9th Infantry Division (South Korea)
Encyclopedia
The 9th Infantry Division (제9보병사단), also known as White Horse (백마) after the victory of Battle of White Horse
, is an infantry division of the Republic of Korea Army
. The unit is composed of the 28th, 29th and 30th Regiments.
and operated in the mountainous terrain of Sorak and Odae in the northeast, not far from the 38th parallel. The North Korean II Corps cut it off in late 1950 and the Division suffered heavy casualties.
During October 1952, all three 9th Division regiments, the 28th, 29th and 30th (12,000 men) held Hill 395, northwest of Chorwon
, North Korea
, known as White Horse Mountain
. The Division prepared for a Chinese assault. A captured North Korean officer who knew of the impending attack and did not want to be in the fight betrayed his comrades and told the ROKs about it. Many support units helped the 9th Division, but at the end of the day, it was the 9th Division pitted squarely against the Chinese 387th Army. The 9th Division was renamed after the battle and is known as the White Horse Division.
Three 9th Division men received the US Distinguished Service Cross
(DSC) for their service in the Battle of White Horse Mountain. The DSC is the second highest military decoration of the United States Army, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. The ROK recipients were Major General
Kim Chon O., 9th Division; 2nd Lt. Chung Nak Koo, 11th Co., 28th Regiment; and Sergeant
Kim Man Su, 9th Co., 29th Regiment.
area, the 29th Regiment in and around Ninh Hoa
, adjacent to division headquarters, and the 30th Regiment on the mainland side to protect Cam Ranh Bay
. With these three areas under control, the 9th Division could control Route 1 and the population along that main road all the way from Tuy Hoa down to Phan Rang, from Tuy Hoa north to Qui Nhon
, and as far north of that city as the foothills of the mountains in southern Binh Dinh Province
.
Significant operations and actions involving the Division include:
, when its commander, Major General Roh Tae-Woo
led the unit to Seoul
without orders, away from its normal position near the DMZ
, and supported the take-over of the South Korean government by Lt. General Chun Doo Hwan.
Battle of White Horse
The Battle of White Horse , was another in a series of bloody battles for dominant hilltop positions during the Korean War. Baengma-goji was a hill in the Iron Triangle, formed by Pyonggang at its peak and Kumhwa and Chorwon at its base, was a strategic transportation route in the central region...
, is an infantry division of the Republic of Korea Army
Republic of Korea Army
The Republic of Korea Army is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 520,000 members as of 2010...
. The unit is composed of the 28th, 29th and 30th Regiments.
Korean War
The 9th Division was hastily created in late 1950 during the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and operated in the mountainous terrain of Sorak and Odae in the northeast, not far from the 38th parallel. The North Korean II Corps cut it off in late 1950 and the Division suffered heavy casualties.
During October 1952, all three 9th Division regiments, the 28th, 29th and 30th (12,000 men) held Hill 395, northwest of Chorwon
Chorwon
Chorwon is a kun, or county, in Kangwon province, North Korea. Portions of it were once a single county together with the county of the same name in South Korea; other portions were added from neighboring counties in the 1956 reorganization of local governments...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, known as White Horse Mountain
Battle of White Horse
The Battle of White Horse , was another in a series of bloody battles for dominant hilltop positions during the Korean War. Baengma-goji was a hill in the Iron Triangle, formed by Pyonggang at its peak and Kumhwa and Chorwon at its base, was a strategic transportation route in the central region...
. The Division prepared for a Chinese assault. A captured North Korean officer who knew of the impending attack and did not want to be in the fight betrayed his comrades and told the ROKs about it. Many support units helped the 9th Division, but at the end of the day, it was the 9th Division pitted squarely against the Chinese 387th Army. The 9th Division was renamed after the battle and is known as the White Horse Division.
Three 9th Division men received the US Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
(DSC) for their service in the Battle of White Horse Mountain. The DSC is the second highest military decoration of the United States Army, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. The ROK recipients were Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Kim Chon O., 9th Division; 2nd Lt. Chung Nak Koo, 11th Co., 28th Regiment; and Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
Kim Man Su, 9th Co., 29th Regiment.
Vietnam War
The 9th Division arrived in Vietnam between 5 September and 8 October 1966 and was positioned in the Ninh Hòa District at the junction of Route 1 and Route 21. The 28th Regiment was stationed in the Tuy HoaTuy Hoa
Tuy Hòa is the capital city of Phu Yen province in south-central Vietnam. The city has the total area of 107 km2 and the population of 262 000 ....
area, the 29th Regiment in and around Ninh Hoa
Ninh Hoa
Ninh Hòa is a district-level town of Khanh Hoa province in the South Central Coastal region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the town had a population of 227,630. The district covers an area of 1,199 km²...
, adjacent to division headquarters, and the 30th Regiment on the mainland side to protect Cam Ranh Bay
Cam Ranh Bay
Cam Ranh Bay is a deep-water bay in Vietnam in the province of Khánh Hòa. It is located at an inlet of the South China Sea situated on the southeastern coast of Vietnam, between Phan Rang and Nha Trang, approximately 290 kilometers / 180 miles northeast of Hồ Chí Minh City / Saigon.Cam Ranh is...
. With these three areas under control, the 9th Division could control Route 1 and the population along that main road all the way from Tuy Hoa down to Phan Rang, from Tuy Hoa north to Qui Nhon
Qui Nhon
Qui Nhơn , also Quy Nhơn, is a coastal city in Binh Dinh province in central Vietnam. It is composed of 16 wards and five communes with a total of 286 km². Quy Nhon is the capital of Bình Định province. As of 2009 its population was 280,900. Historically, the commercial activities of the city...
, and as far north of that city as the foothills of the mountains in southern Binh Dinh Province
Binh Dinh Province
Bình Định is a province of Vietnam. It is located in Vietnam's South Central Coast region.-Administration:Binh Dinh is divided into one city and 10 districts:*An Lão*An Nhơn*Hoài Ân*Hoài Nhơn*Phù Cát*Phù Mỹ*Tuy Phước*Tây Sơn*Vân Canh...
.
Significant operations and actions involving the Division include:
- Operation Ma Doo I, an operation by the 28th Regiment in Phu Yen Province from 21 January to 7 February 1967 results in 160 NVA killed and 167 weapons captured
- Operation Baek Ma I, a search and destroy operation in Khanh Hoa ProvinceKhanh Hoa ProvinceKhánh Hòa is a province of Vietnam, located in the South Central Coast. It has a population of 1,066,300 and spans an area of 5,197 km². Its capital is Nha Trang...
by the 29th and 30th Regiments from 29 to 31 January 1967 results in 390 NVA killed and 302 weapons captured for no friendly losses - Operation Oh Kak Kyo, to link up the Division's tactical area of responsibility with the Capital Division in Phu Yen Province from 8 March to 18 April 1967 results in 831 VC killed and 659 weapons captured for the loss of 23 ROK
- Operation Hong Kil DongOperation Hong Kil DongOperation Hong Kil Dong was the largest South Korean operation of the Vietnam War. The 48-day-long operation was a major success as South Korean forces thwarted Communist infiltration into friendly areas. The results of the operation were a kill ratio of 24:1 in the Koreans' favor: 638 Vietnamese...
, with the Capital Division in Tuy Hoa Province from 9 July to 21 August 1967, kills 638 NVA for the loss of 26 ROK. 98 crew-served and 359 individual weapons were captured
Order of battle during Vietnam War
9th Infantry Division-
-
- Armored Company
- Direct Control Company
- Reconnaissance Company
- Engineering Battalion
- 30th Field Artillery Battalion
- 51st Field Artillery Battalion
- 52nd Field Artillery Battalion
- 966th Field Artillery Battalion
-
- 28th Infantry Regiment
- 29th Infantry Regiment
- 30th Infantry Regiment
Unit statistics for the Vietnam War
| Start Date | End Date | Deployed | Combat | KIA | WIA | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Officer | Non-officer | Total | Large | Small | Total | Officer | Non-officer | Total | Officer | Non-officer | Total | ||
| September 22, 1966 | March 11, 1973 | 6,445 | 98,891 | 105,336 | 478 | 211,236 | 211,714 | 78 | 1,250 | 1,328 | 160 | 2,250 | 2,410 |
Coup d'état of December Twelfth
In 1979, the 9th Division was involved in the Coup d'état of December TwelfthCoup d'état of December Twelfth
The Coup d'état of December Twelfth or the "12.12 Military Insurrection" was a military coup d'état which took place on December 12, 1979 in South Korea....
, when its commander, Major General Roh Tae-Woo
Roh Tae-woo
Roh Tae-woo , is a former ROK Army general and politician. He was the 13th president of South Korea .Roh befriended Chun Doo-hwan while in high school in Daegu. In his younger life, Roh was a keen rugby union player....
led the unit to Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
without orders, away from its normal position near the DMZ
Korean Demilitarized Zone
The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and...
, and supported the take-over of the South Korean government by Lt. General Chun Doo Hwan.
See also
- Republic of Korea Armed Forces
- Republic of Korea ArmyRepublic of Korea ArmyThe Republic of Korea Army is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 520,000 members as of 2010...
- Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
- Battle of White HorseBattle of White HorseThe Battle of White Horse , was another in a series of bloody battles for dominant hilltop positions during the Korean War. Baengma-goji was a hill in the Iron Triangle, formed by Pyonggang at its peak and Kumhwa and Chorwon at its base, was a strategic transportation route in the central region...
- Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
- Capital Mechanized Infantry Division
- 2nd Marine Brigade2nd Marine Brigade (Republic of Korea)The 2nd Marine Division , notably known as Blue Dragon , is an infantry division of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps.-History:On June 1, 1965, Prime Minister of South Vietnam Nguyen Cao Ky requested military aid from the Republic of Korea...