Battle of Pakchon

Chinese First Phase Offensive, 25 October – 1 November 1950

Date	5 November 1950
Location	Pakchon, North Korea
Result	United Nations victory

Belligerents

United Nations

China

North Korea

Commanders and leaders

Basil Aubrey Coad

Floyd Walsh

Howard M. Moore

Wu Xinquan

Zhang Jiecheng

Units involved

27th Brit Com Bde

117th Division

Strength

~300 men

~1,500 men

Casualties and losses

14 killed
84 wounded

270 killed
200 wounded
(estimated)

United Nations

27th Brit Com Bde

The Battle of Pakchon (5 November 1950), also known as the Battle of Bochuan (Chinese: 博川战斗; pinyin: Bó Chuān Zhàn Dòu), took place ten days after the start of the Chinese First Phase Offensive, following the entry of the People's Volunteer Army into the Korean War. The offensive reversed the United Nations (UN) advance towards the Yalu River which had occurred after their intervention in the wake of the North Korean invasion of South Korea at the start of the war. The battle was fought between British and Australian forces from the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade with American armour and artillery in support, and the Chinese 117th Division, around the village of Pakchon on the Taeryong River. After capturing Chongju on 30 October the British and Australians had been ordered to pull back to Pakchon in an attempt to consolidate the western flank of the US Eighth Army. Meanwhile, immediately following their success at Unsan against the Americans, the Chinese 117th Division of the 39th Army had attacked southward, intending to cut off the UN forces as they withdrew in the face of the unexpected Chinese assault. To halt the Chinese advance, the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade was ordered to defend the lower crossings of the Taeryong and Chongchon rivers as part of a rearguard, in conjunction with the US 24th Infantry Division further upstream on the right.

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