NAKTONG BULGE
11th - 19th August, 1950

Concurrent with other offensive actions, the NKPA crossed the Naktong River at three points on August 5th. Two were in the ROK sector, north of Waegwon. The third was south of Waegwon, in the weakened 24th Division sector. By August 11th, the entire 4th Division had deployed in an area referred to as the Naktong Bulge.
This breakthrough posed a serious threat, as Yongsan was in danger. Its loss would have divided US forces and endangered the vital city of Miryang. In doing so, the Taegu-Seoul rail and road routes would be cut, severing the supplies of troops defending the Pusan Perimeter. The result would be the likely collapse of the entire defence, and the end of the war.
Strong positions were taken by the NKPA on hills such as
Clover-leaf and Obong-ni ridge, dominating the road to
Yongsan. Lowlands and swamps to the east made it difficult for the weary US troops in the sector to drive out the
invaders. Stronger force was needed, and General Walker used the 5th Marine Regiment as a fire brigade, disengaging it from the Chinju action and rushing it to the Naktong Bulge. With it came the close air support which had become the trademark of the Marines. Strong artillery units were also made available as the seriousness of the situation became evident.
Fatigued by the overnight march, the Marines started for Obong-ni ridge on the morning of August 17th and began the close assault in earnest. Marine Corsairs assailed the North Korean foe with deadly accuracy but many still remained in their deep foxholes. Hand grenades and carbines became the weapons of choice as the Marines cleared the high ground in gritty fighting which the official USMC historian ranked as one of the hardest fights in the history of the Corps. Clinging to their positions with desperation, the NKPA called upon their reliable T-34's to turn the tide, as they had done so many times before. Much to their misfortune, though, the tides of war had changed. Representative of the war as a whole, UN forces responded with a variety of arms, from 3.5" rocket teams, M26/90 Pershing tanks, recoil-less rifles and deadly ground support aircraft, each claiming their share of enemy tanks. The legend of the invincible T-34 had vanished in acrid smoke.
With the loss suffered at the Naktong Bulge, the NKPA 4th Division was finished. Having suffered heavy losses prior to the Naktong offensive, its ranks were filled with green replacements. It had been further crippled by supply shortages, prohibiting effective offensive actions. Following the Naktong defeat, the 4th Division was delegated a Guards Division. It had been eliminated as a fighting force and served as a harbinger of things to come.
The UN Forces had handed the NKPA its worst defeat but the Pusan Perimeter was still in danger. A turning point had been reached, at which the war would either become a slow battle of attrition along the Naktong or could be swiftly decided by a bold stroke. Gen. MacArthur had been planning just such a bold stroke to be executed at a place called Inchon!