Summary of Hampton Sides's On Desperate Ground

Everest Media

Description

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.
Sample Book Insights:
#1 The amphibious invasion taking place off the jetties and docks of Inchon was led by General Douglas MacArthur, and his name would forever be associated with it. But the officer most directly responsible for executing the details of the initial landing was in many ways MacArthur’s opposite: Oliver Prince Smith, commander of the First Marine Division.
#2 General Smith was a cerebral, soft-spoken man who had a reputation in the Corps as an intellectual. He was fluent in French, drank sparingly, and never cursed. He was a professional killer, employed in a hard trade.
#3 Smith was a by-the-book Marine who was known for his calm and gentle demeanor. He was also one of the country’s preeminent experts on the tactics and logistics of amphibious warfare.
#4 Operation Chromite was a plan developed by General MacArthur to land a large force behind the lines and capture Seoul, which was the capital of South Korea. He believed that capturing Seoul would psychologically damage the North Korean army.

Sujets

• Korean War
• Military

Informations

• Publié par: Everest Media LLC
• Date de parution: 27 avril 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781669392934
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Insights on Hampton Sides's On Desperate Ground
Contents Insights from Chapter 1 Insights from Chapter 2 Insights from Chapter 3 Insights from Chapter 4 Insights from Chapter 5
Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The amphibious invasion taking place off the jetties and docks of Inchon was led by General Douglas MacArthur, and his name would forever be associated with it. But the officer most directly responsible for executing the details of the initial landing was in many ways MacArthur’s opposite: Oliver Prince Smith, commander of the First Marine Division.

#2

General Smith was a cerebral, soft-spoken man who had a reputation in the Corps as an intellectual. He was fluent in French, drank sparingly, and never cursed. He was a professional killer, employed in a hard trade.

#3

Smith was a by-the-book Marine who was known for his calm and gentle demeanor. He was also one of the country’s preeminent experts on the tactics and logistics of amphibious warfare.

#4

Operation Chromite was a plan developed by General MacArthur to land a large force behind the lines and capture Seoul, which was the capital of South Korea. He believed that capturing Seoul would psychologically damage the North Korean army.

#5

Douglas MacArthur, the American commander, was the de facto ruler of 83 million foreign subjects during the occupation of Japan. He was the American Mikado, the American Proconsul, and the American Caesar. He was a man in love with the vertical pronoun.

#6

The Inchon landing was a providential undertaking that could not be questioned. But in the end, it was not so much MacArthur who worried Smith, but his chief of staff, Major General Edward Ned Almond.

#7

The Inchon landing was a success, and the journalists aboard the Mount McKinley tried to capture the scene. Now and then puffs of smoke came softly from the muzzles of the naval guns, waving lazily like huge indolent fingers in their turrets, wrote Reginald Thompson, a British correspondent.

#8

The Inchon landing was a huge success, and the bold gamble proved to be a huge success. It was clear that the North Koreans had been thoroughly cowed. The way was clear for many tens of thousands of US troops to come ashore beginning the next day.

#9

In Seoul, the citizens were anxiously waiting for the American army to arrive. The North Korean government had labeled this house a traitor’s house, but six children called it home.

#10

After World War II, Korea was divided into two separate countries at the thirty-eighth parallel. The two nations shared the same culture, history, and language, but were quickly remade in the image of their respective custodians.

#11

In the South, the United States installed a staunch anti-Communist leader named Syngman Rhee, who proved to be a ruthless authoritarian. The North, meanwhile, had handpicked Kim Il Sung to lead the fledgling Communist nation.

#12

In the chaos that followed the takeover, many South Koreans were arrested and taken to hastily organized people’s courts. Indoctrination meetings were held in which citizens were expected to publicly criticize themselves and pledge allegiance to the new state.

#13

When the Americans came, there would be door-to-door fighting. The North Koreans, cornered and probably doomed, would lash out against the civilians like a tiger caught in a trap.

#14

The American soldiers of X Corps kept wading into port, and the invasion was unstoppable. The bridgehead flared like a fast-growing spore. Ziggurats of war supplies grew upon the docks.

#15

General Ned Almond, the X Corps commander, was deficient of ideas on how to cross the Han River. He seemed to think that crossing the river was a mechanical problem that could be solved easily.

#16

Smith knew that there were other, less destructive ways to take Seoul than just destroying it. He knew that the September 25 deadline was contrived, and that his Marines could probably take Seoul by the 25th, but only by laying waste to large sections of the city.

#17

The city was being bombarded, and the defenders were being softened up. The supreme commander seemed to be on the brink of total victory, and he flew back to Tokyo to celebrate.

#18

On September 23, a calm fell over the West Gate. The fighting had stopped, and Lee could hear American troops gathered on his block. He ran outside to greet them, not knowing if anyone was watching.

#19

Lee was overjoyed to meet the Americans, but the next morning, when he went out to see them again, the Marines were gone. The battle lines had been redrawn overnight, and the West Gate was now North Korean territory.

#20

The way into Seoul grew bloodier with each mile. The North Korean People’s Army had erected barricades at nearly every major intersection, and snipers had positioned themselves on rooftops and balconies.

#21

The Battle of Seoul was a difficult one for the Marines to win, as it was not their specialty. They had to adapt to urban warfare, which they were not used to. They had to hunt down and kill all who resisted them.

#22

As the Marines pressed into the ruined heart of Seoul, more and more civilians began to pour into the streets. Some seemed elated, while others had tears streaming down their withered walnut faces. But most were curious impassive towards the new liberators.

#23

Almond was put in charge of a division of black soldiers in Italy, and he blamed their poor performance on race. He believed that no white man would want to be accused of leaving the battle line, and thus, the Negro did not care about his own safety.

#24

As Smith’s regiments fought their way into Seoul, he began to clash with Almond over tactics. Almond suggested that Smith split his division into various advancing prongs that would reconverge deep within the city, but Smith felt this was logistically complicated and likely to result in friendly fire casualties.

#25

The city was still under enemy control, and the North Koreans were still putting up a fight. But on the evening of September 25, an order was issued that declared Seoul had been liberated. The whole matter was disturbing, but Smith had learned a valuable lesson: he was going to have to tread carefully with General Ned Almond.

#26

On September 29, General MacArthur arrived in Seoul to formally hand over the keys of the South Korean government to President Syngman Rhee. The city was destroyed, and MacArthur seemed unaffected by the sight.

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