Inchon Landing: MacArthur's Masterstroke Turns Korea
General Douglas MacArthur waded ashore at Inchon on September 15, 1950 — and almost every military planner had told him the landing was impossible. Tides at Inchon varied by 30 feet, the harbor was full of mudflats, and the narrow approach gave almost no room to maneuver. The Joint Chiefs gave it a 5,000-to-one chance of success. It worked. Within two weeks, UN forces had recaptured Seoul. The landing reversed a war that had been days from total defeat — and cemented MacArthur's belief that his instincts were infallible, with consequences the following year.
September 15, 1950
76 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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