The Battle of Chipyong-ni has been considered one of the best examples of regimental defense in military history. The battle took place from February 13 to 15, 1951. The Allied forces consisted of the United States and our French partners. The enemy forces consisted mainly of 25,000 Chinese soldiers. The 23rd Regimental Combat Team and the Chipyong-ni defensive perimeter were led by COL Paul Freeman. His leadership and tactical abilities had a major influence on the outcome of the Korean War. COL Freeman's ability to apply mission command principles enabled a successful Allied counterattack, which ultimately led to the armistice at the 38th parallel. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayCOL Freeman was born June 29, 1907 and died April 17, 1988. He graduated from the United States Military Academy on June 13, 1932. He was stationed at Fort Sam Houston, Fort Benning and China before the Korean War. His previous roles included Company Commander, CO/BN Maintenance Officer, Deputy Military Attaché at the US Embassy in China, Instructor with the Chinese and Indian Armies, Director of Weapons Training for the Brazil-United States Joint Military Commission and U.S. Army Delegation to the U.S. Army. Inter-American Defense Organization. "At the outbreak of the Korean War, he was deployed to that theater as commander of the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division, and remained in command until he was wounded in February 1951 in Chipyong-ni. » Although COL Freeman had an exceptional regimental defense that turned the tide of the war, the peninsula had already been at war for seven months. The Korean War was a back-and-forth power struggle. One side would gain advantage and then lose it after a critical attack. The conflict arose from the division of North and South in 1945. North Korea chose the socialist approach by aligning its support with China and the Soviet Union. The South chose a capitalist approach and aligned its views with those of the United States. Leaders from the North and South both claimed they represented the entire peninsula. North Korea began its assault and declaration of war on June 25, 1950. The United Nations organized a fighting force to defeat North Korean aggression. The United States accounted for approximately 90% of this fighting force. Allied forces were unable to support combat operations and logistical supply routes. They were pushed back to the 140-mile-long Pusan ​​perimeter. Although the North Korean army won, they made a fatal mistake by spreading their army too thin. This allowed the allies to gather their forces and "draw a line in the sand...it was becoming clear that the North Koreans would not be able to move beyond the Pusan ​​perimeter." This battle lasted from August 4 to September 18, 1950. As Allied forces maintained an area defense to the south, Supreme Commander General Douglas MacArthur made the bold decision to send approximately 70,000 marines from the southern port of Pusan , around the west coast of the island. South Korea, to land on the beaches of Incheon. The plan, codenamed Operation Chromite, was executed on September 15, 1950. This strategy cut off North Korean supply lines and allowed Allied forces to take Seoul on September 26. “Allied troops then converged on the North Korean army from the north and south, killing or capturing thousands of enemy troops. » Allied forcescontinued to push the North Korean threat towards the Chinese border. On October 19, 1950, “UN forces captured the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, located 90 miles northwest of the 38th parallel.” On October 25, 1950, North Korean troops were pushed back against the Yulu River. Chinese soldiers engaged sections of the Allied forces. This is significant because it is the first example of China's involvement in the Korean War. November 25, 1950 China responded with approximately 300,000 troops, forcing the Allied forces to hastily withdraw. “The CCF (Chinese Communist Forces) assault completely surprised General MacArthur and the UN forces and changed the course of the war almost instantly.” Task Force Faith, under the command of LTC Don C. Faith, took the full force of the attack. Their aggressive defense allowed the Marines to withdraw. As Task Force Faith began to deteriorate, the stragglers began the march to join the Marines. “The survivors, along with other soldiers of the 7th ID, were organized into a provisional battalion and attached to the 7th Marines. Known as 31/7, the battalion participated in the 1st Marine Division's breakthrough from Hagaru-ri to the coast beginning on 6 December. » North Korean and Chinese forces continued to push back the Allied forces and retook Seoul on January 4, 1951. The Allied forces held the line approximately 30 miles from Seoul and began conducting counter-offensive operations. The tide began to slowly change on January 31, 1951 when the 23rd Regimental Combat Team was sent to destroy enemy units near the railroad tunnels about three miles southeast of Chipyong-ni. The battle was considered a success and allowed COL Freeman to occupy Chipyong-ni. When COL Freeman had his unit manning positions at Chipyong-ni, he noticed that he did not have enough soldiers to man the large mountainous perimeter. With only 4,500 men, he decided to tighten them in order to hold the lines together. He wanted to make sure the enemy couldn't get through their defense. This area included about 12 miles of ridge lines, but the men only occupied an area of ​​about 4 miles. During this repositioning, there was debate over whether the United States wanted to hold Chipyong-ni or disengage and move further south. The reason was that the Chinese force seemed impossible to beat due to its large number of soldiers. COL Freeman did not want to stay because he did not believe he could successfully establish a defense strong enough to withstand the endless number of Chinese soldiers. After being rejected, he requested immediate airstrikes and resupply missions. He also quickly began preparations, including the organization of attached units. COL Freeman's defense consisted of his original force, a French battalion, and the First Ranger Company. COL Freeman coordinated artillery and close air support before the morning of February 13, 1951 through the 37th Field Artillery Battalion and the 503rd Field Artillery Battalion. This would be extremely important because coordinated fire would prevent large numbers of enemies from moving quickly through an area. It was noted during the battle that "any daylight advance was stopped cold by the expert use of artillery by the defender (23rd RCT), but this would provide only momentary respite as the enemy began to prepare a night attack against the defenses. » The 23rd Regimental Combat Team consisted of deep trenches and barbed wire scattered along the most likely avenues of approach. It was satisfactory for daylight hours,but for night operations, they placed traps that produced a flare in the area signaling the presence of the enemy. This disciplined initiative also led to the placement of focaccia (napalm) throughout the line so that once triggered, it would engulf the enemy in a fiery blaze. Each location of an obstacle or weapon team position provided the best possible tactical advantage. Obstacles aside, COL Freeman demonstrated disciplined intuition when he took it upon himself to gather as much ammunition as possible. “He reached the point where he began to fear he would get in trouble for gathering so much if a battle did not take place.” This would prove vital in the coming battle. Before the impending battle took place, COL Freeman ensured that final preparations were completed and the men were ready. He created a common understanding that the enemy was surrounding them, ensured each company knew their section and responsibilities, and ensured his subordinates understood the importance of the events about to unfold. His subordinate leaders used the common operational picture and COL Freeman's intention to engage the enemy and execute combat drills that night. On February 13, 1951, a machine gun crew noticed burning torches moving along a distant hillside. They decided to attack the shadowy figures. Lt. Robert Peters was writing a letter in his tent when he heard a noise and went to check. He shouted to Lieutenant McKinney, executive officer of his battery: “Get up, McKinney; that's it! ". Although the enemy had the 23rd RCT surrounded, it appeared that Company G's sector had been hit hard. Once the enemy began to establish intense contact, officers in each platoon began to identify friction points and respond to the contact. The officers organized counterattacks and recovered the wounded. They often had to motivate frightened soldiers to move. Lieutenant Heath, commander of Company G, ordered the gunners to reinforce the 3rd Platoon position. “Heath grabbed a few men by their clothes and shouted, “Dammit, get back on that hill!” Either way, you will die here. You might as well go up on the hill and die there... When the gunners tried to take cover, Lieutenant Heath ran back and forth shouting and shooting at the men to persuade them to get up and move. He and other leaders understood the critical need to stay the course. They fully embodied the principles of mission command that Colonel Freeman had outlined before the battle. Some men were absolutely terrified, but carried out their tasks because they were confident that their leaders would make good decisions. “This phenomenon (unshakeable confidence) has led leaders and those under leadership to exceed their capabilities to achieve a level of performance that few units have matched. » This trust was first established when COL Freeman used his leadership and good judgment to achieve victory for his men at the Battle of the Twin Tunnels. The second example of COL Freeman building trust was his constant attempts to spend time with his soldiers. He walked the line every day. He stopped “to talk to the soldiers and reassure them that everything was okay.” He expressed real concern for his soldiers. This unprecedented trust is important because it maximizes Soldiers' willingness to complete the mission for their brothers. This trust was also earned through the level of risk that COL Freeman was willing to accept throughout the=118978