Key Facts
- Dates
- August 5–19, 1950
- Duration
- 14 days
- KPA unit
- 4th Infantry Division, Korean People's Army
- UN unit
- 24th Infantry Division, Eighth US Army
- Outcome
- UN victory; KPA division destroyed
Strategic Narrative Overview
Over two weeks, US and KPA troops fought a disorganized sequence of attacks and counterattacks around the Naktong River bulge, inflicting heavy casualties on both sides without either gaining a decisive advantage. The KPA suffered from supply shortages and rising desertion rates, while US forces received reinforcements, air support, and heavy weapons including M4 Sherman tanks capable of countering the KPA's T-34 armor.
01 / The Origins
In early August 1950, North Korean forces sought to exploit momentum gained since their June invasion of South Korea. The KPA 4th Infantry Division crossed the Naktong River near Yongsan on August 5, aiming to sever UN supply lines and carve a bridgehead into the Pusan Perimeter, the last defensive line holding UN forces in Korea. The operation reflected a broader KPA strategy of encircling and collapsing UN resistance before reinforcements could arrive.
03 / The Outcome
By August 19, US forces, bolstered by reinforcements and air support, destroyed the KPA 4th Infantry Division. The failed crossing ended one of several simultaneous North Korean thrusts against the Pusan Perimeter. The battle demonstrated that UN forces had achieved numerical and material parity, shifting the strategic balance and foreshadowing the eventual UN counteroffensive at Inchon in September 1950.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.