7th Infantry Division (South Korea)

Structure

• Headquarters:
  • Headquarters Company
  • Intelligence Company
  • Air Defense Company
  • Reconnaissance Battalion
  • Engineer Battalion (K1 ARV)
  • Armored Battalion (K1)
  • Signal Battalion
  • Support Battalion
  • Military Police Battalion
  • Medical Battalion
  • Chemical Battalion
• 3rd Infantry Brigade (K105A1 howitzers and 81mm mortars)
• 5th Infantry Brigade (K105A1 howitzers and 81mm mortars)
• 8th Infantry Brigade (K808 APCs, K105A1 howitzers and 81mm mortars)
• Artillery Brigade (K9 Thunder SPHs)

History

During the Korean War, the 7th Infantry Division served a total of 28 battles. In particular, the Yeongcheon at the time to perform on the defense division president received a citation for troops to destroy the two Democratic People's Republic of Korea in battle of the world.

The division started from Youngsan, Seoul on June 10, 1949 and first saw combat on September 14, 1949, in an operation on Jirisan Mt. to fight Communist guerillas. After the fall of Taejon, the division only had a few hundred survivors to participate in the Battle of Pusan Perimeter. During the Battle of Pusan Perimeter, the 7th Infantry Division regrouped with the 3rd, 5th, and 8th infantry regiments to become what formation they have, and destroyed size of two divisions of North Korean army during the Battle of YeongCheon.

On 26 November 1950, a column of retreating ROK Korean soldiers of the ROK 6th and 7th Divisions from Tokchon was attacked by a battalion of the Turkish Brigade who were the first to arrive at Wawon, after the Turks mistook the Koreans for Chinese. 125 Koreans were taken prisoner and many of them were slaughtered by the Turks. The event was wrongly reported in American and European media as a Turkish victory over the Chinese and even after news leaked out about the truth to the Americans, no efforts were made by the media to fix the story.

After the Chinese intervention and attacks in November 1950, the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division, the Turkish Brigade, and the ROK 6th, 7th, and 8th Infantry Divisions suffered substantial loss that they needed extensive rest and refitting to recover combat effectiveness. After recovery, the 7th Division took part in the operation as II Corps's command such as the Retaking of Hwacheon and the Battle of Gumsung.

References

Sources

References

1. [https://www.kukinews.com/newsView/kuk202302100157 육군 제7사단, '백발백중' 통합 화력으로 결전태세 확립 - Kuki News 10-02-2023]
2. [https://thekoreanews.com/detail.php?number=95149 육군7보병사단 전차대대, K1 전차 초도사격...기존 M48A5K에서 개편 후 첫 실사격훈련 - The Korea News 22-11-2022]
3. (2022-03-14). "7사단 8여단 KCTC 미공개 사진입니다". bobaedream.co.kr.
4. Webb, William J.. "The Korean War: The Outbreak". [[United States Army Center of Military History]].
5. [https://books.google.com/books?id=k8d2YX43hMoC&dq=He+reported+back+that+the+Turks+actually+had+met+about+200+ROK+troops+retreating+from+Tokchon%2C+had+thought+they+were+Chinese%2C+and+had+attacked+them%2C+killing+many+and+capturing+about+125.+These+ROKs+were+members+of+the+ROK+6th+and+7th+divisions.+There+were+no+Chinese+involved+in+this+first+fight+the+Turks+had+in+Korea.&pg=PA89 Appleman 2008], pp. 88-89.
6. (July 2023)
7. [https://archive.org/details/conflicthistoryo00leck Leckie 1962], p. 203.
8. Stewart, Richard W.. "The Korean War: The Chinese Intervention".