Battle of Wawon

After the destruction of the Korean People's Army (KPA) by mid-1950, China entered the Korean War by sending the PVA against the UN forces in Korea who were then very close to the Chinese border. In a series of surprise attacks, the PVA managed to cripple the US Eighth Army's right flank by decimating the Republic of Korea (ROK) II Corps, completely stalling the UN advances towards the Yalu River by 4 November 1950. Despite the seriousness of this setback, the undeterred General Douglas MacArthur ordered the Eighth Army to launch the Home-by-Christmas Offensive on November 24, 1950. As part of the offensive, the newly-arrived Turkish Brigade was assigned as the reserve of the US IX Corps, and was placed directly behind the center of the Eighth Army's advances. Despite MacArthur's optimism, a massive PVA counterattack soon developed on the night of 25 November. Hoping to repeat their earlier successes against the Eighth Army, the Chinese again attacked the ROK II Corps and the UN right flank was routed by 26 November. As a counter, the Turkish Brigade was ordered by IX Corps to advance east from Kunu-ri on the afternoon of November 26. the deployment of the Turkish Brigade quickly ran into difficulties, and the lack of accurate intelligence on PVA forces further added to the chaos. During their advance eastward, the Turks were forced to conduct long marches in the Korean countryside because of misunderstanding of the IX Corps' instructions. On 26 November 1950, a column 200 South Korean soldiers of the ROK 6th and 7th Infantry Divisions fleeing from Tokchon were attacked by a battalion of Turks who were the first to arrive at Wawon, after the Turks mistook the Koreans for Chinese. Because of false intelligence, the Turks were expecting to encounter with Chinese somewhere on the road. The event was incorrectly reported by American and European media as a Turkish victory over the Chinese and even after news leaked out about the truth to the Americans, no efforts were made by the media to fix the story. On the night of 27 November, the exhausted Turkish Brigade entered the village of Wawon to the east of Kunu-ri, and Brigadier General Tahsin Yazıcı of the Turkish Brigade ordered a semicircular perimeter to be established towards the northeast. ==Battle==

On the night of 27 November, the advancing PVA 114th Division of the 38th Corps—under the command of Zhai Zhongyu—ambushed and destroyed the Turkish Brigade's reconnaissance platoon, alerting the entire brigade in the process. Knowing that the Chinese attack was imminent, the advance battalion of the brigade quickly took up defensive positions on the road leading into Wawon. They were soon met by the PVA 342nd Regiment, 114th Division, Observing that Wawon was surrounded by hills occupied by the Chinese, Yazıcı ordered the Turkish Brigade to withdraw westward to the village of Sinim-ri. The fierce fighting forced the Chinese to call in the 340th Regiment to reinforce the 342nd. Despite the hard fighting, the Turks were close to being overrun by the morning of 29 November and only a timely air strike allowed the Turks to escape encirclement. With the US 2nd Infantry Division entering Kunu-ri on the night of November 28, the remnants of the Turkish Brigade fell back towards Kunu-ri and joined up with the US 38th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division. Although the US IX Corps managed to safely pull back into Kunu-ri, the Turkish Brigade's ordeal was not over. On 29 November, the Turks that had been expelled from Sinim-ri were retreating in complete disarray, with the 38th Infantry finding Turkish survivors of the ambush struggling into Kunu-ri. with the 114th Division attacking the Turkish Brigade on the right flank of the 38th Infantry Regiment along the Kaechon River. Upon noticing this development, Tahsin Yazıcı ordered a withdrawal, The Turkish defeat at Pongmyong-ni resulted in havoc since the retreat of the Turks exposed the right flank of the 38th Infantry, and the disarrayed mass of retreating Turks stopped the 1st Battalion from taking their place at the 38th infantry's flank after Colonel George B. Peploe commanded them to cover the exposed flank. In the ensuing battles and withdrawals with the US 2nd Division, the Turkish Brigade was effectively destroyed as a fighting unit with 20 percent of its men becoming casualties. ==Controversy==

Both historian Clay Blair and Colonel Paul Freeman believed that the Turkish Brigade was "overrated, poorly led green troops" who "broke and bugged out", and blamed them for not protecting on the right flank of the US Eighth Army. However historian Bevin Alexander noted that given the Turkish Brigade was the only UN force present between Wawon and Kunu-ri, the Chinese inability to capture Kunu-ri before the US 2nd Infantry Division meant the Turks had fulfilled their original mission and covered the withdrawal of the US IX Corps. Brigadier General Tahsin Yazıcı has reported that he was not informed by the US commanders about the retreat of the US Army and during their retreat the US tank commanders supporting his unit had refused to attack the enemy on several occasions. Therefore his troops had to carry out bayonet charges to break out of encirclement, which caused hundreds of casualties. In his memoirs, Yazıcı also states that the only US unit he was grateful for was the combat medic unit of the US Army . Douglas MacArthur "The military situation in Korea is being followed with concern by the whole American public. But in these concerned days, the heroism shown by the Turks has given hope to the American nation. It has inculcated them with courage. The American public fully appreciates the value of the services rendered by the Turkish Brigade and knows that because of them the Eighth American Army could withdraw without disarray. The American public understands that the United Nations Forces in Korea were saved from encirclement and from falling into the hands of the communists by the heroism shown by the Turks." ==Aftermath==

Despite the heavy losses, the sacrifice of the Turkish Brigade was not forgotten by the US Eighth Army. On 13 December 1950, General Walton Walker, commander of the US Eighth Army, presented 15 Silver Star and Bronze Star medals to the Turkish Brigade for their gallantry in action against the Chinese, and this occasion was proudly remembered by the Turkish soldiers in Korea. General Mac Arthur : “I am glad to see you. In Japan, everyone calls you Turks heroes. The Turks who saved the 8th Army in Kunuri and defeated the enemy in KUMYANGJ-NI are the heroes of heroes; he said of the Turkish Brigade, “There is no such thing as none.” ==Movies and documentaries==

• Ayla: The Daughter of War ==See also==