The UN victory halted North Korean momentum and marked a turning point where UN forces gained numerical and material superiority over the KPA.
Key Facts
- Date
- August 5–19, 1950
- KPA unit
- 4th Infantry Division, Korean People's Army
- UN unit
- 24th Infantry Division, Eighth US Army
- Outcome
- UN victory; KPA division destroyed
- Key UN advantage
- M4 Sherman tanks, air support, reinforcements
- KPA weaknesses
- Supply shortages and high desertion rates
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The North Korean People's Army 4th Infantry Division crossed the Naktong River on August 5, 1950, seeking to sever UN supply lines and establish a bridgehead inside the Pusan Perimeter. The KPA had enjoyed prior successes due to superior numbers and equipment, including T-34 tanks.
Over two weeks, US and KPA forces engaged in a bloody series of attacks and counterattacks near Yongsan, with neither side initially gaining the upper hand. Ultimately, US reinforcements, air support, and heavy weapons—including M4 Sherman tanks capable of defeating T-34s—overwhelmed the KPA force weakened by supply shortages and desertion.
The battle ended in a UN victory with the KPA division effectively destroyed. It marked a strategic shift in the Korean War: UN forces now held numerical superiority and superior equipment, ending the string of North Korean victories and stabilizing the Pusan Perimeter.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent