View source for Battle of Inchon

{{Short description|1950 battle of the Korean War}}
{{Redirect|Operation Chromite|the film|Operation Chromite (film)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Inchon
| partof            = the [[Korean War]]
| image             = Battle of Inchon.png
| map_type          = Korea
| map_relief        = 1
| caption           = Four [[tank landing ship]]s unload men and equipment on Red Beach one day after the amphibious landings on Incheon.
| date              = 10–19 September 1950<br>(10–15 September – [[Bombardment]]s of [[Wolmido]] and [[Incheon]])<br>(15–19 September – Incheon Landing)
| place             = [[Incheon|Inchon]], [[First Republic of Korea|South Korea]] and the [[Yellow Sea]]
| result            = [[United Nations]] victory
* Beginning of the [[North Korea]]n withdrawal from [[First Republic of Korea|South Korea]]
* Start of the [[UN offensive into North Korea]]
| combatant1        = {{unbulleted list|{{flagcountry|First Republic of Korea|1949}}|{{flag|United Nations}}}}
* {{flag|United States|1912}}
* {{flag|United Kingdom}}
* {{flag|Canada|1921}}
* {{flag|Australia}} 
* {{flag|New Zealand}} 
* {{flag|France|1946}}
* {{flag|Netherlands}}
| combatant2        = {{flag|North Korea|1948}}
| commander1        = {{unbulleted list|{{flagicon|United Nations}} [[Douglas MacArthur]]|{{nowrap|{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Arthur Dewey Struble]]}}|{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Edward M. Almond]]|{{nowrap|{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Oliver P. Smith]]<ref>{{harvnb|Halberstam|2007|p= 302}}</ref>}}|{{flagicon|South Korea|1949|size=23px}} [[Sohn Won-yil]]|   {{flagicon|South Korea|1949|size=23px}} [[Shin Hyun-joon (general)|Shin Hyun-joon]]|{{flagicon|South Korea|1949|size=23px}} [[Paik In-yeop]]}}
| commander2        = {{unbulleted list|{{flagicon|North Korea|1948}} [[Kim Il Sung]]|{{flagicon|North Korea|1948}} [[Choe Yong-gon (army commander)|Choe Yong-kun]]|{{flagicon|North Korea|1948}} [[Wol Ki Chan]]|{{flagicon|North Korea|1948}} [[Wan Yong]]}}
| units1            = {{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[X Corps (United States)|X Corps]]
* [[7th Infantry Division (United States)|7th Infantry Division]]
* [[1st Marine Division (United States)|1st Marine Division]]
* various support units
{{flagicon|South Korea}}
* [[17th Infantry Brigade (South Korea)|ROK Army 17th Infantry Regiment]]<ref>attached to the US Army 7th Infantry Division</ref>
* [[Republic of Korea Marine Corps|ROK Marine 1st Regiment]]<ref>attached to the USMC 1st Marine Division</ref>
* [[National Police Agency (South Korea)|ROK Police Hwarang Unit]]<ref>attached to the US Army 7th Infantry Division and the USMC 1st Marine Division</ref>
* [[Korean Augmentation to the United States Army|KATUSA]]<ref>attached to the US Army 7th Infantry Division</ref>
* [[Student Volunteer Forces#Student Volunteer Force of Koreans In Japan|Student Volunteer Force of Koreans In Japan]]<ref>attached to the US Army 7th Infantry Division</ref>
{{flagicon|United Nations}}
* Joint Task Force 7 (UN Combined Fleet)
| units2            = {{unbulleted list|226th Marine Regiment|918th Artillery Regiment}}
| strength1         = {{unbulleted list|About 40,000 infantry|4 [[cruiser]]s|7 [[destroyer]]s|About 260 ships<br />of Joint Task Force 7:<br>US (226 ships)<br/>South Korea (15 ships)<br />UK (12 ships)<br />Canada (3 ships)<br />Australia (2 ships)<br />New Zealand (2 ships)<br />France (1 ship)<br />Netherlands (1 ship) 
<ref name="Utz1">{{cite book |last1=Utz |first1=Curtis |title=Assault from the Sea: The Amphibious Landing at Inchon |date=2000 |publisher=Naval Historical Center, Dept. of the Navy |location=Washington |isbn=0945274270 |page=24}}</ref>}}
| strength2         = About {{unbulleted list|6,500 infantry|19 aircraft<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|p=11}}. They did not anticipate any air opposition for, as far as intelligence knew, the North Koreans had only nineteen planes left.</ref>|1 fortress|1 [[patrol boat]]|Unknown quantity of [[artillery]]}}
| casualties1       = 224 killed<br>809 wounded<br>2 cruisers damaged<br />3 destroyers damaged<br>1 LST lost and 3 damaged<br>1 aircraft destroyed
| casualties2       = {{unbulleted list|1,350 killed|1 fortress damaged|1 patrol boat sunk|{{nowrap|1 aircraft destroyed}}}}
| campaignbox       = {{Naval engagements of the Korean War}}
{{Campaignbox Korean War}}
}}

The '''Battle of Inchon''' ({{ko-hhrm|인천 상륙 작전|仁川上陸作戰|Incheon Sangnyuk Jakjeon}}), also spelled '''Battle of Incheon''', was an [[Amphibious warfare|amphibious invasion]] and a battle of the [[Korean War]] that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the [[United Nations Command]] (UN). The operation involved some 75,000 troops and 261 naval vessels and led to the [[Second Battle of Seoul|recapture]] of the [[First Republic of South Korea|South Korean]] capital of [[Seoul]] two weeks later.<ref>The Independent, 16 September 2010, p. 35 reporting on a 60th-anniversary re-enactment.</ref> The code name for the Inchon [[Landing operation|operation]] was '''Operation Chromite'''.

The battle began on 15 September 1950 and ended on 19 September. Through a surprise amphibious assault far from the [[Battle of Pusan Perimeter|Pusan Perimeter]] that UN and [[Republic of Korea Army]] (ROK) forces were desperately defending, the largely undefended city of [[Incheon]] was secured after being bombed by UN forces. The battle ended a string of victories by the North Korean [[Korean People's Army]] (KPA). The subsequent UN recapture of [[Seoul]] partially severed the KPA's supply lines in South Korea.

The UN and ROK forces were commanded by [[General of the Army (United States)|General of the Army]] [[Douglas MacArthur]] of the [[United States Army]]. MacArthur was the driving force behind the operation, overcoming the strong misgivings of more cautious generals to a risky assault over extremely unfavorable terrain. The battle was followed by a rapid collapse of the KPA; within a month of the Incheon landing, the Americans had taken 135,000 KPA troops prisoner.<ref>Stueck, William W. (2002), Rethinking the Korean War: A New Diplomatic and Strategic History, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, {{ISBN|978-0691118475}} Page 202.</ref>

==Background==
===Pusan Perimeter===
{{main|Battle of Pusan Perimeter|The Great Naktong Offensive}}
From the outbreak of the Korean War following the invasion of South Korea by North Korea on 25 June 1950, the KPA had enjoyed superiority in both manpower and ground combat equipment over the ROK and UN forces dispatched to South Korea to prevent it from collapsing.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=392}} The North Korean strategy was to aggressively pursue UN and ROK forces on all avenues of approach south and to engage them, [[Frontal assault|attacking from the front]] and initiating a [[double envelopment]] of both flanks of the defending units, which allowed the KPA to surround and cut off the opposing force, forcing it to retreat in disarray.{{sfn|Varhola|2000|p=6}} From their initial 25 June offensive to fighting in July and early August, the KPA used this tactic to defeat the UN forces they encountered and push southward.<ref name="Fehr138"/> However, with the establishment of the [[Pusan Perimeter]] in August, UN forces held a continuous line which the KPA could not flank. The KPA advantages in numbers decreased daily as the [[Logistics at the Battle of Pusan Perimeter|superior UN logistical system]] brought in more troops and supplies to the UN forces.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=393}}

When the KPA approached the Pusan Perimeter on 5 August, they attempted the same frontal assault technique on the four main avenues of approach into the perimeter. Throughout August, they conducted direct assaults resulting in the [[Battle of Masan]],{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=367}} the [[Battle of Battle Mountain]],<ref name="Bowers149">{{harvnb|Bowers|Hammong|MacGarrigle|2005|p=149}}</ref> the [[First Battle of Naktong Bulge]],<ref>{{harvnb|Fehrenbach|2001|p=130}}</ref>{{sfn|Alexander|2003|p=139}} the [[Battle of Taegu]],{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=353}}{{sfn|Alexander|2003|p=143}} and the [[Battle of the Bowling Alley]].<ref name="Catch31">{{harvnb|Catchpole|2001|p=31}}</ref> On the east coast of the [[Korean Peninsula]], the ROK repulsed three KPA divisions at the [[Battle of P'ohang-dong]].<ref name="Fehr136">{{harvnb|Fehrenbach|2001|p=136}}</ref> The KPA attacks stalled as UN forces repelled the attack.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=369}} All along the front, the KPA reeled from these defeats, the first time in the war North Korean tactics had failed.<ref name="Fehr135">{{harvnb|Fehrenbach|2001|p=135}}</ref>

By the end of August the KPA had been pushed beyond their limits and many of the original units were at far reduced strength and effectiveness.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=393}}<ref name="Mill506">{{harvnb|Millett|2000|p=506}}</ref> Logistic problems wracked the KPA, and shortages of food, weapons, equipment and replacement soldiers proved devastating for their units.{{sfn|Varhola|2000|p=6}}<ref name="Bowers157">{{harvnb|Bowers|Hammong|MacGarrigle|2005|p=157}}</ref> However, the KPA retained high morale and enough supply to allow for another large-scale offensive.<ref name="Fehr138">{{harvnb|Fehrenbach|2001|p=138}}</ref> On 1 September the KPA threw their entire military into one final bid to break the Pusan Perimeter, the [[Great Naktong Offensive]], a five-pronged simultaneous attack across the entire perimeter.<ref name="Fehr139">{{harvnb|Fehrenbach|2001|p=139}}</ref> The attack caught UN forces by surprise and almost overwhelmed them.{{sfn|Alexander|2003|p=180}}{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=180}} KPA troops [[Battle of Kyongju|attacked Kyongju]],<ref name="Mill557">{{harvnb|Millett|2000|p=557}}</ref> [[Battle of Tabu-dong|surrounded Taegu]]{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=411}} and [[Battle of Ka-san|Ka-san]],<ref name="Fehr140">{{harvnb|Fehrenbach|2001|p=140}}</ref> recrossed the [[Second Battle of Naktong Bulge|Naktong Bulge]],{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=443}} threatened [[Battle of Yongsan|Yongsan]],<ref name="Mil532">{{harvnb|Millett|2000|p=532}}</ref> and continued their attack at Masan, focusing on [[Battle of Nam River|Nam River]] and [[Battle of Haman|Haman]].<ref name="Bowers158">{{harvnb|Bowers|Hammong|MacGarrigle|2005|p=158}}</ref> However, despite their efforts, in one of the most brutal fights of the Korean War, the KPA were unsuccessful.{{sfn|Varhola|2000|p=7}} Unable to hold their gains, the KPA retreated from the offensive a much weaker force, and vulnerable to counterattack.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=600}}

===Planning===
[[File:MacArthur Inchon planning.JPG|thumb|right|[[General of the Army (United States)|General of the Army]] [[Douglas MacArthur]] (center) grasps [[General (United States)|General]] [[J. Lawton Collins]] (the [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Army Chief of Staff]], left) and [[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]] [[Forrest Sherman]] (the [[Chief of Naval Operations]], right) upon their arrival in [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]. MacArthur used their meeting to convince other military leaders that the assault on Incheon was necessary.]]
Days after the beginning of the war, [[General of the Army (United States)|General of the Army]] [[Douglas MacArthur]], the US Army officer in command of all UN forces in Korea, envisioned an [[amphibious assault]] to retake the [[Seoul]] area. The city had fallen in the first days of the war in the [[First Battle of Seoul]].{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=488}} MacArthur later wrote that he thought the KPA would push the ROK back far past Seoul.{{sfn|MacArthur|1964|p=333}} He also said he decided days after the war began that the battered, demoralized, and under-equipped ROK, many of whom did not support the South Korean government put in power by the United States, could not hold off the KPA even with American support. MacArthur felt that he could turn the tide if he made a decisive troop movement behind KPA lines,{{sfn|MacArthur|1964|p=350}} and preferred [[Incheon]], over [[Chumunjin-up]] or [[Kunsan]] as the landing site. He had originally envisioned such a landing, code-named [[Operation Bluehearts]], for 22 July, with the US Army's [[1st Cavalry Division (United States)|1st Cavalry Division]] landing at Incheon. However, by 10 July the plan was abandoned as it was clear the 1st Cavalry Division would be needed on the Pusan Perimeter.{{sfn|Halberstam|2007|pp=294–295}} On 23 July, MacArthur formulated a new plan, code-named Operation Chromite, calling for an amphibious assault by the US Army's [[2nd Infantry Division (United States)|2nd Infantry Division]] and the [[United States Marine Corps]] (USMC)'s [[5th Marine Regiment]] in mid-September 1950. This, too fell through as both units were moved to the Pusan Perimeter. MacArthur decided instead to use the US Army's [[7th Infantry Division (United States)|7th Infantry Division]], his last reserve unit in [[East Asia]], to conduct the operation as soon as it could be raised to wartime strength.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=489}}

In preparation for the invasion, MacArthur activated the US Army's [[X Corps (United States)|X Corps]] to act as the command for the landing forces, and appointed [[Major General (United States)|Major General]] [[Edward Almond]], his [[chief of staff]], as Corps' commander, anticipating the operation would mean a quick end to the war.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=490}} Throughout August, MacArthur faced the challenge of re-equipping the 7th Infantry Division as it had sent 9,000 of its men to reinforce the Pusan Perimeter and was far understrength. He also faced the challenge that the USMC, reduced in size following [[World War II]], had to rebuild the [[1st Marine Division (United States)|1st Marine Division]], using elements of the [[1st Provisional Marine Brigade]] fighting at Pusan as well as the [[1st Marine Regiment]] and the [[7th Marine Regiment]], which pulled US Marines from as far away as the [[Mediterranean Sea]] to Korea for the task.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=491}} MacArthur ordered [[KATUSA|Korean Augmentation To the United States Army (KATUSA)]] troops, ROK conscripts assigned to US Army units, to reinforce the 7th Infantry Division, while allocating all equipment coming into Korea to X Corps, despite it being crucially needed by the US Army's [[Eighth Army (United States)|Eighth Army]] on the Pusan Perimeter.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=492}}
[[File:F4U-4B VF-113 CV-47 1950.JPEG|thumb|left|A [[F4U Corsair|Vought F4U-4B Corsair]] of [[VFA-113|Fighter Squadron 113 (VF-113)]] (the "Stingers") flies over UN ships off Incheon, Korea, on 15 September 1950. VF-113 was assigned to Carrier Air Group Eleven (CVG-11) aboard the [[aircraft carrier]] {{USS|Philippine Sea|CV-47|6}}. The [[battleship]] {{USS|Missouri|BB-63|6}} is visible below the Corsair.]]

MacArthur decided to use the [[Joint Strategic and Operations Group]] (JSPOG) of his [[United States Far East Command]] (FECOM). The initial plan was met with skepticism by the other generals because Incheon's natural and artificial defenses were formidable. The approaches to Incheon were two restricted passages, which could be easily blocked by [[naval mine]]s. The current of the channels was also dangerously quick&mdash;{{convert|3 to 8|knot|mph km/h|lk=in}}&mdash;and tides were so extreme as to prevent immediate follow-on landings. Finally, the anchorage was small and the harbor was surrounded by tall [[seawall]]s. [[United States Navy]] [[Commander (United States)|Commander]] [[Arlie G. Capps]] noted that the harbor had "every natural and geographic handicap."<ref>{{harvnb|Marolda|2007|p=68}}</ref> US Navy leaders favored a landing at Kunsan, closer to the Pusan perimeter and the KPA main axis of supply through [[Taejon]], but MacArthur did not think landing there would produce a sufficiently decisive victory.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=493}} He also felt that the KPA, who also thought the conditions of the Incheon channel would make a landing impossible, would be surprised and caught off-guard by the attack.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=494}}{{sfn|Halberstam|2007|p=299}}

On 23 August, the commanders held a meeting at MacArthur's headquarters in Tokyo.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=493}} [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army]] [[General (United States)|General]] [[J. Lawton Collins|Joseph Lawton Collins]], [[Chief of Naval Operations]] [[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]] [[Forrest Sherman]], and [[United States Air Force]] (USAF) operations deputy [[Lieutenant General (United States)|Lieutenant General]] [[Idwal H. Edward]] all flew from [[Washington, D.C.]], to [[Japan]] to take part in the briefing; [[Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force]] General [[Hoyt Vandenberg]] did not attend, possibly because he "did not want to legitimize an operation that essentially belong[ed] to the Navy and the Marines." The Marine Corps staff, who were to be responsible for leading the landing at Incheon, were not invited, which became a contentious issue. During the briefing, nine members of the staff of US Navy Admiral [[James H. Doyle]] spoke for nearly 90 minutes on every technical and military aspect of the landing.{{sfn|Halberstam|2007|pp=298–299}} MacArthur told the officers that although a landing at Kunsan would bring a relatively easy linkup with the Eighth Army, it "would be an attempted [[envelopment]] that would not envelop" and would place more troops in a vulnerable pocket of the Pusan Perimeter. MacArthur won over Sherman by speaking of his affection for the US Navy and relating the story of how the Navy carried him out of [[Battle of Corregidor|Corregidor]] to safety in 1942 during World War II. Sherman agreed to support the Incheon operation, leaving Doyle furious.{{sfn|Halberstam|2007|p=300}}

[[File:Korea-Pohang-Goryongpo Beach-01.jpg|230px|right|thumb|The beach of Pohang in 2008. Here, UN forces landed unopposed in 1950]]
MacArthur spent 45 minutes after the briefing explaining his reasons for choosing Incheon.<ref>{{harvnb|Utz|1994|p=18}}</ref> He said that, because it was so heavily defended, the North Koreans would not expect an attack there, that victory at Incheon would avoid a brutal winter campaign, and that, by invading a northern strong point, UN forces could cut off KPA lines of supply and communication.{{sfn|MacArthur|1964|pp=349–350}} Sherman and Collins returned to Washington, D.C., and reported back to Secretary of Defense [[Louis A. Johnson]]. The Joint Chiefs of Staff approved MacArthur's plan on 28 August. President Truman also provided his approval.{{sfn|Korea Institute of Military History|2000|p=601}}

The landing at Incheon was not the first large-scale amphibious operation since World War II. That distinction belonged to the United Nations landing that took place on 18 July 1950 at [[Pohang]], South Korea. However, that operation was not made in KPA-held territory and was unopposed.<ref name="NYTReports">{{Citation |title=Landings By Sea Not New In Korea |date=September 15, 1950 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=3 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1950/09/15/archives/landings-by-sea-not-new-in-korea-us-cavalry-arrived-in-first-large.html }}</ref>

Admiral [[Arthur Dewey Struble]]'s Joint Task Force 7 consisted of [[Task Force 77 (United States Navy)|Fast Carrier Task Force 77]] for fighter cover, interdiction, and ground attack; [[Royal Navy]] Admiral [[William Andrewes]]' [[Task Force 91]] for Blockade and Covering Force; Rear Admiral [[George R. Henderson]]'s Task Force 99 for Patrol and Reconnaissance; Captain [[Bernard L. Austin]]'s Service Squadron 3, operating Task Force 79 for Logistics Support; Admiral [[James H. Doyle]]'s Invasion Force - [[Task Force 90 (United States)|Attack Task Force 90]]; and the [[Military Sea Transportation Service]], which was to bring in the [[United States Army]]'s [[7th Infantry Division (United States)|7th Infantry Division]] on 18 September 1950.<ref name=Utz/>

==Prelude==
Before the main land battle, UN forces landed spies in Incheon and bombarded the city's defenses via air and sea. Deception operations were also carried out to draw North Korean attention away from Incheon.

===Maintaining surprise===
[[File:B-26 Invader Iri Korea 1950.jpg|thumb|left|A [[United States Air Force]] [[3rd Bombardment Group|3rd Bombardment Group (Light)]] [[A-26 Invader]] conducts a rocket attack on the rail yard at [[Iri]], [[South Korea]], in early September 1950 as part of deception operations to draw North Korean attention away from the planned Incheon landings.]]
With men, supplies, and ships obviously concentrating at Pusan and in Japanese ports for a major amphibious operation and the press in Japan referring to the upcoming landings as "Operation Common Knowledge," the UN command feared that it would fail to achieve surprise in the Incheon landings. Exacerbating this fear, the leader of a North Korean-Japanese spy ring arrested in Japan in early September 1950 had a copy of the plan for Operation Chromite, and the UN forces did not know whether he had managed to transmit the plan to North Korea before his arrest. US Navy [[patrol aircraft]], [[surface warship]]s, and [[submarine]]s operated in the [[Sea of Japan]] (East Sea) and the [[Yellow Sea]] to detect any reaction by North Korean, [[Soviet Union|Soviet]], or [[People's Republic of China]] military forces, and on 4 September 1950 [[F4U Corsair]] fighters of [[VF-53|Fighter Squadron 53 (VF-53)]] operating from the [[aircraft carrier]] {{USS|Valley Forge|CV-45|6}} shot down a [[Soviet Air Force]] [[A-20 Havoc]] bomber after it opened fire on them over the Yellow Sea as it flew toward the UN naval task force there.<ref name="Utz">{{harvnb|Utz|1994|pp=20–22}}</ref>

In order to ensure surprise during the landings, UN forces staged an elaborate deception operation to draw North Korean attention away from Incheon by making it appear that the landing would take place {{convert|105|mi}} to the south at Kunsan. On 5 September 1950, aircraft of the USAF's [[Pacific Air Forces#Far East Air Forces|Far East Air Forces]] began attacks on roads and bridges to isolate Kunsan, typical of the kind of raids expected prior to an invasion there.<ref name="Utz"/>{{sfn|Korea Institute of Military History|2000|p=610}} A naval bombardment of Kunsan followed on 6 September, and on 11 September USAF [[B-29 Superfortress]] bombers joined the aerial campaign, bombing military installations in the area.<ref name="Utz"/>

In addition to aerial and naval bombardment, UN forces took other measures to focus North Korean attention on Kunsan. On the docks at Pusan, USMC officers briefed their men on an upcoming landing at Kunsan within earshot of many Koreans, and on the night of 12–13 September 1950 the [[Royal Navy]] [[frigate]] {{HMS|Whitesand Bay|F633|6}} landed US Army [[special operations]] troops and [[Royal Marine Commando]]s on the docks at Kunsan, making sure that North Korean forces noticed their visit.<ref name="Utz"/>

UN forces conducted a series of drills, tests, and raids elsewhere on the coast of Korea, where conditions were similar to Incheon, before the actual invasion. These drills were used to perfect the timing and performance of the landing craft,<ref name="NYTReports"/> but also were intended to confuse the North Koreans further as to the location of the invasion.

===Incheon infiltration===
[[File:Incheon SK.png|right|thumb|Incheon, South Korea, in pink coloring.]]

On 17 August 1950, [[Republic of Korea Navy|ROK Navy]] Intelligence Unit infiltrated in Yonghung-do ([[Yeongheungdo|Yeongheung Island]]) and Tokchok-do ([[Deokjeokdo|Deokjeok Island]]) conducted [[Operation X-ray]] ([[:ko:X-ray 작전]]) to obtain information on the conditions there until 14 September.<ref>[https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/298/0000196032?sid=117 영화‘인천상륙작전’실재 주인공에게 듣다]</ref> 

Separately on 1 September 1950, UN reconnaissance team (members were from US military intelligence Unit including [[Korea Liaison Office|KLO]], [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]) also infiltrated in Yonghung-do ([[Yeongheungdo|Yeongheung Island]]) to obtain information on the conditions there.<ref>[http://monthly.chosun.com/client/news/viw.asp?nNewsNumb=200510100061 팔미도 등대 가동시키고「킬로이 다녀간다」고 낙서까지 했다!]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://kookbang.dema.mil.kr/newsWeb/20160707/1/ATCE_CTGR_0020050053/view.do |title=팔미도 등댓불 밝힌 최규봉, 전세 역전 희망불 밝혀 |access-date=2023-09-12 |archive-date=2023-09-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914192049/https://kookbang.dema.mil.kr/newsWeb/20160707/1/ATCE_CTGR_0020050053/view.do |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[https://kookbang.dema.mil.kr/newsWeb/20160714/1/ATCE_CTGR_0020050053/view.do 美 클라크 대위“팔미도 등댓불 내가 밝혔다” 주장]{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>[https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/032/0003082031?sid=102 어느 전쟁 영웅의 '인천상륙작전']</ref>

The team, led by US Navy Lieutenant [[Eugene F. Clark]],<ref>Clark later published a book, ''The Secrets of Inchon: The Untold Story of the Most Daring Covert Mission of the Korean War'', an account of his exploits at Incheon.</ref> landed at Yonghung-do ([[Yeongheungdo|Yeongheung Island]]), an island in the mouth of the harbor. From there, the team relayed intelligence back to the UN Command. With the help of locals, Clark gathered information about [[tide]]s, beach composition, [[mudflat]]s, and seawalls. A separate reconnaissance mission codenamed Operation Trudy Jackson ([[:ko:트루디 잭슨 작전]]),<ref>[https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/boose.pdf US Army Combinded Arms Center - Over the Beach US Army Amphibious Operations in the Korean War (pp. 172–174)]</ref> which dispatched Youn Joung (former [[Republic of Korea Navy|ROK Navy]] Lieutenant) and Ke In-ju (former [[Republic of Korea Army|ROK Army]] Colonel) to Incheon to collect further intelligence on the area, was mounted by the US military.{{sfn|Korea Institute of Military History|2000|pp=609–610}}

The tides at Incheon have an average range of {{convert|29|ft}} and a maximum observed range of {{convert|36|ft}}, making the tidal range there one of the largest in the world and the littoral maximum in all of [[Asia]]. Clark observed the tides at Incheon for two weeks and discovered that American tidal charts were inaccurate, but that Japanese charts were quite good.<ref>Francis E. Wylie, ''Tides and the Pull of the Moon'', p. 214 et seq. The Stephen Greene Press, Brattleboro, Vermont, 1979</ref> Clark's team provided detailed reports on KPA [[artillery]] positions and [[fortification]]s on the island of Wolmi-do ([[Wolmido|Wolmi Island]]), at Incheon and on nearby islands. During the extended periods of low tide, Clark's team located and removed some North Korean [[naval mines]], but, critically to the future success of the invasion, Clark reported that the North Koreans had not in fact systematically mined the channels.<ref>Shaw, Ronald, ''Reinventing Amphibious Hydrography: The Incheon Assault and Hydrographic Support for Amphibious Operations,'' 2008, Naval War College, Newport, RI, pp. 4–5</ref>

When the KPA discovered that the agents had landed on the islands near Incheon, they made multiple attacks, including an attempted raid on Yonghung-do with six [[Junk (ship)|junks]]. Clark mounted a [[machine gun]] on a [[sampan]] and sank the attacking junks.<ref>{{harvnb|Clark|2002|pp= 216–222}}</ref> In response, the KPA killed perhaps as many as 50 civilians for helping Clark.<ref>Fleming, Thomas, epilogue to ''The Secrets of Inchon'', 2002, p. 323</ref>

===Bombardments of Wolmi-do and Incheon===
[[File:USS Rochester (CA-124) at anchor 1956.jpg|thumb|left|{{USS|Rochester|CA-124|6}} in 1956. She was the [[flagship]] of [[Vice Admiral (United States)|Vice Admiral]] [[Arthur Dewey Struble|Arthur D. Struble]] off Incheon in 1950.]]
[[File:Pre-invasion bombardment at Inchon.jpg|thumb|[[Wolmido]] under bombardment on 13 September 1950, two days before the landings, seen from the U.S. Navy [[destroyer]] {{USS|Lyman K. Swenson|DD-729|6}}.]]
On 10 September 1950, five days before the Incheon landing, 43 American warplanes flew over Wolmi-do, dropping 93 [[napalm]] canisters to "burn out" its eastern slope in an attempt to clear the way for American troops.<ref>{{Citation |title=South Korea Says U.S. Killed Hundreds of Civilians |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/world/asia/03korea.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 3, 2008 |last=Choe |first=Sang-Hun }}</ref>

The flotilla of ships that landed and supported the amphibious force during the battle was commanded by [[Vice Admiral (United States)|Vice Admiral]] [[Arthur Dewey Struble|Arthur D. Struble]], an expert in [[amphibious warfare]]. Struble had participated in amphibious operations in World War II, including the [[Operation Overlord|Normandy landings]] and the [[Battle of Leyte]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Parrott |first=Lindesay |title=United States Marines Headed For Seoul |date=September 18, 1950 |newspaper=The New York Times |page=1 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1950/09/18/archives/veterans-ashore-south-koreans-swiftly-take-mokpo-large-west-coast.html }}</ref> He got underway for Incheon in his [[flagship]], the [[heavy cruiser]] {{USS|Rochester|CA-124|6}}, on 12 September 1950. Among his ships were the Gunfire Support Group, consisting of ''Rochester'', the heavy cruiser {{USS|Toledo|CA-133|6}}, the British [[light cruiser]]s {{HMS|Jamaica|C44|6}} and {{HMS|Kenya|14|6}}, and the six US [[destroyer]]s of Task Element 90.62, made up of {{USS|Collett|DD-730|6}}, {{USS|De Haven|DD-727|6}}, {{USS|Gurke|DD-783|6}}, {{USS|Henderson|DD-785|6}}, {{USS|Lyman K. Swenson|DD-729|6}}, and {{USS|Mansfield|DD-728|6}}.<ref name="Capt Schelling">{{cite web|last1=Schelling|first1=Robert|title=Captain|url=http://www.ussdehaven.org/six_sitting_ducks.htm|website=USS DEHAVEN, Six Sitting Ducks}}</ref>
[[Royal Canadian Navy]] destroyers {{HMCS|Cayuga|R04|6}}, {{HMCS|Athabaskan|R79|6}} and {{HMCS|Sioux|R64|6}} also participated in the invasion task force.
[[File:USS Toledo (CA-133) fires at targets at Inchon, in September 1950.jpg|300px|thumb|left|The aft turret of the U.S. Navy [[heavy cruiser]] {{USS|Toledo|CA-133|6}} fires its [[8"/55 caliber gun|8-inch]] (203-mm) guns during the pre-invasion bombardment.]]

At 07:00 on 13 September, the U.S. Navy's [[Destroyer Squadron]] 9, headed by ''Mansfield'', steamed up Flying Fish Channel and into Incheon Harbor, where it fired upon KPA gun emplacements on Wolmi-do and in Incheon. Between them, two British cruisers and six American destroyers fired almost a thousand 5-inch (127-mm) and 6-inch (152-mm) shells onto the fortifications. The attacks tipped off the KPA that a landing might be imminent, and the KPA officer in command on Wolmi-do assured his superiors that he would throw their enemies back into the sea.<ref>{{harvnb|Utz|1994|p=25}}</ref> North Korea's 918th Coastal Artillery Regiment returned fire, hitting ''Collett'' seven times, ''Gurke'' three times, and ''Lyman K. Swenson'' twice. Aboard ''Lyman K. Swenson'', [[Lieutenant (junior grade)]] David H. Swenson was killed and eight others were wounded.<ref name=Utz/>{{rp|26}}
[[File:USS Collett (DD-730) underway off Boston, Massachusetts (USA), 31 May 1944 (19-N-130517).jpg|right|thumb|The US Navy destroyer {{USS|Collett|DD-730|6}}, photographed above in May 1944 while painted in [[dazzle camouflage]], was among the ships damaged during the Wolmi-do bombardment.]]

The American destroyers withdrew after bombarding Wolmi-do for an hour and ''Rochester'', ''Toledo'', ''Jamaica'', and ''Kenya'' proceeded to bombard the KPA batteries for the next three hours from the south of the island. Lieutenant Clark and his South Korean squad watched from hills south of Incheon, plotting locations where KPA machine guns were firing at the flotilla. They relayed this information to the invasion force via Japan in the afternoon.<ref>{{harvnb|Clark|2002|pp=294}}</ref>

During the night of 13–14 September, Struble decided on another day of bombardment, and the destroyers moved back up the channel off Wolmi-do on 14 September. They and the cruisers bombarded the island again that day, and planes from the carrier task force bombed and strafed it.<ref name=Utz/>{{rp|26}}

[[File:A_U.N._LST_slips_into_the_harbor_at_Inchon_prior_to_invasion_by_U.S._Marines_HD-SN-99-03074.jpg|thumb|left|A [[tank landing ship]] enters the harbor at Incheon before the landings.]]
At 00:50 on 15 September 1950, Lieutenant Clark and his South Korean squad activated the [[lighthouse]] on the island of Palmido.<ref>{{harvnb|Clark|2002|pp=419, 430}}</ref> Later that morning, the ships carrying the amphibious force followed the destroyers toward Incheon and entered Flying Fish Channel, and the US Marines of the invasion force got ready to make the first landings on Wolmi-do.<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|p=13}}</ref>

===Naval mine clearance===
Within weeks of the outbreak of the Korean War, the Soviet Union had shipped [[naval mines]] to North Korea for use in [[Coastal defence and fortification|coastal defense]], with Soviet [[naval mine warfare]] experts providing technical instruction in laying and employment of the mines to North Korean personnel. Some of the mines were shipped to Incheon.<ref>Melia, Tamara Moser, ''"Damn the Torpedoes:" A Short History of U.S. Naval Mines Countermeasures, 1777–1991'', Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy, Washington, D.C., 1991, p. 72.</ref> The UN forces did not become aware of the presence of mines in North Korean waters until early September 1950, raising fears that this would interfere with the Incheon invasion. It was too late to reschedule the landings, but the North Koreans laid relatively few and unsophisticated mines at Incheon. Destroyers in the assault force visually identified moored [[contact mine]]s in the channel at low tide and destroyed them with gunfire. When the invasion force passed through the channel at high tide to land on the assault beaches, it passed over any remaining mines without incident.<ref>Melia, Tamara Moser, ''"Damn the Torpedoes:" A Short History of U.S. Naval Mines Countermeasures, 1777–1991'', Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy, Washington, D.C., 1991, p. 73.</ref>

==Battle==
[[File:Inchon landing map (en).svg|right|300px|thumb|The landing at Incheon]]
[[File:Landing craft approaching Inchon, Korea, on 15 September 1950 (NH 42351).jpg|right|thumb|Landing craft of the first and second waves approach Red Beach on 15 September 1950. The U.S. Navy destroyer {{USS|De Haven|DD-727|6}}, visible at bottom center, covers them]]

===Green Beach===
[[File:31st Infantry Inchon.jpg|thumb|left|The [[31st Infantry Regiment (United States)|31st Infantry]] lands at Incheon]]
At 06:30 on 15 September 1950, the lead elements of X Corps hit "Green Beach" on the northern side of Wolmido. The [[Landing operation|landing force]] consisted of the [[3rd Battalion, 5th Marines]], led by [[Lieutenant Colonel (United States)|Lieutenant Colonel]] [[Robert Taplett]] and nine [[M26 Pershing]] tanks from the USMC [[1st Tank Battalion]].{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=505-6}} One tank was equipped with a [[flamethrower]] and two others had [[bulldozer blade]]s. The battle group landed from [[Landing Ship, Tank|tank landing ships (LSTs)]]. The entire island was captured by noon at the cost of just 14 casualties.<ref>{{citation |last1=Alexander |first1=Joseph H. |last2=Horan |first2=Don |year=1999 |title=The Battle History of the U.S. Marines: A Fellowship of Valor |publisher=HarperCollins |location=New York |isbn=0-06-093109-4 |page=v }}</ref>

The KPA defenders were outnumbered by more than six to one by the UN troops. KPA casualties included over 200 killed and 136 captured, primarily from the 918th Artillery Regiment and the [[226th Independent Marine Regiment (North Korea)|226th Independent Marine Regiment]].<ref>{{cite book| url = http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/kw-unoff/unoff.htm| title = The Korean War: The UN Offensive| first = Stephen L.Y.| last = Gammons| id = CMH Pub 19-7| publisher = [[United States Army Center of Military History]]| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140713225120/http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/kw-unoff/unoff.htm| archive-date = 2014-07-13}}</ref> The forces on Green Beach had to wait until 19:50 for the tide to rise, allowing another group to land. During this time, extensive shelling and bombing, along with [[Anti-tank warfare|anti-tank]] mines placed on the only bridge, kept the small KPA force from launching a significant counterattack.{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}} The second wave came ashore at "Red Beach" and "Blue Beach".

The North Koreans had not been expecting an invasion at Incheon.<ref>{{harvnb|Clark|2002|pp=206, 280}}</ref> After the storming of Green Beach, the KPA assumed (probably because of deliberate American [[disinformation]]) that the main invasion would happen at Kunsan.{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}} As a result, only a small force was diverted to Incheon. Even those forces were too late, and they arrived after the UN forces had taken Blue Beach and Red Beach. The troops already stationed at Incheon had been weakened by Clark's guerrillas, and napalm bombing runs had destroyed key ammunition dumps. In total, 261 ships took part.{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}}

For Red Beach and Blue Beach, Vice Admiral [[James H. Doyle]], commander of an [[amphibious ready group]], announced that [[H-Hour]], time of landing, would be 17:30.

The KPA 22nd Infantry Regiment had moved to Incheon before dawn on 15 September, but retreated to Seoul after the main landing that evening.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/brochures/kw-unoff/unoff.htm|title=The Korean War: The UN Offensive|website=www.army.mil}}</ref>

===Red Beach===
[[File:IncheonLandingMcArthur.jpg|thumb|General Douglas MacArthur (center), commander in chief of United Nations Forces, observes the shelling of lightly defended Incheon from the U.S. Navy amphibious force command ship {{USS|Mount McKinley|AGC-7|6}} on 15 September 1950.]]
[[File:Lopez scaling seawall.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Lieutenant]] [[Baldomero Lopez]] of the [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] is shown scaling a [[seawall]] after landing on Red Beach (September 15). Minutes after this photo was taken, Lopez was killed after covering a live [[hand grenade|grenade]] with his body.<ref>"The Inchon Invasion, September 1950: Overview and Selected Images" from [https://web.archive.org/web/20000605080044/http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/kowar/50-unof/inchon.htm Naval Historical Center] and " First Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez, USMC" from [http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/HD/Historical/Whos_Who/Lopez_B.htm US Marine Corps] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070430015053/http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/HD/Historical/Whos_Who/Lopez_B.htm |date=2007-04-30 }}</ref> He was [[Posthumous recognition|posthumously]] awarded the [[Medal of Honor]].]]

The Red Beach forces, made up of the [[5th Marine Regiment (United States)|Regimental Combat Team 5]], which included the 3rd Battalion of the [[Republic of Korea Marine Corps]] (ROKMC), used ladders to scale the [[sea wall]]s. Lieutenant Colonel [[Raymond L. Murray]], serving as commanding officer of the 5th Marines, had the mission of seizing an area {{convert|3000|yd}} long and {{convert|1000|yd}} deep, extending from Cemetery Hill (northern) at the top down to the Inner Tidal Basin (near Tidal Basin at the bottom) and including the [[promontory]] in the middle called Observatory Hill. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20110720062121/http://www.kmike.com/gifs/inchon.jpg See Map]) The [[1st Battalion, 5th Marines]] would be on the left, against Cemetery Hill and northern half of Observatory Hill. The [[2nd Battalion, 5th Marines]] would take the southern half of Observatory Hill and Inner Basin.<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|p=20}}</ref>

[[File:North Korean 76mm gun Inchon 1950.jpg|upright|thumb|An abandoned Soviet-made North Korean [[76 mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3)]] on a hill overlooking [[Incheon]] harbor after its capture by UN forces]]
Late on the afternoon of 15 September the LSTs approached Red Beach and as the lead ships, they came under heavy mortar and machine gun fire from KPA defenders on Cemetery Hill. Despite the concentrated fire, they disembarked assault troops and unloaded vital support equipment. In addition, their guns wiped out KPA batteries on the right flank of Red Beach. Three ({{USS|King County|LST-857|6}}, {{USS|Lafayette County|LST-859|6}}, and ''LST 973'') of the eight LSTs took some hits from mortar and machine gun fire, which killed a sailor and injured a few others.<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|p=31}}</ref> The LSTs completed unloading and cleared the beach at high tide early on 16 September.

After neutralizing KPA defenses at Incheon on the night of 15 September, units from Red Beach opened the causeway to Wolmi-do, allowing the [[3rd Battalion, 5th Marines]] and the tanks from Green Beach to enter the battle for Incheon.

===Blue Beach===
The 1st Marine Regiment, under the command of Colonel [[Chesty Puller|Lewis "Chesty" Puller]], landed at Blue Beach, {{convert|2.5|mi}} southeast of Red and Green beaches. Their mission, once the beach was secure, was to capture the suburb of [[Yeongdeungpo District|Yongdungp'o]], cross the Han River, and form the right flank of the attack on Seoul itself. As the 1st Marine Regiment approached the coast, the combined fire from several KPA gun emplacements sank one LST. Destroyer fire and bombing runs silenced the KPA defenses. When the Blue Beach forces finally arrived, the KPA forces at Incheon had already surrendered, so they met little opposition and suffered few additional casualties. The 1st Marine Regiment spent much of its time strengthening the beachhead and preparing for the move inland.

Immediately after KPA resistance was extinguished in Incheon, the supply and reinforcement process began. [[Seabee]]s and [[Underwater Demolition Team]]s (UDTs) that had arrived with the US Marines constructed a pontoon dock on Green Beach and cleared debris from the water. The dock was then used to unload the remainder of the LSTs. Early that morning of 16 September, Lieutenant Colonel Murray and Puller had their operational orders from 1st Marine Division commander General [[Oliver P. Smith]]. The 5th Marines (from Red and Green Beaches) started generally east along the Incheon-Seoul road, intending to link up with the left of the 1st Marine Regiment so both regiments could move on Seoul. Six solitary [[T-34]] tanks moving west towards Incheon appeared as the advancing 5th Marines reached the village of Kansong-ni. A strike force of eight Marine [[F4U Corsair]]s from [[VMF-214]] attacked the tanks, destroying two and driving the others off.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=508-9}} M26 Pershing tanks of the 1st Tank Battalion destroyed three more KPA tanks shortly thereafter. South of the 5th Marines, the 1st Marines, having spent most of the day consolidating its scattered units, did not move east until about 16:00.

During the night of 16-17 September, the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, occupied a forward defensive position commanding the Seoul highway just west of [[Bupyeong District|Ascom City]]. Behind it the 1st Battalion held a high hill. From a forward roadblock position, members of an advanced platoon of D Company, at 05:45 on the 17th, saw the dim outlines of six tanks on the road eastward. Infantry accompanied the tanks, some riding on the armor. The KPA armored force moved past the hidden outpost of D Company. At 06:00, at a range of {{convert|75|yd}} yards, rockets fired from a bazooka set one of the tanks on fire. Pershing tanks now opened fire on the T-34s and recoilless rifles joined in. Within five minutes combined fire destroyed all six enemy tanks and killed 200 of an estimated 250 enemy infantry. Only one man in the 2nd Battalion was wounded.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=509-10}}

==Air attack on USS ''Rochester'' and HMS ''Jamaica''==
Just before daylight at 05:50 on 17 September, two Soviet-made North Korean aircraft—probably [[Yakovlev Yak-9]]s—were seen overhead from ''Jamaica'', and while trying to identify them any doubts about their allegiance and intentions were resolved by the explosion of a bomb close to the port side of ''Rochester''. Four bombs were dropped, one hitting and denting ''Rochester's'' crane but not exploding. There were no American casualties. As the aircraft turned away ''Jamaica'' opened fire with her port {{convert|4|in|mm|0|adj=on}} battery on the leading aircraft. The second aircraft then turned to port to strafe ''Jamaica'', scoring several hits: one armor-piercing round entering Y turret through the armor at the back of the gun house and wounding a man in the leg; one chipping the side armor of the ship; one exploding round burst on the plate surrounding the loaders of a quadruple pom-pom, wounding three men (one of whom died later of his wounds after being transferred to the hospital ship {{USS|Consolation|AH-15|6}}); and one on the foremast at the level of the gun direction platform, scattering small splinters. Every close range weapon available opened fire on this aircraft, which disintegrated as it went over the ship, crashing close to the starboard side of ''Jamaica''.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=512}}

==Breakthrough==
===Kimpo Airfield===
Kimpo airfield was the largest and most important in Korea and MacArthur demanded its early capture<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|p=36}}</ref> Once it was secured, the Fifth Air Force and USMC aviation units could bring fighters and bombers over from Japan to operate more easily against North Korea.<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|p=56}}</ref>
[[File:North Korean Il-10 Kimpo September 1950.jpg|thumb|right|An abandoned Soviet-made North Korean [[Ilyushin Il-10]] [[attack aircraft]] at [[Gimpo Airport|Kimpo airfield]] in September 1950.]] 
The 5th Marines advanced rapidly on the 17th and by 18:00 its 2nd Battalion was at the edge of [[Kimpo Airport|Kimpo airfield]]. In the next two hours the battalion seized the southern part of the airfield. The 400-500 KPA soldiers who ineffectively defended it appeared surprised and had not even mined the runway. During the night several small enemy counterattacks hit the perimeter positions at the airfield between 02:00 and dawn, 18 September. The Marines repulsed these company-sized counterattacks, inflicting heavy casualties on the KPA troops, who finally fled to the northwest; E Company and supporting tanks played the leading role in these actions. Kimpo was secured during the morning of 18 September.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=510-11}}<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|pp=58–59}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title = Hell Or High Water: MacArthur's Landing at Inchon|url = https://archive.org/details/hellorhighwaterm00shel|url-access = registration|publisher = Macmillan|date = 1968|language = en|first = Walt|last = Sheldon}}</ref> Kimpo airfield was in excellent shape; the North Koreans had not had time to do any major demolition. In fact, several North Korean planes were still on the field. Kimpo would now become the center of UN land-based air operations.<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|p=61}}</ref>

On 19 September [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|US engineers]] repaired the local railroad up to {{convert|8|mi}} inland. After the capture of Kimpo airfield, transport planes began flying in gasoline and ordnance for the aircraft stationed there. The Marines continued unloading supplies and reinforcements. By 22 September they had unloaded 6,629 vehicles and 53,882 troops, along with 25,512 [[short ton|ton]]s (23,000 [[tonne]]s) of supplies.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000816163146/http://history.navy.mil/download/i-40-41.pdf Over-the-Beach Logistics], U.S. Navy History.</ref>

===Advance to the Han River===
On the 18th, the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, sent units on to the Han River beyond the airfield, and the 1st Battalion captured Hill 99 northeast of it and then advanced to the river. Continuing its sweep along the river, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, on the 19th swung right and captured the last high ground (Hills 118, 80, and 85) a mile west of Yongdungp'o. At the same time, the 2nd Battalion seized the high ground along the Han River in its sector. At nightfall, 19 September, the 5th Marines held the south bank of the Han River everywhere in its zone and was preparing for a crossing the next morning.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=511}}
[[File:T-34 knocked out in Korea, September 1950.jpg|thumb|right|A North Korean [[T-34]] tank knocked out by [[United States Marine Corps|US Marines]] during the UN advance from Incheon to Seoul]]
Meanwhile, the 2nd Engineer Special Brigade relieved the ROK Marines of responsibility for the security of Inchon, and the ROK's moved up on the 18th and 19th to the Han River near Kimpo. Part of the ROK Marines extended the left flank of the 5th Marines, and its 2nd Battalion joined them for the projected crossing of the Han River the next day. In this action, the 1st Marines had attacked east toward Yongdungp'o astride the Seoul highway. Its armored spearheads destroyed four KPA tanks early on the morning of the 17th. Then, from positions on high ground (Hills 208, 107, 178), {{convert|3|mi}} short of Sosa, a village halfway between Inchon and
Yongdungp'o, a regiment of the KPA 18th Division checked the advance. At nightfall the Marine regiment dug in for the night a mile from Sosa. At Ascom City, just west of Sosa, American troops found 2,000 tons of ammunition for American artillery, mortars, and machine guns, captured there by the North Koreans in June, all still in good condition.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=511}}

On the morning of the 18th the 1st Marines resumed their attack and passed through and around the burning town of Sosa at midmorning. By noon the 3rd Battalion had seized Hill 123, a mile east of the town and north of the highway. KPA artillery fire there caused many casualties in the afternoon, but neither ground nor aerial observers could locate the artillery firing from the southeast. Beyond Sosa the North Koreans had heavily mined the highway and on 19 September the tank spearheads stopped after mines damaged two tanks. Engineers began the slow job of removing the mines and, without tank support, the infantry advance slowed. But at nightfall advanced elements of the regiment had reached [[Anyangcheon|Kal-ch'on Creek]] just west of Yongdungp'o.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=512}}

On the morning of 18 September, the 7th Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, [[32nd Infantry Regiment (United States)|32nd Infantry Regiment]] landed at Incheon and the remainder of the regiment went ashore later in the day. The next morning, the 2nd Battalion moved up to relieve a Marine battalion occupying positions on the right flank south of Seoul. Meanwhile, the 7th Division's [[31st Infantry Regiment (United States)|31st Infantry Regiment]] came ashore at Incheon. Responsibility for the zone south of Seoul highway passed to the 7th Division at 18:00 on 19 September. The 7th Infantry Division then engaged in heavy fighting with KPA forces on the outskirts of Seoul.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=512}}

===Battle of Seoul===
{{Main|Second Battle of Seoul}}
[[File:M26 Pershing Seoul 1950.jpg|thumb|left|250px|American [[M26 Pershing]] tanks in downtown Seoul during the [[Second Battle of Seoul]]. In the foreground, UN troops round up North Korean prisoners-of-war]]
[[File:Seoul Battle- Korean War.jpg|right|thumb|US Marines engaged in [[urban warfare]] during the battle for Seoul in late September 1950. The Marines are armed with an [[M1 rifle]] and an [[M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle]]. On the street are Korean civilians who died in the battle. In the distance are [[M4 Sherman]] tanks]]

In contrast to the quick victory at Incheon, the advance on Seoul was slow and bloody.

Before the battle, North Korea had just one understrength division in the city, with the majority of its forces south of the capital.<ref>{{citation |first=Hanson W. |last=Baldwin |title=Invasion Gamble Pays |newspaper=The New York Times |page=6 |date=September 27, 1950 |access-date=June 18, 2006 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1950/09/27/archives/invasion-gamble-pays-one-of-big-questions-now-is-how-far-north-in.html }}</ref> X Corps commander Almond assumed command of the operation on September 21 and was in an enormous hurry to capture Seoul by September 25, exactly three months after the North Korean assault across the [[38th parallel north|38th Parallel]].<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|p=77}}</ref> On 20 September, the Marines entered Seoul and casualties mounted as the forces engaged in [[house-to-house fighting]].

Almond declared Seoul liberated the evening of 25 September, a claim repeated by MacArthur the following day. However, at the time of Almond's declaration, US Marines were still engaged in house-to-house combat as the KPA remained in most of the city. It was not until 28 September that the last of the KPA elements were driven out or destroyed.{{sfn|Blair|1987|p=293}}

===Pusan Perimeter breakout===
{{main|Pusan Perimeter Offensive}}
While the 5th Marines came ashore at Incheon, the last KPA troops in South Korea still fighting were defeated when [[Walton H. Walker]]'s Eighth Army [[Pusan Perimeter Offensive|breakout from the Pusan Perimeter]] started on 16 September, joining the Army's X Corps in a coordinated attack on KPA forces. By 22 September the KPA forces around the Perimeter were in full retreat and the Eighth Army and ROK forces began a [[UN September 1950 counteroffensive|full counteroffensive to pursue the KPA]] on 23 September. Of the 70,000 KPA troops around Pusan, in the aftermath of the Pusan Perimeter battle, KPA casualties from 1-15 September ranged from 36,000 to 41,000 killed and captured, with an unknown total number of wounded.<ref>{{harvnb|Appleman|1998|p=604}}</ref> However, because UN forces had concentrated on taking Seoul rather than cutting off the KPA's withdrawal north, the remaining 30,000 KPA soldiers escaped to the north, where they were soon reconstituted as a cadre for the formation of new KPA divisions hastily re-equipped by the [[Soviet Union]]. The UN assault continued [[UN offensive into North Korea|into North Korea]] on 30 September.

==Analysis==
Most military scholars consider the battle one of the most decisive military operations in modern warfare. [[Spencer C. Tucker]], the American military historian, described the Incheon landings as "a brilliant success, almost flawlessly executed," which remained "the only unambiguously successful, large-scale US combat operation" for the next 40 years.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tucker|first=Spencer C.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/31900252|title=The Korean War : an encyclopedia|date=1995|publisher=Garland Pub|others=Stanley Sandler|isbn=0-8240-4445-2|location=New York|pages=145|chapter=Inchon Landings, 1950|oclc=31900252}}</ref> Commentators have described the Incheon operation as MacArthur's "greatest success"<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Pearlman|first=Michael D.|title=Douglas MacArthur and the Advance to the Yalu, November 1950|journal=[[Studies in Battle Command]]|publisher=[[U.S. Army Command and General Staff College]]|page=137}}</ref> and "an example of brilliant generalship and military genius."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Brunson|first=Robert O.|date=7 April 2003|title=The Inchon Landing: An Example of Brilliant Generalship|journal=[[Strategy Research Project]]|publisher=[[U.S. Army War College]]}}</ref>

However, Russell Stolfi argues that the landing itself was a strategic masterpiece but it was followed by an advance to Seoul in ground battle so slow and measured that it constituted an operational disaster, largely negating the successful landing. He contrasts the US military's 1950 Incheon-Seoul operation with the [[Baltic Operation|German offensive in the Baltic]] in 1941. American forces achieved a strategic masterpiece in the Incheon landing in September 1950 and then largely negated it by a slow, tentative, 11-day advance on Seoul, only {{convert|20|mi}} away. By contrast, in the Baltic region in 1941 the German forces achieved strategic surprise on the first day of their offensive and then, exhibiting a breakthrough mentality, pushed forward rapidly, seizing key positions and advancing almost {{convert|200|mi|km|abbr=}} in four days. The American advance was characterized by cautious, restrictive orders, concerns about phase lines, limited reconnaissance and command posts well in the rear, while the Germans positioned their leaders as far forward as possible, relied on oral or short written orders, reorganized combat groups to meet immediate circumstances, and engaged in vigorous reconnaissance.<ref>{{Citation|last=Stolfi |first=Russel H. S. |year=2004 |title=A Critique of Pure Success: Inchon Revisited, Revised, and Contrasted |journal=Journal of Military History |volume=68 |issue=2 |pages=505–525 |url=http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_military_history/v068/68.2stolfi.html |issn=0899-3718 |doi=10.1353/jmh.2004.0075|s2cid=159845366}}</ref> Despite this criticism, Incheon was taken within 24 hours with the loss of only a few dozen U.S. troops and General [[Walton Walker]] refused to go on the offensive in southeastern South Korea unless the Incheon landings were successful, as shown in the [[Pusan Perimeter Offensive]].

==In popular culture==
* ''[[Inchon (film)|Inchon]]'' (1981), directed by  [[Terence Young (director)|Terence Young]] with [[Laurence Olivier]] as General Douglas MacArthur. [[Unification Church]] founder [[Sun Myung Moon]] was an executive producer of the film.<ref>{{cite web |title = Inchon (1981) |url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084132/|publisher = [[IMDb]] |access-date = May 22, 2018 }}</ref>
* ''[[Wolmi Island (film)]]'' (1982) North Korean film.<ref>{{cite web|title = Wolmi Island (1982) |url =  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2226647/|publisher = [[IMDb]] |access-date = September 5, 2020}}</ref>
* ''[[Operation Chromite (film)|Operation Chromite]]'' (2016), directed by [[John H. Lee (director)|John H. Lee]] (Lee Jae-han). Starring [[Lee Jung-jae]], [[Lee Beom-soo]], and [[Liam Neeson]] as General MacArthur.<ref>{{cite web |title = Operation Chromite (2016) |url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4939066/ |publisher = [[IMDb]] |access-date = July 19, 2016 }}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* [https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/boose.pdf Over the Beach US Army Amphibious Operations in the Korean War - US Army Combinded Arms Center]
* {{cite book|first=Bevin |last=Alexander |author-link=Bevin Alexander |title=Korea: The First War We Lost |publisher=[[Hippocrene Books]] |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-7818-1019-7 |location=[[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]]}}
* {{cite book |last=Appleman |first=Roy E. |title=South to the Naktong, North to the Yalu: United States Army in the Korean War |url=http://www.history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/toc.htm |year=1998 |publisher=[[Department of the Army]] |location=[[Washington, D.C.]] |isbn=978-0-16-001918-0 |access-date=2011-12-20 |archive-date=2021-06-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210621001124/https://history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/toc.htm |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite book |title=The Forgotten War: America in Korea, 1950–1953 |last=Blair |first=Clay |author-link=Clay Blair |year=1987 |publisher=Times Books |location=New York|isbn=0-8129-1670-0}}
* {{citation|last1=Bowers |first1=William T. |first2=William M.|last2=Hammong|first3=George L.|last3=MacGarrigle |title=Black Soldier, White Army: The 24th Infantry Regiment in Korea |year=2005 |publisher=University Press of the Pacific |isbn=978-1-4102-2467-5 |location=[[Honolulu, Hawaii]]}}
* {{citation|first=Brian |last=Catchpole |title=The Korean War |year=2001 |publisher=[[Robinson Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-84119-413-4 |location=[[London, United Kingdom]]}}
* {{citation |last=Clark |first=Eugene Franklin |title=The Secrets of Inchon: The Untold Story of the Most Daring Covert Mission of the Korean War |publisher=Putnam Pub Group |year=2002 |isbn=0-399-14871-X |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/secretsofinchonu0000clar_b8p0 }}
* {{citation|first=T.R. |last=Fehrenbach |author-link=T. R. Fehrenbach |title=This Kind of War: The Classic Korean War History – Fiftieth Anniversary Edition |publisher=[[Potomac Books]] |year=2001 |isbn=978-1-57488-334-3 |location=[[Washington D.C.]]}}
* {{cite book |title=The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War |last=Halberstam |first=David |author-link=David Halberstam |year=2007 |publisher=Hyperion |location=New York |isbn=978-1-4013-0052-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/coldestwinterame00halb }}
* {{citation | last = Hoyt | first = Edwin P. | author-link = Edwin P. Hoyt | year = 1984 | title = On to the Yalu | publisher = Stein and Day | location = New York | isbn = 0-8128-2977-8 | url = https://archive.org/details/ontoyalu00hoyt }}
* {{cite book|last=Korea Institute of Military History|title=The Korean War|volume=1|year=2000|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|location=Lincoln, Nebraska|isbn=978-0-8032-7794-6}}
* {{citation |last=Krulak |first=Victor H. (Lt. Gen.) |title=First to Fight: An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1999 |isbn=978-1-55750-464-7}}
* {{cite book|last=MacArthur |first=Douglas |author-link=Douglas MacArthur |title=Reminiscences |year=1964 |publisher=[[Ishi Press]] |location=[[New York City, New York]] |isbn=978-4-87187-882-1}}
* {{citation|first=Edward |last=Marolda |title=The US Navy in the Korean War |year=2007 |publisher=[[Naval Institute Press]] |isbn=978-1-59114-487-8 |location=Annapolis, Maryland}}
* {{citation |last=Millett |first=Allan R. |title=The Korean War, Volume 1 |year=2000 |publisher=[[University of Nebraska Press]] |isbn=978-0-8032-7794-6 |location=[[Lincoln, Nebraska]]}}
* {{citation |last=Utz |first=Curtis |title=Assault from the Sea: The Amphibious Landing at Inchon |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/assault.html |publisher=Naval Historical Center |location=Washington DC |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-16-045271-0 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041017232054/http://history.navy.mil/wars/assault.html |archive-date=2004-10-17 }}
* {{cite book|first=Michael J. |last=Varhola |author-link=Michael J. Varhola |title=Fire and Ice: The Korean War, 1950–1953 |publisher=[[Da Capo Press]] |year=2000 |isbn=978-1-882810-44-4|location=[[Mason City, Iowa]]}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Battle of Inchon}}
* [http://www.ku.edu/carrie/texts/carrie_books/hermansen/6.html Max Hermansen (2000) "Inchon – Operation Chromite" ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051120162330/http://www.ku.edu/carrie/texts/carrie_books/hermansen/6.html |date=2005-11-20 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071026015253/http://assoc.orange.fr/france-coree/eurokorvet/uk/minewarfare_korea.htm Invasions of Inchon and Wonsan remembered] French and English supported operations. Allies provide a unique perspective of naval operation in the Korean War.
* {{YouTube|K2yK4M-Tu1M|"Operation Inchon: Korean War Amphibious Assault"}}

{{Korean War}}

{{Coord|37|29|N|126|38|E|type:city(3655437)|name=Inchon|display=title}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Incheon, Battle Of}}
[[Category:Battles and operations of the Korean War in 1950]]
[[Category:Naval battles of the Korean War]]
[[Category:Battles of the Korean War involving the United States]]
[[Category:Naval battles of the Korean War involving the United States]]
[[Category:Battles of the Korean War involving Canada]]
[[Category:Naval battles of the Korean War involving Canada]]
[[Category:Battles of the Korean War involving South Korea]]
[[Category:Battles of the Korean War involving the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Battles of the Korean War involving Australia]]
[[Category:Battles of the Korean War involving New Zealand]]
[[Category:Battles of the Korean War involving France]]
[[Category:Battles of the Korean War involving the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Battles of the Korean War involving North Korea]]
[[Category:Events in Incheon]]
[[Category:Battles of the Korean War|Inchon]]
[[Category:Military operations of the Korean War|Inchon]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps in the Korean War]]
[[Category:Landing operations]]
[[Category:September 1950 events in Asia]]
[[Category:Amphibious operations involving the United States]]