Battle to Defend Wolmi Island

The battle to defend Wolmi Island tells the heroic feats performed by the Korean People’s Army during the Fatherland Liberation War (June 25, 1950–July 27, 1953).

In September 1950, the US imperialists, who had suffered defeats one after another by the counteroffensive of the KPA from the outset of the war, planned a large-scale landing operation at Inchon with a sinister intention to cut off its front from the rear and, at the same time, to “encircle” and “destroy” its main forces on the Raktong River front in the southern part.

To this end, they had to pass through Wolmi Island in the southern tip of Inchon, the gateway to Seoul.

Covering an area of 0. 66㎢, it was a small island marked as a dot in the Korean map.

One coastal artillery company equipped with four guns and one infantry company of the KPA were stationed there.

From September 10, 1950, the US imperialists started indiscriminate bombardment on the island for three consecutive days, turning it into ashes.

Early in the morning of September 13, they kicked off the landing operation after bombarding the island.

When the US warships closed in to 2 000 metres, the KPA artillerymen opened fire. 　

That day, they wrecked two destroyers and sank two small vessels, thus frustrating the enemy’s landing operation from the first day.

Next day, the US imperialists, driven to desperation, pounded the island with over 1 730 shells and indiscriminate bombing for more than three hours.

As they failed in their attempt for two days, they hurriedly launched their general attack on the island at 2:30 on September 15.

With a view to effecting at any cost the landing operation which would affect their fate in the war, they made over 100 sorties to drop over 3 000 bombs on the island for 15 minutes before starting to land there.

The island was reduced to a burning island.

Although one gun was left, the defenders of the island fired on the enemy’s huge landing forces till their cannon balls ran out, and had fierce battles against the advance party of the landing forces. In the final battle against the US aggressors attacking with tanks in the van, they displayed unparalleled mass heroism and honourably performed their combat task.

They sank or damaged 13 enemy warships including three destroyers and delayed the enemy’s landing at Inchon for three days. As a result, they made a great contribution to ensuring the precious time for the KPA units in charge of defence of the Inchon-Seoul area and implementing the overall defence operations in the area.

2023-07-03