Key Facts
- Start date
- 20 February 1951
- End date
- 6 March 1951
- Duration
- ~14 days
- Commanding general
- General Matthew Ridgway
- Objective line
- Arizona Line
- Followed by
- Operation Ripper
Strategic Narrative Overview
Operation Killer began on 20 February 1951 as UN forces advanced on a broad front across central Korea. Ridgway's plan prioritised attrition of PVA and KPA forces south of the designated Arizona Line. The operation lasted approximately two weeks, with UN units pushing enemy formations northward through difficult winter terrain. It concluded on 6 March 1951 and transitioned immediately into the follow-on Operation Ripper.
01 / The Origins
By early 1951, Chinese People's Volunteer Army and North Korean Army forces had pushed UN Command back below the 38th parallel following massive intervention in late 1950. General Matthew Ridgway, newly in command of the Eighth Army, sought to reverse the situation by launching a series of deliberate counter-offensives aimed at destroying enemy manpower rather than simply seizing territory, reflecting a shift in UN strategy.
03 / The Outcome
Operation Killer succeeded in its stated objective of pressuring and displacing PVA and KPA units south of the Arizona Line. The operation stabilised the UN front and set conditions for Operation Ripper. It marked a broader strategic shift under Ridgway toward attritional warfare and methodical advances rather than deep exploitation, contributing to the eventual stabilisation of the Korean front near the 38th parallel.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Matthew Ridgway.
Side B
2 belligerents