Tiger's Tail: Operation Pike

On the 12th day of the war the Americans launched Operation Pike.

Tired elements of the North Korean Army woke to a furious artillery barrage all along their line and looked on in awe as formations of ancient American B-52s carpet bombed reserve units further back.

Unbeknownst to North Korean commanders, during the night the 3rd Marine Division relieved the exhausted paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division and struck out from Inchon against the North Korean flank. By noon the Marines had breached North Korean lines. With one brigade deployed east against Seoul another pushed north for the DMZ.

Now the second phase of Operation Pike began. To the south of Seoul the 25th Infantry Division joined the fight. Advancing on a two brigade front they pierced North Korean lines, already shattered by the sustained air and artillery barrage and drove north toward Seoul. The 25th Infantry Division did not enter the city but pushed east, linking up with 82nd on the Inchon line and establishing land communications for the 3rd Marine Division.

At midnight third phase of Operation Pike began. The US Navy launched sustained air attacks on the North Korean city of Nampo, on the coast 25 miles southwest of Pyongyang. North Korean high command drew the obvious conclusion and hastily dispatched reinforcements to the area in anticipation of another marine landing. But none came at Nanpo.

Instead at dawn the Americans began the largest combined airborne and amphibious landing since D-Day.

Pyongyang lies 25 miles from the coast. Along the main road leading west is the town of Taedong and further west, Waedong. Between the two one brigade of the 101st Air Assault landed. With a base established one battalion set off in each direction and took control of Taedong and Waedong by noon. At the same time another brigade landed to the west and north of Moranbong, a 500  foor wooded hill that offers a commanding view of Pyongyang. The third brigade landed north of Taedong and Moranbong, forming the tip of a defensive triangle.

North Korean high command were wondering if the airborne landing was just part of some elaborate raid when word arrived of a fresh amphibious assault, this time due west of Pyongyang. The 1st Marine Division was coming ashore....