 During the night of 4 / 5 November 1950 , the Chinese and North Koreans mounted a full @-@ scale assault on US 24th Infantry Division . Before dawn , US 19 RCT had become heavily engaged , and was pushed back nearly 2 kilometres ( 1 @.@ 2 mi ) . The Chinese force turned west to advance between the Taeryong and Chongchon rivers , threatening the rear of the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade by cutting the Pakchon – Sinanju road . The previous afternoon a patrol from the Middlesex had clashed with a large Chinese patrol 9 @.@ 6 kilometres ( 6 @.@ 0 mi ) to the north @-@ east and suffered a number of casualties , yet the main Chinese attack did not come until early the next morning . Meanwhile , large numbers of refugees continued to move south , causing the British and Australians further concern given the possibility that they might be used by the Chinese to cover the infiltration of their positions . At 08 : 00 on 5 November a group of around 200 Chinese attacked C Battery , US 61st Field Artillery Battalion , which was attached to the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade . The American guns had been supporting the brigade from a position beside the road about 3 kilometres ( 1 @.@ 9 mi ) south of Pakchon , and were protecting the vital concrete bridge 1 @.@ 8 kilometres ( 1 @.@ 1 mi ) south of the Argyll 's battalion headquarters at Kujin . 
