17 May 1951 2nd Communist Chinese Spring Offensive

2nd Infantry Division "Second To None"

17 May - 5 June By nightfall it was apparent the long-expected offensive had begun. Later intelligence reports revealed the full extent of the assault. Four Chinese Armies rolled forward in the 2d Infantry Division zone. They aimed to penetrate the Republic Of Korea positions on the right then turn in behind the 2nd Division and envelop the right flank.

More than 137,000 Chinese and 38,000 North Korean troops were being hurled against the front manned by the 2nd Infantry Division and the Republic Of Korea Divisions on the right. On their success depended the course of the war for it was an all-out effort on the part of the Communists to smash and destroy the 2d Division, thrust through the ROK's and outflank the entire 8th Army line. The ROK's had already fallen back, but the 2d Division holding the shoulder of the penetration was resisting every effort to be thrown back.

In the twenty day period proceeding the conclusion of the final attack the 2nd Infantry (Indianhead) Division had killed more than 65,000 enemy soldiers, the cream of the armies of Red China. Ten enemy divisions had been committed against the 2d Division with soldiers from an additional two communist divisions identified among the thousands of dead who littered the battle-field.

It was a major defeat for the Chinese and North Korean forces. Their ranks were decimated, entire divisions rendered useless. They had flung themselves in an all-out attempt to annihilate the 2d Division and had failed under the merciless pounding of hundreds of thousands of rounds of artillery, tons of bombs and millions of around of small arms ammunition thrown at them by the determined, steadfast and victorious men of the 2d Infantry Division.