The Battle of Chipyong-ni

[Jolly]

Often called the Gettysburg of the Korean War, I've never understood why Hollywood has never made the battle into a major motion picture. It was a wild and crazy fight between the Americans and the French vs. the Chinese Communist Forces. Chinese wave attacks, American spoiling attacks, direct fire by quad-fifties and artillery, mortar duels at rifle distances, supply screw-ups, improvised mines, a regimental commander wounded by shrapnel who wouldn't leave his men, a MOH winner who jumped on a live grenade to spare five other soldiers, and two - count 'em, two - bayonet charges by the French to keep their lines from being overrun. Corsairs dropping napalm danger close (less than 100 yards from friendlies) and a relief column that had to send tanks down the road one at a time, with direct tank fire from ahead and behind to allow the armor to get through the Chinese.

The film is a bit dry (it's Army University Press), but it was a heckuva fight. And it was the first time the Chinese had been stopped cold in the Korean War.

Link to video