Pressing the Advantage: The Volunteer Army Launches Its Second Campaign

After the First Campaign ended, Peng Dehuai, commander and political commissar of the Chinese People's Volunteers, judged that the “United Nations forces” might launch another offensive. He proposed consolidating the victory, overcoming the difficulties at hand, and preparing to fight again, with the plan to let the enemy advance deeper before destroying them if they attacked again. Accordingly, the Volunteers adopted a strategy of fighting on interior lines, luring the enemy deeper, and defeating them one by one. On the western front, they planned to draw the “United Nations forces” to areas northwest of Chongju, around Kusong, Taechon, Unsan, and north of Tokchon, as well as north of Nyongbyon, then concentrate six armies to destroy them. On the eastern front, they planned to lure the enemy to the Sinheung-ri and Changjin line, where the newly arrived IX Corps would annihilate them. By then, the Volunteers had nine armies, 30 divisions, and more than 380,000 troops, giving them a numerical advantage on both the eastern and western fronts.