The Shocking Story of America's First Korean War Battle!

Transcript: https://funshoot.substack.com/p/task-force-smith
Why did Task Force Smith fail in Korea?
The Battle of Osan was the first engagement between the United States and North Korea during the Korean War. On July 5, 1950, Task Force Smith, an American task force from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment consisting of 540 infantry supported by an artillery battery commanded by Lt. Col. Charles B. Smith, were the first American soldiers to see ground combat in the Korean War. They were moved to Osan and ordered to fight as a rearguard to delay the advancing North Korean forces while more U.S. troops arrived to form a stronger defensive line to the south.

North Koreans overran the task force in the first encounter and continued its advance south. North Korean troops eventually flanked and overwhelmed the U.S. positions with the rest of the task force retreating in disorder. The fight showed that American forces were weak and unprepared for the war, having poorly trained and inexperienced units that were no match for better-trained North Korean troops. Undisciplined U.S. troops abandoned their positions prematurely and left equipment and wounded for North Korean troops to capture. This happened just five years after victory in World War 2.

U.S. Army Task Force Smith and the Battle of Osan, the first battle of the Korean War provides an important military history and a glimpse into the challenges faced in training to this day.