Principles of War
The Battle of Chipyong-ni was a war held in Korea where the American and French armies were readily attacking the Chinese, who had invaded Korea with their intentions rather unclear. The war took place between 13 and 15 February 1951 and is probably one of the shortest yet most memorable battles of the 20th century. One of the major principles of war that has been highlighted by the Battle of Chipyong-ni is the need to attack the enemy during the nightfall. American troops learned the hard way that the best time to attack was at dusk after an ambush from the Chinese army at around the 23rd Perimeter. Led by Freeman, the American soldiers were in a bad position during the commencement of the war and the leader and his troupe lost around 100 men on the first day of the attack between 1900hrs and 0300hrs (Li, 2014). It led them to focus primarily on dusk attacks.
Another important key factor that has been noted to influence battle is the nature of the ambush. Unplanned ambushes might have negative implications for the attacking army, whereas in the other cases well-orchestrated or planned ambushes can prove to be very fruitful for the attackers. The Chinese were well prepared during their first day, a key factor that promoted the success of their efficiency during the first day, and which taught the French and American soldiers how to prepare for such ambush. By the second day, the Chinese were even attacking harder on 3rd Battalion, a key feature that placed the Chinese in a much better position to succeed. The element of surprise is a key feature that assists in winning the battle. Unprepared enemies encounter a harsh attack.
Dynamics of Combat Power
Combat power was largely concentrated on the Chinese front mainly due to their level of preparation, the size of their army and the advantage of having the prior planning for war, as opposed to the American and French Troops which were not in the least aware of the Chinese plans and goals. The changes in dynamics were seen when the Chinese attacked the 23rd perimeter made by Freeman allowing them to grow beyond their set borders and to enable them to grow exponentially. The Chinese were able to penetrate the perimeter by concentrated enemy attacks. However, a key factor that contributed to the survival of the harmed 23rd RCT and American troops was the ease in dropping food and water supplies via air drops (Hamburger, 2002). As such, replenishing the energy of the troops is a vital consideration that must be maintained by all troops. In the absence of the air drops, the Americans and the French might have suffered a much severe attack due to the proper planning of the Chinese.
Battlefield Operations Systems
One of the most important aspects of battlefield operations is the proper leadership and communication. Proper leadership plays a significant role in ensuring that the soldiers communicate effectively and also lead to the necessary success needed by the armies. One of the key considerations to be made is the fact that good interpersonal skills are necessary. From the records shown by the 3rd Battalion, the good interpersonal communication and supervision of Col. Freeman contributed greatly to the reduction of the damage that the Chinese might have inflicted on the unprepared American troops (Ecker, 2005). The first night of combat, on 13th February, Freeman was a little distant from his troops which thus made it increasingly difficult for him to implement the battlefield strategies successfully, which was the reason the Americans suffered great loss.
Planning equally plays a major role in ensuring that the government can achieve the necessary goals set during the war. As such, it is also evident that the main goal played by the commander is to plan. Planning was the upper hand that the Chinese had over the other combatants. Evidently, the uninformed concentrated attacks that were launched on the 23rd perimeter eventually bringing it to its knees is thus the main problem that the other armies lacked. Despite the fact that the Americans had practiced thoroughly, they did not have an understanding of the enemy’s strategy and hence the surprise attacks that almost crippled their troops.
Characteristics of the Offence
The Chinese were well orchestrated and led by their leader. Despite the lack of revelation of their tactics, one of the key strategies they employed was the element of surprise. It shows that most of the people were able to succeed in various wars and managed to understand the enemy’s position in great detail. The use of surprise ambush and concentrated attacks in one region were some of the key features that the Chinese army can boast of and which contributed to their success. Unlike the Americans and the French, who were on the defense, the offence was much better prepared, amply equipped and increasingly more tactical in their attacks as compared to the latter. Critical communication and taking action were also some strong points about the Chinese.
References
Hamburger, K. E. (2002). Leadership in the crucible: The Korean War battles of Twin Tunnels and Chipyong-ni. College Station: Texas A&M University Press.
Ecker, R. E. (2005). Korean Battle Chronology: Unit-by-Unit United States Casualty Figures and Medal of Honor Citations. Jefferson, North Carolina, USA: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers.
Li, X. (2014). China''s Battle for Korea: The 1951 Spring Offensive. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
