 The Battle of Pakchon ( 5 November 1950 ) , also known as the Battle of Bochuan ( Chinese : 博川战斗 ; pinyin : Bó Chuān Zhàn Dòu ) , took place ten days after the start of the Chinese First Phase Offensive , following the entry of the People 's Volunteer Army into the Korean War . The offensive reversed the United Nations ( UN ) advance towards the Yalu River which had occurred after their intervention in the wake of the North Korean invasion of South Korea at the start of the war . The battle was fought between British and Australian forces from the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade with American armour and artillery in support , and the Chinese 117th Division , around the village of Pakchon on the Taeryong River . After capturing Chongju on 30 October the British and Australians had been ordered to pull back to Pakchon in an attempt to consolidate the western flank of the US Eighth Army . Meanwhile , immediately following their success at Unsan against the Americans , the Chinese 117th Division of the 39th Army had attacked southward , intending to cut off the UN forces as they withdrew in the face of the unexpected Chinese assault . To halt the Chinese advance , the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade was ordered to defend the lower crossings of the Taeryong and Chongchon rivers as part of a rearguard , in conjunction with the US 24th Infantry Division further upstream on the right . 
