[Korea Root] "If Only Back Then..." War and Motorcycles

'Dosolsan, Blood Ridge, Punchbowl' etc... Fierce Battles Centered on the 38th Parallel After Chinese Communist Forces Intervention
'Baekseoksan Battle', The Last Battle Deciding the Armistice Line... Frontline Outpost Seizure Battle
North Korean 603 Motorcycle Unit, Blocking ROK Army Supply Route After Occupying Suwon

Battle of the 'Bloody Ridge' in Yanggu, Gangwon [Yanggu-gun]

[Asia Economy Reporter La Young-chul] While watching documentaries or movies related to the Korean War (6.25 War), many have likely experienced the regretful thought of "If only it had been like that back then..." at least once.

Thoughts such as "If the Chinese People's Volunteer Army had not intervened...", "If U.S. President Truman had allowed General MacArthur to use atomic bombs on Manchuria and China...", "If the U.S. had waged full-scale war against China as General MacArthur insisted...", or "If the South Korean army had tanks..." provide vicarious satisfaction by imagining changes to already occurred events.

This is probably due to a deep desire to have ended the war early with victory and to have united the North and South without division.

In the early days of the Korean War, comparing the troops and weapons of North and South Korea, one might also regretfully think, "If only the South Korean army had military motorcycles back then...".

[Korea Root] revisited the fierce battlefields of Yanggu, Gangwon Province, and visited the "Yanggu War Memorial Hall" to remind post-war generations of the spirit of patriotism and the lessons of war.

Along with the regretful thought of "If only it had been like that back then...", the motorcycle featured is the first adventure touring model from the American brand Harley-Davidson, the 'Pan America 1250 Special'.

After a three-hour drive from Seoul, the first things that caught the eye at the Yanggu War Memorial Hall (Yanggu Unification Hall) were the flags of the participating countries and the Punchbowl Dosolsan District Battle Monument.

Punch Bowl Dosolsan District Battle Monument inside Yanggu Unification Hall [Photo by Ra Youngcheol]

Yanggu was not only the frontline at the outbreak of the Korean War but also became a fierce battlefield again after the Chinese intervention, as the front line formed around the existing 38th parallel in the central region.

Dosolsan, Aeusan, Baekseoksan, the Bloody Ridge, Punchbowl, Gachilbong, Danjang's Ridge, Hill 949, and Christmas Hill battles were among the many fierce battles fought in Yanggu.

At Dosolsan (around Palrang-ri, Dong-myeon and Mandae-ri, Haean-myeon) in the northeast of Yanggu, UN forces including the South Korean army and the Chinese army fought intense battles for 17 days from June 4 to June 20, 1951.

In particular, the Dosolsan battle was a strategic and tactical key point that both sides had to secure because it greatly influenced the selection of the military demarcation line during the armistice talks.

The battle of Hill 983, known as the "Bloody Ridge" battle, was the most representative hill contest of that year, which stopped immediately after the armistice talks began in July 1951.

This battle is also the scene in the latter part of the 2004 Korean film Taegukgi, which was the first Korean film to attract over 10 million viewers, depicting fierce fighting between North Korean troops (known as the Flag Unit) and South Korean forces.

The South Korean and UN forces barely captured the Bloody Ridge after suffering 2,700 casualties. The North Korean forces retreated from the hill after suffering about 15,000 casualties.

North Korean soldiers near the armistice negotiation site [Yanggu-gun]

War correspondents who witnessed this named the area around Hill 983 the "Bloody Ridge" due to the bloodshed.

Another hill battle, the "Baekseoksan Battle," was an offensive battle where South Korean forces (7th and 8th Divisions) and North Korean forces (12th and 32nd Divisions) fought fiercely over Baekseoksan (Hill 1142), located about 20 km north of Yanggu in the mid-eastern front (Bangsan-myeon), from mid-August to late October 1951, with South Korea emerging victorious.

Until the signing of the armistice agreement on July 27, 1953, the battle was characterized by continuous fighting over forward positions, making the Baekseoksan Battle effectively the last battle that determined today's armistice line.

■ War and Motorcycles

Harley-Davidson WLA 750cc Military Motorcycle (1944) [milweb]

In movies about the Korean War, scenes occasionally show North Korean soldiers riding motorcycles.

The North Korean military motorcycle "Chollima" was produced with technical support by copying the German army's iconic sidecar R71 model through the Soviet motorcycle manufacturer Ural, under the model name M72.

The sidecar motorcycle ridden by actor Cha Seung-won, who played North Korean advance commander Park Mu-rang in the film Into the Fire, is the "Chollima".

According to materials obtained by the Military History Research Institute under the Ministry of National Defense from the Central Archives of the Russian Ministry of Defense, North Korea deployed motorcycle units early in the Korean War to rapidly advance toward the Suwon area and cut off the South Korean army's supply lines.

North Korea planned to deploy the 603rd Motorcycle Regiment toward the Icheon-Suwon area from two days after the outbreak of the war on June 25, 1950, to capture Suwon and cut off the South Korean army's supply routes.

Composed of Soviet motorcycles, the North Korean forces were organized under an operational concept derived from the Soviet deep operation maneuver strategy (OMG).

The motorcycle unit was tasked with advancing behind South Korean lines in the Chuncheon-Hongcheon-Wonju direction after the North Korean 12th Division broke through the South Korean defense line, joining guerrilla units operating locally to paralyze South Korean supply lines and block the retreat routes of South Korean forces withdrawing from Seoul.

Thus, motorcycles play an important role in combat due to their wide operational range and mobility relative to their low fuel consumption.

Movie 'Into the Fire' Scene [YouTuber Screen Capture]

They demonstrate outstanding performance by dashing forward with unique speed and maneuverability, surpassing any other equipment.

According to related materials, the heyday of military motorcycles dates back to World War II.

Europe suffered great damage during World War II but achieved scientific and technological advancements through the war.

The German army utilized motorcycles produced with their excellent industrial technology for document delivery, reconnaissance, and frontline control.

The United States and the United Kingdom, members of the Allied forces, also significantly increased their use of motorcycles.

The U.S. military used over 90,000 WLA models equipped with 737cc V-twin engines for military purposes.

The U.S. military, which widely used motorcycles, began to use them for tactical purposes in earnest starting with the 1983 Grenada and 1989 Panama invasion operations.

Especially during the Gulf War, military motorcycles had the opportunity to fully demonstrate their capabilities, being ideal for eliminating Iraqi Scud missile launchers.

Military motorcycles during World War II [milweb]

The United States classified motorcycles not simply as basic vehicle equipment but as combat equipment in various equipment manuals.

In the UK, 126,000 units of the M20 military motorcycle, developed in 1937, were produced until 1950.

The folding motorcycle "Welbike" was developed and deployed in the Normandy landings, the Anzio battle, and Operation Market Garden.

Recently, many countries have been using military motorcycles extensively in special operations. In general combat, they are mainly used for reconnaissance and military police battlefield management.

Japan, with its particularly mountainous terrain, is considered the country that best utilizes motorcycles to traverse difficult terrain.

Moreover, with many excellent motorcycle manufacturers, Japan is highly regarded for the extent and range of motorcycle use, surpassing many other countries.

South Korea has been operating motorcycles partially for several years but has not yet made extensive use of them.

They are currently used simply for frontline control and communication rather than for tactical units.