Chinese spring offensive

Chinese spring offensive of 1951
Part of the Korean War
Map of the offensive, showing the PVA/KPA gains
Date 22 April – 22 May 1951 Location near the 38th Parallel, Korea Result United Nations victory Chinese forces fail to recapture Seoul UN launches a counteroffensive in May
Belligerents
United Nations (UNC) Australia Belgium Canada South Korea Luxembourg New Zealand Philippines Turkey United Kingdom United States	China North Korea
Commanders and leaders
Matthew Ridgway James Van Fleet	Peng Dehuai Choi Yong-kun
Units involved
Eighth Army	People's Volunteer Army Korean People's Army
Strength
418,500 245,000 152,000 11,500 1,500 10,000 from other UN countries	739,000 542,000 197,000
Casualties and losses
UN sources: 15,769 total casualties 1,200+ killed 10 missing 141 killed 522 captured 32 killed 3 captured 16 killed 6 missing 12 killed 12 killed 2 killed unknown Chinese estimate: 82,769 total casualties	Chinese sources: 85,000–90,000 casualties (Chinese only) UN estimate: 110,000–160,609 total casualties (Chinese and North Korean)

The Chinese spring offensive (Chinese: 中国春季攻势), also known as the Chinese Fifth Phase Offensive (Chinese: 第五次战役), was a military operation conducted by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) during the Korean War. Mobilizing three field armies totaling 700,000 men for the operation, the Chinese command conducted their largest offensive operation since their Second Phase Offensive in November and December 1950. The operation took place in the spring of 1951 and aimed at permanently driving the United Nations Command (UNC) forces off the Korean peninsula.

The offensive's first thrust fell upon the units of US I Corps and US IX Corps on 22 April but was halted at the No-Name Line north of Seoul by 30 April. On 15 May 1951, the PVA and Korean People's Army (KPA) commenced the second impulse of the spring offensive and attacked the Republic of Korea Army (ROK) and US X Corps in the east. Although initially successful, they were halted by 22 May. On 20 May, perceiving that the enemy were overextended, the US Eighth Army counterattacked the exhausted PVA/KPA forces, inflicting heavy losses.