Atlas of Battles

campaign, Cold War

Chinese Spring Offensive

Chinese Spring Offensive was a campaign fought in 1951 in what is now South Korea. It was part of the Korean War, which ran from 1950 to 1953. The recorded result: United Nations victory; Chinese forces fail to recapture Seoul; UN launches a counteroffensive in May. Recorded strength: 418,500; 245,000; 152,000; 11,500; 1,500; 10,000 from other UN countries against 739,000; 542,000; 197,000.

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Fought1951
WhereSouth Korea37.943N, 126.939E
OutcomeUnited Nations victory; Chinese forces fail to recapture Seoul; UN launches a counteroffensive in May
BelligerentsUnited Nations (UNC); Australia; Belgium; Canada; First Republic of Korea; Luxembourg; New Zealand; Philippines; Turkey; United Kingdom; United StatesagainstChina; North Korea
Part ofKorean War1950 to 1953

Where it sits in the Korean War

First Battle of Naktong Bulge, 1950Battle of Chonan, 1950Second Battle of Naktong Bulge, 1950Battle of Wawon, 1950Battle of Taegu, 1950Battle of the Bowling Alley, 1950Battle of Ka-san, 1950Battle of Tabu-dong, 1950Battle of Yongsan, 1950Battle of Uijeongbu, 1950bombing of Pyongyang, 1950Battle of Chochiwon, 1950Battle of Yongdong, 1950Battle of Sangju, 1950Battle of Nakdong River, 1950bombing of North Korea, 1950First Battle of Seoul, 1950Operation Pokpoong, 1950Battle of Chuncheon, 1950Battle of Kaesong–Munsan, 1950Battle of Ongjin, 1950Battle of Korea Strait, 1950Battle of Andong, 1950Battle of Chumonchin Chan, 1950Battle of Osan, 1950Battle of Pyongtaek, 1950Battle of Taejon, 1950Hadong Ambush, 1950Battle of the Notch, 1950Battle of Pusan Perimeter, 1950Battle of Pusan Perimeter logistics, 1950Battle of P'ohang-dong, 1950Battle of Masan, 1950Battle of Battle Mountain, 1950Battle of Cheonpyeong Valley, 1950Battle of Kyongju, 1950Battle of Nam River, 1950Battle of Haman, 1950Great Naktong Offensive, 1950Battle of Inchon, 1950UN offensive into North Korea, 1950Second Battle of Seoul, 1950Battle of Sariwon, 1950Battle of Pyongyang (1950), 1950Battle of Yongju, 1950Battle of Unsan, 1950Battle of Onjong, 1950Battle of Kujin, 1950Battle of Chongju, 1950Battle of Pakchon, 1950Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River, 1950Battle of Changjin Reservoir, 1950Third Battle of Seoul, 1950First and Second Battles of Wonju, 1950Battle of Hoengsong, 1951Battle of Uijeongbu, 1951Pohang Operation, 1951Battle of the Twin Tunnels, 1951Operation Roundup, 1951Battle of Chipyong-ni, 1951Blockade of Wonsan, 1951Operation Thunderbolt, 1951Operation Killer, 1951Operation Ripper, 1951Battle of Maehwa-san, 1951Operation Tomahawk, 1951Operation Rugged, 1951Battle of Kapyong, 1951Battle of the Imjin River, 1951Battle of Yultong, 1951Operation Dauntless, 1951Chinese Spring Offensive, 1951Battle of the Soyang River, 1951Battle of Bloody Ridge, 1951Battle of the Punchbowl, 1951Operation Minden, 1951Battle of Heartbreak Ridge, 1951Naval Battle of the Han River, 1951Battle of Hill 355, 1951First Battle of Maryang-san, 1951Battle of Haktang-ni, 1951Operation Polecharge, 1951Battle of Sunchon, 1951Battle of White Horse, 1952Attack on the Sui-ho Dam, 1952Battle of Hill Eerie, 1952Battle of Old Baldy, 1952Battle of Triangle Hill, 1952Second Battle of the Hook, 1952Battle of Chatkol, 1953Battle for Outpost Vegas, 1953Battle of the Hook, 1953Outpost Harry, 1953Battle of Pork Chop Hill, 1953Battle of Kumsong, 1953Battle of the Samichon River, 195319501953Chinese Spring Offensive, 1951
98 placed engagements of the Korean War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1951 (year precision)
to 1951
PlaceSouth Korea
37.943N, 126.939E
KindCampaign, Cold War
Strength418,500; 245,000; 152,000; 11,500; 1,500; 10,000 from other UN countries739,000; 542,000; 197,000
Casualties and lossesUN sources: 15,769 total casualties; 1,200+ killed; 10 missing; 141 killed; 522 captured; 32 killed; 3 captured; 16 killed; 6 missing; 12 killed; 12 killed; 2 killed; unknown; Chinese estimate: 82,769 total casualtiesChinese sources: 85,000–90,000 killed or wounded (Chinese only); 17,000 captured; UN estimate: 110,000–160,609 total casualties (Chinese and North Korean)
Commanders
Chinese Spring OffensiveChinese Spring OffensiveBattle of the Imjin RiverOperation PolechargeSecond Battle of the HookFirst Battle of the HookBattle of the Samichon RiverOperation PolechargeSecond Battle of the HookSeoulPyongyangIncheonNampoSuwonGangneungSokchoPyongsan100 km37.943N, 126.939E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1951

Combat data (CDB90)

Attacker: US DIVDefender: NKOR ARMY
Strength27,90035,100
Casualties170 (0.6%)4,780 (13.6%)
Outcomeattacker won
Duration2 days
Front width24 km
Attacker advanced14.5 km

From the US Army Concepts Analysis Agency Database of Battles (CDB90, battle 633), public domain, in the CC0 tidy edition by Jeffrey B. Arnold. Figures are the database's estimates, compiled in 1990 from published histories, and may differ from the Wikipedia infobox above.

Chinese Spring Offensive is one of 4,429 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 128 in present-day South Korea.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q485256, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Chinese spring offensive, revision 1378073026, read 2026-11-15, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.