The Hill 303 massacre was a war crime that took place during the opening days of the Korean War on August 17, 1950, on a hill above Waegwan, South Korea. Forty-one United States Army prisoners of war were shot and killed by troops of the North Korean People’s Army. Memorials were later constructed on Hill 303 by troops at nearby Camp Carroll, to honor the victims of the massacre.
About Hill 303 massacre in brief
The Hill 303 massacre was a war crime that took place during the opening days of the Korean War on August 17, 1950, on a hill above Waegwan, South Korea. Forty-one United States Army prisoners of war were shot and killed by troops of the North Korean People’s Army. Most of the US troops were able to escape but one platoon of mortar operators misidentified KPA troops as Republic of Korea Army reinforcements and was captured. Memorials were later constructed on Hill 303 by troops at nearby Camp Carroll, to honor the victims of the massacre. The massacre provoked a response from both sides in the conflict. US commanders broadcast radio messages and dropped leaflets demanding the senior North Korean commanders be held responsible for the atrocity. The U.S. 24th Infantry Division was the first US unit sent into Korea. The unit was to take the initial ‘shock’ of KPA advances, delaying much larger KPA units to buy time to allow reinforcements to arrive. The division was repeatedly defeated and forced south by superior KPA numbers and equipment. The regiment was systematically pushed south in engagements around Chochiwon, Chonan, and Pyongtaek. The 24th made a final stand in the Battle of Taejon, where it was almost completely destroyed but delayed KPA forces until July 20. By that time, the Eighth Army’s force of combat troops were roughly equal to KPA Forces attacking the region, with new UN units arriving every day.
The United Nations decided to enter the conflict on behalf of South Korea, and the United States committed ground forces to the Korean Peninsula with the goal of fighting back the North Korea invasion and to prevent South Korea from collapsing. In the meantime, Taegu stood at the center of the Pusan Perimeter, an area where large numbers of K PA forces could advance while supporting one another. The natural barriers provided by the Naktong River to the south and the mountainous terrain to the north converged around Taegu, which was also the major transportation hub and last major South Korean city aside from PUSan itself to remain in UN hands. Five KPA divisions massed to oppose the UN forces at Taegu; the 10th, 3rd, 15th, 13th and 13th Divisions occupied a line from Tuksong-dong to Kunwi to Sangju. The KPA planned to use the natural corridor of Taegu as its main corridor from Sangju to Sangtju as well as the main river crossing to Sangdong. The US 1st Cavalry Division and the ROK 1st and 6th Infantry Divisions of ROK II Corps spread out in a line along the NakTong River the south, with its 5th and 8th Cavalry Regiments holding a 24-kilometre line in reserve along the river and the 7th Cavalary Regiment in reserve. The 7th and 25th InfantryDivisions, along with other Eighth Army supporting units, moved into position.
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This page is based on the article Hill 303 massacre published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 08, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
