Tiger's Tail: And the Sun Rises

Washington, Seoul and Tokyo had long considered the possibility of Chinese intervention in the war. Few felt this would come in the form of direct military action, though Chinese mobilization in the Manchurian military district worried some in the Pentagon. Most felt that the mobilization was simply a show meant to bolster future Chinese diplomatic moves.

Indeed it was widely expected that Beijing would exert great diplomatic pressure to end the war with a ceasefire in place. This would serve Beijing interests in two ways. First, by preventing American forces from advancing on and beyond Pyongyang. Second the diplomatic effort would make China hegemon in the region.

The later scenario was unacceptable to Tokyo. The defence ministry had assumed that Japanese ground forces would enter the war and with China making its move, that time had now come.

So began Operation K-GO.

Hamhung lies on North Korea's East Coast about 100 miles north of the border. From there the Hamhung River drains into the sea.  The Toksan airport lies northeast. While the airport had been visited by Japanese aircraft before, the runways were diligently repaired and the fuel tanks intact. As American forces were probing Pyongyang a battalion of the Japanese airborne brigade landed in the Hamhung River Valley and established blocking positions, while a second landed directly on Toksan airport. As these consolidated their potions and the third battalion landed south of the airport. With the airport intact the Japanese air force flew in three light infantry battalions to reinforce Toksan.

At the same time the first combat task force assembled by the Japaneses Navy since the Second World War arrived at the mouth of the Hamhung River. In all 20 ships, including two of the Japanese Navy's new helicopter carriers escorted one brigade of the Japanese Marine Division. This brigade landed unopposed and advanced north on the east bank of the river. Three hours later a second marine brigade was ashore. Thus the stage was set for the landing of two armored brigades the next day for the push into Hamhung proper.

Meanwhile, the news from the American effort at Pyongyang was grim...