1941 Winter Campaign
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1941 Winter Campaign | |||||||
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Part of the Third Joyonghean-Quenminese War | |||||||
Concordian Theimer tanks near Busan | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Strength | |||||||
39 divisions combined both Joyonghean and Commonwealth forces | 27 divisions | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
8,785 killed or wounded 52 tanks 52 guns |
12,475 killed or wounded 17,500 captured 115 tanks 72 guns |
The 1941 Winter Campaign (19 November 1941 - 25 January 1942) was an operation involving Allied forces attempting to retake the Joyonghean port city of Busan. Being that Busan was the largest city in Southern Joyonghea, and one of the most significant, it was designated by General Okita Hanamura as a vital city to control due to its importance as a port to open to Allied shipping and to increase the amount of reinforcements coming into Joyonghea. Opening clashes took place in the outskirts of Busan. Several delaying tactics by the Quenminese denied the Allies the port until 15 December, when ZANAK troops under General Edward Samegawa entered the city through a weakspot in Eastern Busan.
A scorched earth policy was ordered by Marshal Hồ Danh Sĩ Quốc to the Quenminese commander inside Busan, Lạc Minh Quý. However, his love for the city and its inhabitants refused to follow orders and began negotiating its surrender on 1 January as the constant street-by-street fighting was taking place. By 10 January, Quenminese forces inside Busan began to escape the fighting and escape to Western Joyonghea. An attempt by the Concordian forces under General Absalom Bedford Newman IV to prevent the escape took place on 20 January. The complete encirclement of the city took place on 25 January. Refusing to lose lives, General Lạc Minh Quý surrendered his forces and himself to the allies, greatly sparing the port city and allowing the allies to capture numerous Quenminese equipment. Following the battle, Busan opened to Allied shipping.