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Heartbreak Ridge Battle Analysis

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The Use of Artillery in the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge Matthew T. McGovern Austin N. Silva Christopher A. Runyon Reinaldo Cintron ALC Class 003-18 The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge was a battle initiated by the United Nations to prevent North Korea from unifying South Korea under its Communist leadership. The battle lasted for one month, starting on September 13th, 1951 and ending on October 15th, 1951. This essay will review the logistics, tactics used by opposing forces, and use of artillery; which ultimately led to the victory of the combined efforts of American & French soldiers under the United Nations. This essay will then examine how these tactics can be applied to modern warfare and how the continued advancements in ordnance …show more content…

These supplies were located in the Mundung-ni Valley, just west of Heartbreak Ridge (Loudermilk, 2017). According to General Robert N. Young, (the 2nd Division Commander,) previous attempts to take Heartbreak Ridge had been a “fiasco” due to lack of full commitment and inadequate organization of Artillery support (Hermes, 1992, p. 92). The new strategy, under the code name, “Operation Touchdown”, would be a coordinated attack between the 9th Infantry, the 23rd & 38th Regiments, and the 72nd Tank Battalion; with full Artillery support from all divisions (Hermes, 1992, p. 92). In preparation for Operation Touchdown, General Young required fire plans to be submitted from all Battalions which documented how they intended to use their armor, automatic weapons, small arms & mortars during the operation. This was to ensure the full and effective use of all available firepower (Hermes, 1992, p. …show more content…

97). In addition to this new strategy, the effective coordination of fires and maneuver elements in conjunction with the efficient use of available fires assets that ultimately led to the UN victory on Heartbreak Ridge. As Russell A. Gugeler (1987) states, “Fire without movement is indecisive. Exposed movement without fire is disastrous. There must be effective fire combined with skillful movement” (p. 215). Employing one without the other is futile. It is through the combined efforts of Infantry and Artillery, that a battle will be

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