Operation Tomahawk was an
airborne
Airborne or Airborn may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Films
* ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis
* ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film
* ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...
military operation
A military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state, or a non-state actor, in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state or actor's favor. Operations ...
by the
187th Regimental Combat Team (187th RCT) on 23 March 1951 at
Munsan-ni
Munsan is a town of Paju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It lies on the south bank of the Imjin River, close to the edge of the Demilitarized Zone and near Panmunjom and the Joint Security Area.
History
Munsan has a heavy military presence becau ...
as part of
Operation Courageous
Operation Courageous was a military operation performed by the United Nations Command (UN) during the Korean War designed to trap large numbers of Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) and Korean People's Army (KPA) troops between the Han and Imjin ...
in the
Korean War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Korean War
, partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict
, image = Korean War Montage 2.png
, image_size = 300px
, caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
. Operation Courageous was designed to trap large numbers of Chinese
People's Volunteer Army
The People's Volunteer Army (PVA) was the armed expeditionary forces deployed by the People's Republic of China during the Korean War. Although all units in the PVA were actually transferred from the People's Liberation Army under the order ...
(PVA) and
Korean People's Army
The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) is the military force of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). Under the '' Songun'' policy, it is the central institution of North Korean society. Currently, WPK General S ...
(KPA) forces between the
Han and
Imjin River
The Imjin River ( in South Korea) or Rimjin River ( in North Korea) is the 7th largest river in Korea. It flows from north to south, crossing the Demilitarized Zone and joining the Han River downstream of Seoul, near the Yellow Sea. The river i ...
s north of
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...
, opposite the
Republic of Korea Army
The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; ko, 대한민국 육군; Hanja: 大韓民國 陸軍; RR: ''Daehanminguk Yuk-gun''), also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the army of South Korea, responsible for ground-based warfare. It is the l ...
(ROK)
I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to:
France
* 1st Army Corps (France)
* I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Ar ...
. The intent of Operation Courageous was for US
I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to:
France
* 1st Army Corps (France)
* I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Ar ...
, which was composed of the US
25th and
3rd Infantry Divisions and the ROK
1st Division, to advance quickly on the PVA/KPA positions and reach the Imjin River with all possible speed.
Operation Tomahawk was the other half of the plan. This operation was designed to drop the 187th RCT about north of the then current front line. They did so,
parachuting
Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the Atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachut ...
from over a hundred
C-119 Flying Boxcar
The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (Navy and Marine Corps designation R4Q) was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechan ...
transport aircraft. When they landed they linked up with ''Task Force Growdon'', which was made up of armored elements from the US
24th Infantry Division (United States)
The 24th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army that was inactivated in October 1996. Formed during World War II from the disbanding Hawaiian Division, the division saw action throughout the Pacific theater, f ...
's 6th Medium Tank Battalion and infantry elements from the US
3rd Infantry Division. The forces advanced to their goal, meeting weak resistance—mostly
minefield
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
s—because the PVA/KPA had retreated before they got there.
One hundred twenty C-119s and
C-46s dropped 3,437 paratroopers of the 187th RCT and 12 officers and men of the 60th Indian
Parachute Field Ambulance (PFA) near Munsan-ni in the second largest airborne operation of the war. The 187th RCT suffered 4 fatalities (3 KIA and 1 in an accident).
References
External links
*A period piece written by ''Time'' on 2 April 1951 a
Again at the ParallelThe Korean War in March 1951
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tomahawk, Operation
Battles and operations of the Korean War in 1951
1951 in South Korea
Battles of the Korean War
Battles of the Korean War involving North Korea
Battles of the Korean War involving South Korea
Battles of the Korean War involving China
Battles of the Korean War involving India
Battles of the Korean War involving the Philippines
Battles of the Korean War involving the United States
Military operations of the Korean War
March 1951 events in Asia
Aerial operations and battles of the Korean War