The Pusan Perimeter
The North Korean army has almost driven UN forces into the peninsula’s southeastern corner, but it is stretched around a long front and difficult roads.
Battle
Inchon
15 — 19 September 1950
Tides and surprise reverse a front that seemed doomed.
Military history
How did a landing in a harbor judged hazardous cut off the army that was still advancing toward Busan?
Inchon was an amphibious gamble: tides, channels, and quays made the landing difficult, but those same constraints reduced the likelihood of a prepared defense on the correct axis. MacArthur gambled on surprise and depth rather than frontal strength at the Pusan Perimeter.
An unlikely landing
Inchon has extreme tides, muddy channels, and seawalls. These obstacles make the operation risky, but also lower the defender’s expectations.
Two fronts to coordinate
The landing succeeds only if the army at Pusan attacks at the same time and prevents North Korean divisions from withdrawing toward Seoul.
Explore
Chronological dossier
ChosinChinese forces encircle the Marines and American units, which open an escape route through cold and fire.Pusan PerimeterHow did the UN and South Korea stop retreating, supply their sectors through Busan and prevent local penetrations from joining before launching a counteroffensive?Chipyong-niHow did an isolated perimeter break the momentum of a Chinese offensive by combining all-round defence, external fire support and a relief counterattack?Imjin RiverHow did a brigade dispersed across a broad front delay a Chinese offensive while risking the isolation of its battalions?Triangle HillWhy did a limited offensive for a few heights become a battle of attrition whose cost progressively exceeded the ground's value?
Military history
Sources
Contemporary sourceUS Marine Corps, The Inchon-Seoul Operation
Rapports du débarquement et des combats de Séoul
Tides, beaches, units, and advance.
War historyClay Blair, The Forgotten War
Chapitres sur Inchon et la rupture du périmètre de Pusan
Context, command, and consequences.
Official historyUS Army Center of Military History, The Korean War
Official naval history and mapsUS Naval History and Heritage Command, The Inchon Invasion
Dossier opérationnel sur le débarquement du 15 septembre 1950
Maps of Flying Fish Channel, Wolmi-do, tides, beaches, and the landing sequence.
View ↗