Megalomaniac? Yes! Swine? Yes! But . . .

I was very rude about the late Gen. MacArthur recently which was quite easy given the wealth of material on his manifold weaknesses and failings but of course, as Shakespeare always demonstrates, men are complex creatures, never entirely one thing or another.  So, to counter-balance the ton of iniquity I spilled on his head the other day it is only right that I should add 'military genius' into the other scale.  Perhaps 'flawed' military genius would be a more accurate description.

For those unfamiliar with the Korean war let me explain that the North Koreans attacked over the border, the 38th parallel, on the 25th June 1950 and within a couple of months they had hurled the South Korean army and the hastily assembled American forces back into the south east corner around the port of Pusan.  A quick glance at the map shows you what a dire state the allies were in by September.

Map courtesy of: http://www.johndclare.net/cold_war10.htm

In fairness, I should make clear that where-as the North Korean communist state was highly militarised throughout its society, the South was not and, despite its president being very hawkish, the army was not in particularly good condition and was totally unable to cope with a massive onslaught from the North.  Equally, the first American army units rushed to Korea did not, on the whole, perform very well.  In fact some of them were dire and in several instances the men simply broke and ran.  However, this was not the battle-hardened army of 1945.  Most of them had long-since been demobed.  These were green troops whose only service had been in the luxoury of occupied Japan where many of them lived better than they did at home.  In the way of all democracies in peacetime, and in an American climate which thought that their sole possession of 'The Bomb' had banished war, basic military equipment and training had fallen away.  Difficult to believe for an American army but they were actually short of ammo!

In addition, the American army was trained to fight in straight lines, so to speak, that is, on a continuous front with supporting units either side.  However, so pitifully small were the numbers in these early days that there was no possibility of a continuous front and this gave the advantage to the North Koreans who were trained to avoid frontal attacks (except for the purposes of pinning an enemy in place) but always to seek an open flank and manouvre through the gap and come up behind the enemy.  Time and again this operational method wrought havoc in the hastily drawn-up plans of the Amrican commanders as they were forced back and back and finally pushed into the Pusan pocket.

But even as they were beaten, smashed and bashed backwards with local commanders fearing for a Korean 'Dunkirk', back in Tokyo that grandest Grand Panjandrum of them all, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, was already working out how he was going to utterly destroy the North Korean army and conquer their half of the country.  And he would do it with a stroke which Hannibal, victor at Cannae in 216BC, and von Schlieffen, designer of the plan that would have destroyed a French army in 6 weeks in 1914, would have applauded.  Instead of pouring yet more troops into the Pusan pocket and using the gradually accumulating American power to start pushing the North Koreans back, he would use his total command of the sea to mount an amphibious landing, not just on the flank of his enemy, but way back behind him where there would be virtually no combat troops only those working to supply their frontline troops.  He chose Inchon, the harbour that is immediately west of Seoul.

He could not have chosen a more difficult site if he had tried!  When the Navy and the Marines looked at the difficulties they were appalled.  It had a small island smack in the middle of the harbour which an attacker would have to assume would be defended vigorously.  There were no beaches to land troops on, only high beach walls like a citadel.  The currents were powerful and fast, and the tides enormous, rising or falling 30 feet.  Time was pressing because the vicious Korean winter was approaching and there was only a tiny window of opportunity of four days maximum in September in which a landing could take place.  All these genuine and enormous difficulties MacArthur simply brushed aside and told his staffs to get on with it.  He understood that precisely because of all these difficulties, his enemy would think it absurd for the Americans to try anything on the harbour at Inchon.

Well, he did it, or at least, his exceedingly brave and skilful servicemen did it and, at a stroke, suddenly the Allies had a knife at the throat of the North Korean army, or at least, a knife across their supply lines.  Thus, the North Korean army which was all in the south thinking that victory was theirs was forced to recoil backwards as fast as it could go.  It was at this triumphal point, his genius vindicated, that 'The Great Architect of Victory', Gen. Douglas MacArthur, beset with pride and hubris made a colossal error.  More of which later.

ADDITIONAL:  Further to the comments added by 'JK' and Hank I would like to pay tribute to this man leading an assault at Inchon; a superb marine, a brave soldier and an excellent leader of men.  Let his memory stand as an example of the best of America - via Wiki:

Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez of the Marine Corps is shown scaling a seawall after landing on Red Beach (September 15). Minutes after this photo was taken, Lopez was killed after covering a live grenade with his body.^[67] He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

 

Comments

[H]

Well, yes, indeed, what a coup. One of the great military manoeuvres of all time. One wonders, given modern satellites and so on, whether it will ever again be possible to catch an enemy with their trousers so comprehensively down. Happier times, no doubt.

[David Duff]

You will always be able to rely, 'H', on human frailties, like stupidity, complacency, over-ambition of the sort MacArthur, himself, demonstrated in the next phase of the Korean war!

[JK]

"However, this was not the battle-hardened army of 1945."

Have to admit David, I for one have purposely remained (I think) pretty much on the sidelines commenting on this particular set of posts. There is a reason.

My Dad.

For whatever reason, he'd change the subject whenever "Korea" got brought up. (Actually, where Dad's telling "war stories" was concerned - that was pretty much a general order - with the possible excption of Nam). But then mainly by way of "making a statement by other means" when he resigned his commission following Tet.

Dad enlisted during WWII and served enlisted on a mine-sweeper in the Pacific. Following "de-mobe" he got a degree on condition which required his own, "I shall return" - then found himself aboard a carrier near Inchon.

Those rare reminisces were the few always leaving him near weeping.

After Korea, Dad again "de-mobed" only to find himself "re-mobed" (following attaining a higher degree) serving stateside at Veteran's Hospitals. The "statement" I mentioned might require some explaining: full retirement benefits only accrue after 20 years. Dad resigned his commission after 17.

(He did maintain a relation with the VA - just not in a capacity that properly accorded him a salute.)

Thanks David - mentioning the Navy.

[JK]

And the Marines.

Most of my earliest years were spent on or occasionally visiting on Marine Corp bases. There was a particular USMC Captain "Pete" Van Hecken who's gonna get a posthumous salute on D&N.

Thank you "Uncle" Pete.

(Now Jan - should you "Google" this up - don't go revealing too much where "JK" is concerned --- methinks you'll be able to find me in some other way.)

[Hank]

David

Closer to a soldiers level look at the first actions.

http://www.korean-war.com/Archives/2001/09/msg00145.html
Force Protection Implications: TF Smith and the 24th Infantry Division

Defense polices in the 1990's seemed to be setting up a situation where the first units in a theater would be outnumbered. One of a number of looks at what happened in the past.

http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/KW-Outbreak/outbreak.htm
The Outbreak

An official history it deals with question of politics and such by ignoring them as much as possible. But it makes for a good operational level look at what happened.

http://eclecticmeanderings.blogspot.com/>Hank’s Eclectic Meanderings

[David Duff]

THanks, gentlemen, for your comments and please note addition above.

[JK]

Hmmm. Think now I know why Dad insisted I not "waste money on a Honda, buy the British bike shithead."

That last David is the highest esteemed accolade an Arkie kid can expect to receive - reckon the only thing comparable in Britdom would to be drubbed a Knighthood. So if you use it - that would be Sir Shithead! Besides - as DM will almost certainly point out, for you, JK is easier spelt.

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-v/cv45-n1a.htm