Operation Blaze

Operation Blaze
Part of the Korean War
Date 2 July 1952 Location Kangao-ri, Korea Result Indecisive; The Australians made gains but were forced to withdraw due to lack of ammunition and failure to complete all objectives
Belligerents
Australia	China
Commanders and leaders
David Thomson	Unknown
Units involved
1 RAR	Unknown
Strength
One company	Unknown
Casualties and losses
4 killed 33 wounded	Unknown

Indecisive;

Operation Blaze (2 July 1952) was an Australian Army operation near Kangao-ri during the Korean War to capture a prisoner. The raid involved a company-sized attack from the newly arrived 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) on Chinese positions on Hill 227. Although the Australians were able to take some of the Chinese positions on the hill, they did not achieve all of their objectives and were eventually forced to withdraw after running out of ammunition.

Australia had committed a second battalion to the fighting in Korea in 1952, with the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) joining 3 RAR in the 28th British Commonwealth Brigade of the 1st Commonwealth Division in early June. Soon after the battalion was detached to the 29th British Infantry Brigade to relieve the 1st Battalion, the Leicestershire Regiment, on the Jamestown Line.

A Company 1 RAR, under the command of Major David Thomson, was tasked to raid the Chinese positions of the 39th Field Army on Hill 227. The raid was 1 RAR's first major action of the war and was to be carried out in broad daylight. The objectives of the raid were to take prisoners for the purpose of gathering intelligence and to overrun the garrison stationed on Hill 227.

Preceded by a bombardment from supporting artillery, the attack on Hill 227 started at 09:00. With the assaulting troops wearing American issue body armour and with flamethrower and demolition platoons attached, the company gained the top within half an hour and immediately faced heavy and accurate Chinese small arms, mortar and artillery fire. Company headquarters received two direct hits from mortar fire, killing the wireless operator and wounding the artillery forward observation officer and two other members.

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