I watched a documentary tonight on the Battle of Kapyong, a key battle of the Korean War where ANZAC troops successfully prevented a Chinese breakthrough that could have led to the recapture of Seoul, Korea, by Chinese forces. The particular battle saw over 10,000 Chinese troops attack initially 2 ANZAC battalions, which were later supported by a New Zealand artillery battery. The Wikipedia article indicates that the ANZAC troops were outnumbered 5 to 1 by the Chinese, but the documentary I watched made it sound more in the realm of 10 to 1. Wikipedia also places Chinese casualties at 1,000 dead (versus 47 allied troops killed). However, the documentary indicated that between 4,000 and 5,000 Chinese had been killed--i.e., almost half of the attacking force. In other words, the Chinese lost anywhere from 20 to 100 men for each ANZAC soldier that was killed.
Whatever might be said of their bravery or fanaticism, the Chinese troops resorted to the worst possible tactics. Facing an enemy (the Australian and Canadian units) that were dug in on hillsides, armed with Enfield rifles and various machine guns, and later backed by a unit of New Zealand artillery, the Chinese decided on frontal massed assaults--i.e., frontal assaults uphill against entrenched opponents. It was like the Chinese were trying to fight WWI. The result was the same--insignificant losses among the ANZAC troops compared to massive losses among the attackers, who were unable to take or keep their objectives.
The Chinese came close to overwhelming the defenders by sheer numbers, resulting in hand-to-hand fighting (including using bayonets), but could not overcome the superior strength and training of the Anglo soldiers.
War is a fascinating subject. Despite the dubious morality of using violence to achieve personal or political aims. It remains that conflict has been used to do just that throughout recorded history.
ReplyDeleteYour article is very well done, a good read.