Peninsula conflict
Archaic trenches, blonde bombshells, jet fighters, WWII artillery, celebrity comedians and some of the most devastating battles of the 20th century
Deadly new technology, archaic tactics and Hollywood stars left their mark on the war
NAPALM
UNITED STATES 1944-1980
(BANNED BY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION)
An incendiary weapon made from gelling agents and fuel, napalm exploded rapidly and inflicted dreadful burns. American forces used it extensively in the Iron Triangle north of Seoul.
MARILYN GOES ON TOUR
USA 1954
Marilyn Monroe, the icon of the big screen, toured Korea in January 1954 after the official armistice the previous year, performing at ten shows.
MINESWEEPERS
UNITED STATES, UNITED NATIONS 1950-53
The United States lost five vessels during patrols along the Korean coast. Some skirmishes with North Korean vessels took place in the first weeks of the war but the main danger was from mines and coastal artillery.
PSYCH OPS
UNITED STATES, NORTH KOREA, CHINA 1950-53
Both sides air-dropped propaganda leaflets from aircraft across enemy territory with illustrated propaganda in an attempt to demoralise each other.
DEFECTORS
UNITED STATES/UNITED KINGDOM 1953-C.1980
One British and 20 American POWS refused repatriation via the border town of Panmunjom. Most returned to the West by the early 1960s.
M-1 MORTAR
UNITED STATES C.1942-52
The 81mm (3.2in) artillery piece was in widespread use until mid-1952, when the longer range M-79 mortar replaced it.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
UNITED STATES 1947
Based in Seoul, the CIA sent hundreds of expatriate North Koreans across the DMZ, but operations were often sabotaged by double agents.
M-1 CARBINE
UNITED STATES 1942-73
The most produced infantry arm of World War II, this semi-automatic carbine was widely used by American and UN forces until the end of hostilities.
“NAPALM EXPLODED RAPIDLY AND INFLICTED DREADFUL BURNS. AMERICAN FORCES USED IT EXTENSIVELY IN THE IRON TRIANGLE NORTH OF SEOUL”
GLOSTER METEOR
UNITED KINGDOM 1943-1980S
Designed by Sir Frank Whittle during World War II, the first British jet was used by the Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force in the skies over Korea.
MIKOYAN-GUREVICH (MIG-15)
USSR 1949-1953
Chinese MIG-15 fighters first appeared over the Yalu River on 1 November 1950, replacing North Korean propeller aircraft. They battled the American F-86 Sabres throughout the war.
T-34 TANKS
USSR C.1940-1951
A full brigade of North Korean T-34 tanks formed part of the original incursion across the DMZ in June 1950. Most North Korean tanks had been destroyed by early 1951.
TRENCH WARFARE
UNITED NATIONS, NORTH KOREA, CHINA 1950-53
Both sides regularly dug in ahead of the advancing enemy in the early battles, but dugouts and trenches became widespread after May 1951 with the war in stalemate.
“DUGOUTS AND TRENCHES BECAME WIDESPREAD AFTER MAY 1951 WITH THE WAR IN STALEMATE”
BIO WARFARE?
SOUTH KOREA (CHINESE/NORTH KOREA ALLEGATIONS) 1952
An outbreak of cholera near Incheon was attributed by China to the UN forces, an allegation strenuously denied. The North Koreans continue to allege that disease-bearing insects were air dropped north of the DMZ after 1952.
GEOJEDO ISLAND CAMP
SOUTH KOREA
A prison camp designated mainly for North Korean POWS, the camp held 170,000 prisoners by early 1952. Uprisings in February and April that year killed dozens before being suppressed.