Operation Commando (1951)

Operation Commando was an offensive undertaken by UN forces during the Korean War between 2–5 October 1951. The U.S. I Corps (including four U.S. Divisions, the 1st Commonwealth Division and the 1st South Korean Division) seized the Jamestown Line, destroying elements of the 42nd, 47th, 64th and 65th Chinese Armies. This prevented the Communist forces from interdicting the U.N. supply lines near Seoul.

The attack began on 3 October 1951 from the Wyoming Line, which had been extended during Operation Minden, and ended on 15 October, with a few hills south of the line still in Communist hands. The seizing of these hills required a follow-up operation—Operation Polecharge. As a result of this 6 mi advance, the badly mauled U.S. 1st Cavalry Division was withdrawn to Japan for refitting.

The operation was the last action in the war of manoeuvre, which had lasted sixteen months. It was replaced by a static war, characterised by fixed defences, trench lines, bunkers, patrols, wiring parties and minefields reminiscent of the Western Front in 1915–17. Australian involvement in this operation is known by historians as the Battle of Maryang San.