The Korean War: The Untold Truth

Chapter 19 The Outbreak of War (6)
That's not the case.In a very misleading telephone discussion with Republican congressional leaders that Monday, Acheson called for Truman to be given diplomatic breathing room.He said that "the situation is completely under his control" (a statement that was proved false by Muccio's telegram), and that the President did not want to "put on the posture of pushing for urgent action by the United Nations" (meaning that Sunday's Security Council action came from pure diplomatic ideas).In a conversation with Alexander Wiley (Republican of Wisconsin) of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Acheson even proposed that MacArthur be responsible for implementing all the decisions made so far. (MacArthur came from a military family in Wisconsin, which he made his home state for voter political registration.) Acheson told Wiley: “MacArthur was in charge of providing aid to them [North Koreans], and the president was completely Rely on MacArthur's judgment." Willie wondered if Truman had any intention of sending ground troops to North Korea.No, Acheson replied, but "the President is now facing this choice."

As the Monday wore on, the tone of Mucho's telegrams grew more and more downbeat.The embassy faced a "real danger" of being cut off from the outside world, and Rhee and his senior officials had fled south.An army commander once inquired about Rhee's going to Japan to establish a "government in exile".

Surprised, Acheson interrupted the president's dinner at 7:29 pm, saying that the situation in North Korea was extremely serious and suggested a meeting.The president replied: "Please come to the meeting at 9 o'clock in the evening." In this way, the same people who attended the previous day's meeting (except Deputy Secretary of State Webb) returned to the mahogany oval table in Blair Building.

Vandenberg was the first to speak, reporting that USAF planes had shot down the first Soviet-made Yak fighter.

"I hope it's not the last," the president said, to laughter from the audience.Then, the meeting turned to the topic.Acheson made a series of proposals drafted during the day at meetings of his aides, all carefully worded.Likewise, the officials who were present listened carefully to their comments.

First, Acheson demanded an "all-out order" to the Navy and Air Force to lift all restrictions in Korea and to "support the South Korean Army to the greatest extent possible and attack the North Korean ... tanks, artillery, and infantry column," giving South Korean forces a chance to rally.Truman agreed, but he also heard worried questions from Secretary of the Army Pace and General Vandenberg asking for clarification as to whether this meant "action only south of the [-]th parallel."Yes, the President replied, no action could be taken north of the [-]th Parallel.He paused for a moment, then added: "Not yet."

Acheson then mentioned Taiwan.He wanted the 7th Fleet to implement a two-way blockade, that is, to prevent any invasion of the other by one side.

Truman agreed, and then pondered a fundamental solution to the Taiwan issue.He wished to consider the idea of ​​"returning Taiwan to Japan," as it had been before World War II, and bringing it under MacArthur's control.Truman then revealed an unexpected political event.About a month ago, he said, he had received a confidential letter from Chiang Kai-shek, in which Chiang offered to "stay out, if that would help"—that is, to resign to allow another, less provocative The controversial figure took over the reign of the Nationalists.Despite Chiang Kai-shek's ambiguity, Truman saw his gesture as a way to drag the Nationalists into the Korean War.Truman said: "We may have to act in accordance with this policy so that the Chinese army (that is, Chiang Kai-shek's army) will assist us." He believed that Chiang Kai-shek would accept MacArthur as his successor.

Such a succession would greatly benefit General MacArthur.Had Chiang Kai-shek handed over the reins of ruling Kuomintang China to MacArthur, MacArthur would have been the de facto governor of two major Asian regions, not one.Chiang Kai-shek's proposal also increased the bargaining chip for MacArthur when he later tried to drag the Kuomintang into the war.If liberal "Third Worldists" in Britain, India, and elsewhere objected to the KMT's participation in the war because of Chiang Kai-shek's ultra-conservative image, wouldn't MacArthur be a suitable candidate?

Acheson was skeptical.He believed that Chiang Kai-shek "had ulterior motives" and that "he was likely to resist and 'lose the game'".He believes that it is not worth our confusion when it comes to the Chinese government in Taiwan.

Acheson's short, powerful words convinced Truman.For whatever purpose, the U.S. is no longer giving the Chinese "one penny" because "all the money we gave them is now invested in real estate deals in the U.S.", "or it's all deposited in Philippine banks", Defense Secretary Johnson chimed in.

General Collins talked about the North Korean issue again. He described the military situation in North Korea as "a mess" and "it is hard to tell how much our air force can play."General Chae Byung-deok, chief of staff of South Korea, "has lost his fighting spirit."Both Acheson and Johnson insisted: "It is important that we do something, even if the effort does not succeed." Johnson quickly solicited the opinions of the chiefs of staff. Who expressed opposition to the various actions proposed?No.

Next, the president asks whether the National Guard should be mobilized; if so, he must ask Congress for funding.General Bradley said that if the U.S. commits ground forces in North Korea "without mobilization," it cannot fulfill its obligations elsewhere, especially with NATO.He suggested observing for a few days before making a decision.Truman agreed, saying, "I don't want a war."

Acheson made two more proposals that seemed insignificant at the time: one was to increase the U.S. military presence in the Philippines, where for several years the local government had been battling a combined Nationalist and Communist insurgent force; the other was to send a " "Mighty Military Mission", providing $2 million in direct military aid to support the French fighting in Indochina.The French have demanded the aid for three years to maintain their rule over pre-war colonies such as Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.Truman kept holding back, saying that the United States had no obligation to protect outdated remnants of colonialism where people yearned for independence.Now he was thinking otherwise: Could the Indochina war be just another version of communist expansion?The United States has decided to contain this communist expansion in North Korea.Truman approved Acheson's proposal for aid, and the United States took the first unwitting step toward becoming involved in the Vietnam War.

Dean Acheson once again acted as a figure in the meeting, and his proposals were approved one by one, and he also dissuaded Truman from colluding with Chiang Kai-shek.Under his proposal, the U.S. Air Force and Navy would fight the North Koreans, and the U.S. Navy would ensure that the two regimes in China kept their distance from each other.Each of his proposals was military in nature, yet each time military chiefs agreed without careful discussion and independent weighing.Propelled by a diplomat, not generals, America is once again on the verge of an all-out war.

MacArthur loses trust
On Tuesday morning, MacArthur was shocked by the news of the battle reports reaching Tokyo and the escape of Syngman Rhee's government.When he arrived at the airport to see John Foster Dulles off, John Allison saw him as "a different person from the smug, pompous general" on Sunday night, the man once boasted , he "can deal with North Koreans with one hand tied behind his back".MacArthur said that the entire North Korea has fallen, "now we just want to be able to safely withdraw our personnel from this country."Allison recalled: "That morning ... I have never seen ... General MacArthur so depressed and listless."

However, they encountered another unexpected episode.A minor mechanical failure delayed the plane's takeoff.Dulles and his party listened to MacArthur's melancholy comments while waiting for the plane.At this time, an orderly reported to the general that Washington had just sent a telegram to his office; within an hour, the Secretary of War hoped to hold a telex conference with MacArthur.Some big decisions are about to be made in Washington, and the Pentagon is asking field commanders for information.

MacArthur sent the orderlies. "Tell them I'm busy seeing Ambassador Dulles off," he said, "and if I can't make it back, tell the chief of staff to speak to the Secretary of the Army."

Allison and the embassy's political officer, William Siebold, looked at each other in amazement.They nodded to each other and quietly moved away from the crowd to find the airline manager, who said the plane would not be repaired until after 1 p.m.So they came up with a trick: ask the studio to inform the plane that it was about to take off, and ask Dulles and his party to board the plane first.MacArthur accompanied Dulles to board the plane, and after saying goodbye warmly, he drove back to Tokyo.

After MacArthur left, Dulles immediately stepped off the plane gangway and stayed in the VIP lounge for another hour.

However, MacArthur had achieved what he believed to be a useful counterproductive effect.Although John Foster Dulles previously served in a Democratic administration, he is now the equivalent of Secretary of State in the Republican shadow government.MacArthur respected and obeyed him and never gave it to other guests from Washington.He has his reasons for doing this: Any political future for him depends on the Republican Party.

MacArthur's flattering appearance at the airport could not fool Dulles at all.When he reported to President Truman in Washington two days later, he criticized MacArthur's behavior.He told Truman that he (Dulles) could not persuade any of MacArthur's subordinates to report the serious situation to the general because of the chaos in Tokyo the day the war broke out and MacArthur's indifference.Dulles told Truman he would "recall MacArthur immediately" if it had been his choice.

Truman was indeed taken aback by the prominent Republican's dismissal of MacArthur, but the president did not say so.He pointed out that General MacArthur was "involved in domestic politics, and recalling (him) would cause a major reaction."Truman said MacArthur "has been blown out of proportion," and Dulles agreed.He also frankly stated that although he belonged to the same party as MacArthur, if the general was relieved, he would publicly express his support.As far as the foreign policy of the Republican Party is concerned, Dulles' attitude is understandable.He is a stalwart of the international wing of the Republican Party, which believes that the United States should intervene strongly abroad, especially in Europe.But this school was at odds with MacArthur's view that America's future depended on maintaining closer ties with Asia.In this specific aspect of foreign policy, Dulles and Acheson coincided with each other.

Dulles' recommendation to fire MacArthur also savaged the view of popular revisionist historians that Dulles, along with MacArthur and President Rhee, conspired to lure the North Koreans into war as a way to prompt The United States launched an all-out attack on China.According to this premeditated plan, the defeat of South Korea in the first few days of the war was a deliberate aggravation of the crisis, forcing Truman into a desperate situation and had to fight China.If such a conspiracy existed, then Dulles' attempt to remove one of his fellow party leaders from office in the first week of the war seemed all too strange.

The air battle begins
The "urgent" cable that brought MacArthur back to office was about a series of decisions earlier in Washington directing him to deploy naval and air forces to support embattled South Korean forces.General Earl Partridge, deputy commander of the Far East Air Force, sat side by side with MacArthur, watching the teletype quickly type out various orders.As soon as the typewriter stopped, MacArthur turned to Partridge and issued him "a series of verbal orders."He ordered the Far East Air Force to "use all available means" to beat up the North Koreans in the next 36 hours; he ordered an immediate heavy bombardment, so that the enemy could taste the power of the US Air Force that night.MacArthur was sure that a strong air campaign would "drive the North Koreans back into their own territory in embarrassment."He approved Partridge's request to transfer a bomber group from Guam to strengthen the U.S. air force in Japan, but he still reminded to be cautious, and the Far East Air Force must also be on the alert to prevent the Soviet Union from attacking Japan.

Partridge saluted and walked out of the conference room.He felt that MacArthur was "almost elated" to start taking action.

The Far East Air Force was busy immediately.Commanders sent planes to North Korea to do visual and photographic reconnaissance to spot targets.Ground crews loaded B-26 bombers with bombs to attack North Korean tanks, artillery, supply dumps, bridges, and all transportation from the 29th parallel to the front.The buzzing B-[-] bombers were ordered to patrol South Korea, looking for targets to attack.At dusk, the air force was ready to go.

Unfortunately, the first night operation was thwarted for reasons beyond the Air Force's control.Of the 10 B-26 bombers that could be deployed, 6 were transferred to cover the "Lenholt" fertilizer ship that was still sailing slowly towards the refuge in the Sea of ​​​​Japan.The rest of the B-26s took off from Ashiya at dusk to search for a North Korean tank column said to be somewhere north of Seoul, but bad weather and darkness prevented them from finding the target, and the bombers returned to base loaded with bombs.Immediately afterwards, dark clouds hung over Ashiya Airport again, and the airport was closed for several hours. Five planes finally took off, one of which returned to the ground due to a mechanical failure, and the other four flew to North Korea, but found that the sky over the battlefield was covered with thick clouds, so they had to return with a full load of bombs.

How MacArthur responded to these overwhelming difficulties is not recorded, but the attitude shown through his chief of staff, General Edward Almond, was furious (to use the euphemism of the official Air Force historian, Almond It was "absolutely unpleasant" to find the airstrikes inconclusive).That night, he kept calling the hapless Partridge, saying that only by showing the strength of the Far Eastern Air Force in some way could the South Korean troops be saved.Almond's tone was tough. He "demanded to use all means to drop bombs on the narrow strip from the [-]th parallel to Seoul, regardless of whether it is accurate or not."In other words, if necessary, the Far East Air Force must drop blindly above the clouds, hoping that the high-explosive bombs will fall on the North Koreans instead of friendly forces.Partridge turned to pressure on his subordinates, urging them to "give it all."

The next morning, June 6, the weather over the Japanese archipelago was "extremely bad," in the words of Captain Bryce Poe II.He drove the RF-28A reconnaissance plane alone, and searched for the vanguard of North Korea through the clouds.Fortunately for him, the weather was clear when he flew over North Korea, and he managed to complete the Air Force's first jet-based field reconnaissance mission.He reported to Ashiya Airport that the target could be captured in North Korea as long as the pilot could pass through the clouds over Japan.

(End of this chapter)