HOW AN ENTIRE ARMY FROZE TO DEATH
How did this happen and why?
The soldier's face stung with each blast of frigid wind, as if countless needles were pricking his skin. With temperatures dipping below forty degrees, the wind chill made it feel even colder. Huddled on the icy hillside alongside his silent comrades, he had been waiting for hours, surrounded by the vast, cold expanse of the North Korean night, anticipating the command to launch an attack.
The Americans were entrenched, prepared to defend the Chosin Reservoir. Yearning to move, he stumbled across the treacherous, frozen terrain, desperately seeking the nearby company. Each step was a struggle, his legs numb from the cold. The howling wind enveloped him as he climbed the hill, calling out, but his voice vanished into the darkness. Upon reaching the first soldier, his heart sank; frozen faces stared back at him, lifeless in the snow. Terror seized him, tightening his chest with every breath.
He faced a critical choice: stay and succumb to the freezing fate of his comrades or dash into the deadly barrage of American gunfire. His heart raced, and panic gripped his breath as the seconds ticked away. In today's episode of The Infographics Show, we reveal the harrowing true account of how an entire Chinese army nearly succumbed to the cold.
On June 25, 1950, a massive wave of North Korean forces surged across the 38th Parallel, sparking a conflict that would dramatically alter the region. Meanwhile, in China, the high command was reluctant to engage in a foreign war, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) concentrated on dismantling the last remnants of Nationalist power in Taiwan, Hainan, and nearly fifty other islands. Among the elite units chosen to systematically defeat the Nationalists was the formidable 9th Army.
Veterans had primarily engaged the Japanese throughout World War Two before swiftly redirecting their efforts against the Nationalist forces in China. By the summer of 1950, Communist troops had nearly obliterated the remaining Nationalist strongholds, with the Chinese Communist Party gearing up for a significant offensive on Taiwan, bolstered by a force of approximately 300,000 soldiers in southern China, including 150,000 from the elite 9th Army designated to spearhead the attack. However, the outbreak of the Korean War dramatically shifted the landscape for the CCP.
The soldiers set out with only three to eight days' worth of supplies, facing an arduous 18-day trek to the Chosin Reservoir. To evade air strikes, they marched under the cover of night and rested during the day. The scarcity of food began to severely impact their strength, leaving them increasingly fatigued and vulnerable. Many veterans remember the generosity of North Korean villagers, which was crucial for their survival. Some soldiers scavenged for potatoes, while others had to resort to eating whatever animals they could find, including cats, dogs, and rats. Exhausted and weak, many fell behind their units, promising to catch up but ultimately succumbing to the cold as they lay down in the snow. Headquarters recognized the urgency of the situation; without a solution to the food shortage, the 9th Army faced the grim prospect of starvation long before encountering American forces. The answer lay in mobilizing thousands of Chinese and Korean civilians, resulting in an impressive supply of 150,000 pounds of bread.
General MacArthur's audacious amphibious assault at Inchon led to a swift and decisive defeat of the North Korean forces. Although the 9th Army was initially excluded from this operation, the rapid advance of U.S. troops compelled a reassessment of their mission.
In early October, Mao Zedong informed the 9th Army commander that their focus had shifted from invading Taiwan to preparing for winter combat in Shandong. Unfortunately, this strategy unraveled as the situation in North Korea deteriorated, with UN forces capturing Pyongyang and leaving the 9th Army with fewer than 20,000 troops.
Chinese troops in eastern North Korea faced an urgent deployment ordered by the CCP, drastically reducing their training time from two months to just one week. This hasty decision led to dire consequences. Upon arrival, Chinese officers were alarmed to discover that many soldiers were ill-equipped for the harsh North Korean winter, wearing only canvas shoes and light jackets. In a desperate attempt to shield their troops from the biting cold, officers at the train station seized over 600 winter coats, but this was woefully insufficient for the 10,000 men of the 59th Division.
As days passed, Chinese logisticians raced to procure 72,000 winter coats for the 9th Army, yet more than half the soldiers would face the record-breaking cold with merely a light shirt for warmth. Compounded by a shortage of trucks and treacherous mountain roads, the 9th Army was forced to abandon nearly all their artillery, heavy weapons, and supplies, leaving each soldier with minimal provisions.
The soldiers were burdened with 80 rounds of rifle ammunition each, transforming them into pack mules for the Army's staggering 1300 tons of ordnance. After just one night, the 58th Division of the 20th Corps suffered a devastating loss of 700 men to frostbite, marking not only a tactical defeat but a harrowing descent into despair for those who remained. Veterans recounted the grim reality of having to sleep in their boots, as removing them would lead to swollen feet that made re-tying impossible by morning. As if the situation couldn't deteriorate further, the 9th Army faced a critical shortage of food, with soldiers departing China with only three to eight days' worth of rations for an 18-day march to the Chosin Reservoir. Marching under the cover of night to evade air attacks, the lack of sustenance began to sap their strength, leaving them increasingly vulnerable. Many veterans remembered the compassion of North Korean villagers, who provided some relief, while others resorted to foraging for potatoes or scavenging any available animals. Exhausted and weakened, soldiers fell behind, promising to catch up, only to succumb to the cold, lying down in the snow and never waking again.
Headquarters was acutely aware of the dwindling time. If the food crisis remained unresolved, the 9th Army would face starvation long before encountering American forces. The answer lay in mobilizing thousands of Chinese and Korean civilians, who managed to bake and deliver an impressive 150,000 pounds of bread daily to the troops. However, the situation on the ground was dire, as much of this vital sustenance failed to reach the famished soldiers. Desertions became rampant, with entire units abandoning their posts, and one battalion commander met a grim fate, executed by the 9th Army's own leader.
Initially, the prestigious 9th Army was not involved in this operation, but the rapid advance of U.S. forces quickly compelled China to act. In early October, Mao directly communicated with the 9th Army's commander, altering their mission. Rather than proceeding with the invasion of Taiwan, they were redirected to Shandong, where they were to undergo two months of winter warfare training. However, this strategy also unraveled, as the 9th Army arrived in Shandong.
After enduring 18 grueling days, the 9th Army finally approached the Chosin Reservoir, with the Americans within striking distance. Despite their hardships, the soldiers were ready for a decisive confrontation, yet the most challenging moments lay ahead. On the eve of battle, the 9th Army devised an audacious plan to encircle and eliminate the Americans, but the reality was starkly different. After two weeks of relentless marching in freezing conditions, the Chinese troops were far from battle-ready, weaker and more fatigued than their American adversaries.
The situation was dire as the soldiers had to leave their heavy weaponry behind in China, entering battle armed only with rifles, bayonets, and grenades. Minimal artillery support was available, and even reaching the battlefield was uncertain. One veteran recounted how they waited for hours on the first day, lying in the snow, huddled together for warmth under shared blankets.
When the order to attack finally came, the soldiers expected to surge forward, but instead found themselves barely able to move, their bodies stiff from the cold. Their weapons had frozen, rendering them ineffective against the American forces, who easily picked them off. One soldier described the panic of trying to load his rifle, only to find the bolt immovable in the frigid temperatures. In desperation, he reached for a grenade, but his fingers were frozen, preventing him from pulling the pin. With no other option, he charged at an American machine gun wielding only a knife. After breaching the initial American defenses, the soldiers halted their advance, drawn instead to the warm boots and food left behind by the dead, prioritizing survival over further combat.
After weeks of relentless marching and fierce combat, the soldiers succumbed to exhaustion and fell into an unbreakable slumber, never to awaken. The urgency of their situation was undeniable; they could not afford to wait for the command to attack, as the bitter cold threatened to claim their lives before they could engage in battle. The frigid temperatures were as lethal as any adversary, and inaction would lead to inevitable demise. Faced with the choice, many preferred the swift end of a bullet from American forces over the slow agony of freezing in the snow.
By December 6, temperatures plummeted to a staggering 45 degrees below zero, prompting the U.S. Marines to launch a bold early morning assault on the nearby Chinese troops. As they gathered their resolve and charged up the hill, they anticipated an imminent firefight, only to be met with an eerie silence. Upon reaching the summit, they were confronted with a haunting sight—the entire Chinese company lay frozen in their foxholes, victims of the merciless cold.
In the following weeks, the harsh winter and American steel wreaked havoc on the 9th Army, with cold-related injuries outpacing combat losses in several units. The 79th Division faced nearly 2,150 combat casualties, yet an additional 2,300 men succumbed to frostbite. Recognizing the impending conclusion of the battle, the Chinese high command ceased their advance by December 15, allowing the Americans to withdraw with minimal resistance.
Initially, around 150,000 troops had mobilized in early November 1950, but by mid-December, the Chinese Army reported over 19,000 battle casualties and an astonishing 29,000 losses attributed to the severe weather. After the conflict, Mao Zedong praised the 9th Army for their triumph and inquired about their provisions for warmth and sustenance, but such sentiments came too late. For the soldiers, these words felt empty, as they endured unprecedented cold and hardship. Was this mission destined for failure from the outset?
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