Battle of Old Baldy
The Battle of Old Baldy was a series of five fights for Hill 266 in west-central Korea. It lasted from June 26, 1952, to March 26, 1953. The hill was important because it could overlook the surrounding area and help shape the battle lines.
The sides were the United Nations forces, including American troops and a Colombian battalion, against Chinese forces. The UN forces held the hill for much of 1952, but the Chinese attacked repeatedly with large numbers of troops and heavy artillery.
In late June 1952, the UN launched Operation Counter to seize the outposts around Old Baldy. They managed to capture the crest after air strikes, artillery, and fierce ground fighting. After securing the position, they built bunkers, wired defenses, and set up ready-to-use fire plans to defend the outposts.
From late June through August, the Chinese made several brutal attempts to retake Old Baldy. The battles involved heavy hand-to-hand fighting, intense artillery, and continuous counterattacks. The UN forces, including the 45th Division, with support from tanks and air power, repelled many assaults and inflicted heavy losses on the attackers. The Colombian troops also fought bravely, including difficult actions on Hill 180, and earned recognition for their bravery in other battles.
By March 1953, the Chinese managed to retake Old Baldy, ending the 1952 action with a UN hold but losing the hill again in the broader 1953 fighting. The battle was costly for both sides and, like much of the Korean War, ended with the front lines near where they started in May 1952.
Casualties were heavy: the UN forces suffered about 1,952 casualties, including 307 killed; the Colombian unit had about 97 killed and 33 wounded. Chinese casualties were estimated at around 3,000 or more killed and wounded. Old Baldy remained a hard-fought symbol of the war’s brutal, ongoing struggle.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:20 (CET).