Atlas of Battles

battle, major, Cold War

Battle of Changjin Reservoir

Battle of Changjin Reservoir was a battle fought on 27 November 1950 at Changjin Reservoir, in what is now North Korea; it lasted 16 days. It was part of the Korean War, which ran from 1950 to 1953. The recorded result: See § Aftermath. Recorded strength: ~30,000 against ~120,000.

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Exhausted Leathernecks of the 1st Marine Division stop for a brief rest during the bitter fighting at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea, December 1950.
Exhausted Leathernecks of the 1st Marine Division stop for a brief rest during the bitter fighting at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea, December 1950.. U.S. Marines (Official Marine Corps Photo # A5656) (http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Home_Page.htm), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought27 November 1950lasted 16 days
WhereChangjin Reservoir, North Korea40.370N, 127.260E
OutcomeSee § Aftermath
BelligerentsUnited Nations (UNC); United States; United Kingdom; First Republic of KoreaagainstChina
Part ofKorean War1950 to 1953

Where it sits in the Korean War

First Battle of Naktong Bulge, 1950Battle of Chonan, 1950Second Battle of Naktong Bulge, 1950Battle of Wawon, 1950Battle of Taegu, 1950Battle of the Bowling Alley, 1950Battle of Ka-san, 1950Battle of Tabu-dong, 1950Battle of Yongsan, 1950Battle of Uijeongbu, 1950Battle of Chochiwon, 1950Battle of Yongdong, 1950Battle of Sangju, 1950Battle of Nakdong River, 1950First Battle of Seoul, 1950Battle of Chuncheon, 1950Battle of Kaesong–Munsan, 1950Battle of Korea Strait, 1950Battle of Andong, 1950Battle of Chumonchin Chan, 1950Battle of Osan, 1950Battle of Pyongtaek, 1950Battle of Taejon, 1950Hadong Ambush, 1950Battle of the Notch, 1950Battle of Pusan Perimeter, 1950Battle of Pusan Perimeter logistics, 1950Battle of P'ohang-dong, 1950Battle of Masan, 1950Battle of Battle Mountain, 1950Battle of Cheonpyeong Valley, 1950Battle of Kyongju, 1950Battle of Nam River, 1950Battle of Haman, 1950Battle of Inchon, 1950Second Battle of Seoul, 1950Battle of Sariwon, 1950Battle of Pyongyang (1950), 1950Battle of Yongju, 1950Battle of Unsan, 1950Battle of Onjong, 1950Battle of Kujin, 1950Battle of Chongju, 1950Battle of Pakchon, 1950Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River, 1950Battle of Changjin Reservoir, 1950Third Battle of Seoul, 1950First and Second Battles of Wonju, 1950Battle of Hoengsong, 1951Battle of Uijeongbu, 1951Battle of the Twin Tunnels, 1951Battle of Chipyong-ni, 1951Blockade of Wonsan, 1951Operation Thunderbolt, 1951Battle of Maehwa-san, 1951Operation Tomahawk, 1951Battle of Kapyong, 1951Battle of the Imjin River, 1951Battle of Yultong, 1951Battle of the Soyang River, 1951Battle of Bloody Ridge, 1951Battle of the Punchbowl, 1951Battle of Heartbreak Ridge, 1951Naval Battle of the Han River, 1951Battle of Hill 355, 1951First Battle of Maryang-san, 1951Battle of Haktang-ni, 1951Battle of Sunchon, 1951Battle of White Horse, 1952Attack on the Sui-ho Dam, 1952Battle of Hill Eerie, 1952Battle of Old Baldy, 1952Battle of Triangle Hill, 1952Second Battle of the Hook, 1952Battle of Chatkol, 1953Battle for Outpost Vegas, 1953Battle of the Hook, 1953Outpost Harry, 1953Battle of Pork Chop Hill, 1953Battle of Kumsong, 1953Battle of the Samichon River, 195319501953Battle of Changjin Reservoir, 1950
83 placed engagements of the Korean War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date27 November 1950
to 13 December 1950
PlaceChangjin Reservoir, North Korea
40.370N, 127.260E
KindBattle, Cold War
Territorial changeChinese forces recover northeastern Korea; UN withdraw to and evacuate from Hungnam.
Strength~30,000~120,000
Casualties and lossesUS estimate: 1,029 killed; 4,894 missing; 4,582 wounded; 7,338 non-battle casualties; 15 tank losses; Chinese estimate: 13,900 casualtiesChinese estimate: 7,304 killed; 14,062 wounded; 30,732 non-battle casualties; UN estimate: 29,800 battle casualties; 20,000+ non-battle casualties; Unofficial estimates: ~60,000 casualties
Commanders
  • Song Shilun
Battle of Changjin ReservoirBattle of Changjin ReservoirBattle of OnjongBattle of WawonBattle of UnsanBlockade of WonsanBattle of the Ch'ongch'on RiverBattle of WawonBattle of UnsanBlockade of WonsanHamhungKimchaekKanggyeHyesonChongjuHuanrenKilchuTaedong100 km40.370N, 127.260E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Changjin Reservoir
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 25 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Changjin Reservoir today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2024-10-26. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2024.

The recorded site stands at about 1,078 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 1,061 to 1,581 m, 520 m of relief, steep country and today it is 43% cropland, 34% grassland, 14% tree cover.

cropland: 43%grassland: 34%tree cover: 14%bare ground: 5%cropland 43%grassland 34%tree cover 14%bare ground 5%
west to east, 10.0 km1,075 to 1,537 mnorth to south, 10.0 km1,070 to 1,320 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1950

Battle of Changjin Reservoir is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 45 in present-day North Korea.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q277337, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Chosin Reservoir, revision 1383985107, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.