Clayton K. S. Chun

This gripping study details the crisis point of the Korean War: the UN advance across into North Korea and the following Chinese offensive that drove the forces back south of the 38th Parallel. Following the Inchon landings and the breakout from the Pusan Perimeter, UN forces crossed the North Korean border on 9 October and moved on the capital Pyongyang. Many in America believed the war would be over by Christmas, but some Washington diplomatic, military, and intelligence experts continued to raise dire warnings that the People’s Republic of China might intervene. Nevertheless, General MacArthur decided to push on to the Chinese/North Korean border, the Yalu River. On 25 October, Communist Chinese Forces unexpectedly attacked Republic of Korea forces near Unsan. Then, on 25 November, the day after MacArthur announced a ‘final offensive to end the war’, the Chinese 13th Army Group struck in mass against the Eighth Army in the north-west corner of North Korea, overrunning the US 2nd and 25th Infantry Divisions. The Chinese attacks quickly shattered Truman’s dream of a unified Korea. American, UN, and ROK forces could not hold a successful defensive line against the combined CCF and NKPA attacks. At the Chosin Reservoir, US Marine Corps and Army units retreated south whilst MacArthur’s forces withdrew from Pyongyang and X Corps later pulled out of Hungnam. Using expert research, bird’s-eye views, and full-colour maps, this study tells the fascinating history of the critical Yalu campaign, including the famous retreat past the 38th Parallel.

A highly illustrated account of the bitter struggle for the Philippine island of Luzon between the US and Japan, the largest land campaign in the Pacific War. Driven from the Philippines in 1942, General Douglas MacArthur returned three years later to force the Japanese off of its main island of Luzon. Containing the capital of Manila, vital natural resources as well as thousands of Allied prisoners of war, the triumph at Luzon would be a vital step on the road to victory as the Americans continued to island-hop their way towards the Japanese home islands. This study details one of the hardest-fought campaigns of the Pacific War with Japanese fatalities alone on Luzon topping 200,000. Emphasizing the differences in Japanese and American strategy, and detailing the combat operations of the campaign, this volume tells the story of how MacArthur kept his promise to return and liberate the Philippines.

A detailed account of the first step in General MacArthur's 1944-45 campaign to retake the Philippines. The loss of the Philippines in 1942 was the worst defeat in American military history. General Douglas MacArthur, the 'Lion of Luzon', was evacuated by order of the President just before the fall, but he vowed to return, and in August 1944 he kept his word when he led what, at the time, was the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific War on the island of Leyte. This is the full story of that fateful battle, one of the most ferocious campaigns of World War II and one of huge strategic and symbolic significance. In the face of stubborn Japanese resistance, including the first systematic use of Kamikaze attacks, the US forces ground slowly forwards before another amphibious assault took the vital position of Ormoc in the last decisive battle of the campaign. Based on extensive research in the US Army's Military History Institute, along with other archival and veteran sources, this important study sheds new light on the operation that saw the US finally return to the Philippines and in doing so placed another nail firmly in the coffin of the Japanese Empire.

The U. S. Army faces global challenges that have required it to use reserve components in a manner unseen since World War II and the Korean War. Today, there are many questions and concerns about the future of the Army Reserve and National Guard due to the unprecedented, continued mobilization of these reserve components and problems involving retention. Without adequate retention of personnel, valuable experience and unit readiness are at risk. The Army would have to spend its limited resources to replace many seasoned soldiers with junior personnel or use more contractors who may not be as effective or efficient. This monograph examines Army Reserve and National Guard enlisted retention patterns from 1995-2002. It provides a necessary background to compare retention patterns in the past with those of today. This information will help reserve component leadership to assess their personnel retention efforts and adjust appropriate public policies to improve their force structure.

This book tells the story of Task Force Ranger – a unit of US Rangers and Special Forces – and their attempt to capture the lieutenants of the Somali warlord Muhamed Farrah Aideed, during the 1993 United Nations' humanitarian relief mission. What started as a simple snatch-and-grab mission quickly degenerated into a desperate battle for survival when US Black Hawk helicopters were struck by rocket-propelled grenades and crashed into the streets of Mogadishu. Racing to save the crew, Task Force Ranger was surrounded by mobs of hostile Somali gunmen. The battle in the city raged all night as the better-equipped and better-trained US forces kept the nearly overwhelming numbers of Somalis at bay. Finally, battered, bloodied, and low on ammunition, the Task Force was rescued by a combined UN and US relief force and extracted to safety. Containing detailed maps and declassified information, this is a dramatic retelling of a brutal battle that had a far-reaching impact on US military policy.

A highly illustrated account of the fall of the Philippines in 1941–42, one of the least covered campaigns of World War II. In the immediate aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese launched an attack on the Philippines to eliminate the United States' other major Pacific naval base. Catching the US forces completely by surprise, the Japanese bombed the major airfields and quickly gained air supremacy. They followed with a full-scale invasion that quickly rolled up US–Filipino opposition and captured Manila. Meanwhile US forces, under the leadership of the Douglas MacArthur, created a series of defensive lines to try and stop the Japanese advance. Despite their efforts, they were continually pushed back until they held nothing more than the small island of Corregidor. With doom hanging over the US–Filipino forces, Douglas MacArthur was ordered to fly to safety in Australia, vowing to return. Nearly five months after the invasion began, the US–Filipino forces surrendered, and were led off on the 'Bataan Death March'. This book covers the full campaign from the planning through to the execution, looking at the various battles and strategies that were employed by both sides in the battle for the Philippines.

Just two weeks after the close of the Vietnam War, communist Cambodian Khmer Rouge elements seized the S. S. Mayaguez in international waters. Believing they had to act quickly, United States Marines boarded the ship, only to find the crew had been removed. They then launched an assault on a nearby island where they believed the crew had been taken. Instead of a quick strike against a limited foe, the Marines encountered major opposition and were quickly pinned down. With large numbers of Cambodians closing in all around, the a desperate firefight developed as US forces tried to extract the Marines. This book recounts the bloody struggle on Koh Tang island, as a badly botched hostage rescue turned into a desperate evacuation.

A “what if?” look at allied plans to invade Japan, and the story of the creation and use of the atomic bomb. In this 200th Campaign series title Clayton Chun examines the final stages of World War II as the Allies debated how to bring about the surrender of Japan. He details Operation Downfall (the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands). Chun explains why these plans were never implemented, before examining the horrific alternative to military invasion – the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear weapons. With a series of illustrations, including detailed diagrams of the atomic bombs, a depiction of the different stages of the explosions and maps of the original invasion plans, this book provides a unique perspective of a key event in world history.

The United States has been developing space for many years, and satellites provide the US Military with an unparalleled advantage over its adversaries. Constellations of both military and civilian satellites provide protection and support for military operations; deliver ballistic missile early warning; supply reliable, secure and jam-proof communications; gather audio-visual intelligence; predict weather patterns; guide navigation; and deliver guided-weapons targeting, as well as a host of other missions. This book explores the design, development and usage of US military space systems, as well as, past and future threats to the systems. The current relevance of this topic to the international community as a whole is key, as space becomes the next, if only virtual, theater of warfare.

In this general history of the development of rockets and missiles, Chun traces the technology that made attack from beyond the horizon possible. A former missile launch officer, he focusess not only on the development and employment of the ballistic missile—from early German V-2 use to today—but on their subsequent impact on national strategies, doctrine, force structure, and politics. The development of ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads had a profound impact on superpower rivalries and structured international relations for decades. The advent of the ballistic missile changed the way nations believed war was to be fought in the future. Ballistic missiles (land based and submarine-launched) are now global in scope. Accordingly, the book covers Russia, China, North Korea, South Asia, and the Middle East. It details actual use in combat, as well as current countermeasures and future missile defense systems. In this general history of the development of rockets and missiles, Chun traces the technology that made attack from beyond the horizon possible. A former missile launch officer, he focuses not only on the development and employment of the ballistic missile—from early German V-2 use to today—but on their subsequent impact on national strategies, doctrine, force structure, and politics. The development of ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads had a profound impact on superpower rivalries and structured international relations for decades. The advent of the ballistic missile changed the way nations believed war was to be fought in the future. Ballistic missiles (land based and submarine-launched) are now global in scope. Accordingly, the book covers Russia, China, North Korea, South Asia, and the Middle East. It details actual use in combat, as well as current countermeasures and future missile defense systems. The ballistic missile is still a relevant weapon system. Advancements in miniaturization, spread of technology, availability of weapons of mass destruction, desire to gain strategic advantage among rivals, and other concerns have stimulated the growth of interested parties that either have or are able to build ballistic missiles. Tracing the development and issues regarding such missiles serves as a primer on these complex systems, and explains why international parties are still concerned about their proliferation.

A detailed account of the US' nail-biting attempt to claw back their position, with full-colour maps and archival photography. In early 1942, the strategic situation was bleak for the United States. She had been in continual retreat since Pearl Harbor, surrendering major areas such as the Philippines, and was preparing for the worst in Hawaii and on the West Coast. The Japanese, on the other hand, had secured a well-defended perimeter, and was set for further expansion. Something needed to happen quickly and be of considerable impact—and the combined-arms, April 1942 Doolittle Raid on Japan was a way to achieve this. This book examines the planning, execution, and aftermath of this innovative, daring and risky attack, which would show that the Japanese navy and air forces were anything but invincible.

The Plains Indian War was one of the most controversial conflicts in American military history. Army commanders schooled in jominian strategy and experienced with the mass and maneuver tactics of the American Civil War were thrown into a tough situation. In this title, Dr Chun examines the organization and evolution of the US Army through highly detailed orders of battle, TOEs and examinations of crucial aspects such as command structure, doctrine, training, tactics and combat missions. The Departments of Dakota, the Platte, and the Missouri are examined, including Custer's defeat at the Little Bighom.