Operation Chromite Case Study

Joint Campaign: “Operation CHROMITE”

Introduction

One of the most successful multinational operations was Operation Chromite. The Battle of Inchon was an amphibious invasion that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations (UN) and battle of the Korean War.

“North Korea's invasion of South Korea on June 25, 1950, caught the United States unprepared” (Korean War, 2006) , the United Nations forces were trapped in the Southeast corner of the Korean Peninsula in an area known as the Pusan Perimeter. With the bulk of the North Korean People's Army (NKPA) engaged around Pusan, United Nations Supreme Commander General Douglas MacArthur began advocating for a daring amphibious strike on the peninsula's West Coast at Inchon. The General believed that this would catch the North Korean’s off guard, while landing UN troops close to the capital at Seoul and placing them in a position to cut the North Korean's supply lines.

Operation CHROMITE was executed on 15 September 1950

General MacArthur was considering a plan for an amphibious assault on the East or West coast of Korea. Inchon was determined upon as the amphibious area after an exhaustive study had been completed. “MacArthur felt that he could turn the tide if he made a decisive troop movement behind enemy lines and preferred Inchon over Chumunjin-up or Kunsan as the landing site” (MacArthur, 1964) .

In the Military History Magazine it was discussed that General Macarthur “marshaled capable forces, particularly amphibious assault elements, was perhaps the most challenging aspect of Chromite” (Magazine, 2006). Part of MacArthur’s preparation for the invasion was the activation of the US Army's X Corps to act as the command for the landing forces, and appointed MGen Edward Almond, his Chief of Staff, as corps commander, anticipating the operation would mean a quick end to the