle took place between August 18 and September 5 and the enemy’s dead totaled 1,389 and as many as 15,000 communists were casualties.
The U.S. 2nd Infantry Division and the Republic of Korea Army units (ROK) suffered 326 killed in action, 2,032 wounded and 414 missing.
Bloody Ridge began as an attempt by UN forces to a ridge which were believed to be used as observation posts to call in artillery fire on a UN supply road.
The ROK captured most of the ridge in ground combat, but after a counterattack, North Korean forces pushed them back.
The 2nd Infantry Division then began a series of attacks over the next ten days, constantly getting beaten away until one hill was finally captured. After that, bombardment by artillery, tanks, airstrikes and flanking movements helped the UN forces to finally take the ridge.
The North Korean forces withdrew only 1,500 meters away from Bloody Ridge and set up new positions on a seven-mile long ridge named Heartbreak Ridge.
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