Atlas of Battles

battle, Cold War

Operation Thunderbolt

Operation Thunderbolt was a battle fought on 20 February 1951 at Han River, in what is now North Korea. It was part of the Korean War, which ran from 1950 to 1953. The recorded result: United Nations victory. Recorded strength: 94,147 against 50,000.

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Operation Thunderbolt (1951) map
Operation Thunderbolt (1951) map. US Army, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought20 February 1951
WhereHan River, North Korea37.750N, 126.183E
OutcomeUnited Nations victory
BelligerentsUnited Nations; United States; United Kingdom; Turkey; First Republic of Korea; ColombiaagainstChina; North Korea
Casualties and lossesUS: 2,228 killed; ~7,000 total casualties; Total: Unknown; Chinese estimate: 20,000and18,600
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, 195319501953Operation Thunderbolt, 1951
83 placed engagements of the Korean War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date20 February 1951
PlaceHan River, North Korea
37.750N, 126.183E
KindBattle, Cold War
Strength94,14750,000
Casualties and lossesUS: 2,228 killed; ~7,000 total casualties; Total: Unknown; Chinese estimate: 20,00018,600
Commanders
Operation ThunderboltOperation ThunderboltGanghwa Island incidentBattle of Imjin RiverBattle of InchonBattle of Bunker HillBattle of the Berlin Outposts and Boulder CityGanghwa Island incidentBattle of InchonBattle of Bunker HillNampoSongnamHaejuOngjinPyongsanCheongjuWonjuChangyon100 km37.750N, 126.183E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1951

Combat data (CDB90)

Attacker: US DIVDefender: NKOR ARMY
Strength29,00030,200
Casualties300 (1.0%)15,810 (52.4%)
Outcomeattacker won
Duration2 days
Front width19 km
Attacker advanced3.2 km

From the US Army Concepts Analysis Agency Database of Battles (CDB90, battle 630), public domain, in the CC0 tidy edition by Jeffrey B. Arnold. Figures are the database's estimates, compiled in 1990 from published histories, and may differ from the Wikipedia infobox above.

Operation Thunderbolt 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 Q7097631, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Operation Thunderbolt (1951), revision 1377803004, 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.