Korean War Terminology

The size, composition, and leadership of military units varies with time, place, and circumstances. In the early fighting in Korea, almost every unit was always under strength. Therefore, the numbers below are an approximation.

Army - 100,00 soldiers, comprised of 2 or more Corps, normally commanded by a full GEneral

Corps - 30,000 soldiers, comprised of 2 or more Divisions, normally commanded by a Lieutenant GEneral

Division - Up to 15,000 soldiers, often only 12,000 in Korea. Comprised of 3 Regiments, commanded by a Major General

Regiment - Up to 4,500 men, with affiliated units, such as artillery, armored and medical units included. Comprised of 3 battallions, commanded by a Colonel.

Battalion - 700 to 850 soldiers, comprised of 4 or more Companies, commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel

Company - 175 to 240 soldiers, comprised of 4 platoons, commanded by a Captain

Platoon - 45 or more soldiers, comprised of 4 Squads, commanded by a Lieutenant

Squad - 10 or more soldiers, commanded by a Staff Sergeant

Weapons and Artillery
M-1 Rifle, .30 caliber - A 9.5 pound rifle, with an 8-round clip, the basic American infantry weapon

Carbine, .30 caliber - A short-barrelled rifle with a 15-or-30 round clip, with less range and accuracy

Browning Automatic Rifle, or BAR, .30 caliber - A 2-man weapon, one to feed ammunition, one to fire, that was both semi-and fully-automatic, capable of firing 500 rounds a minute

Machine guns - The .30 caliber machine guns were capable of sustained fire of 450 to 500 rounds a minute. The .50 caliber gun was mounted on trucks, tanks and other vrehicles. It fired 575 rounds per minute to a range of 2,000 yards.

Rocket launcher or bazooka, 2.36-inch and 3.5 inch - The ineffective 2.36 inch launcher was repplaced by the 3.5 inch in 1950 even as the North Koreans drove south. The new bazooka was capable of penetrating thick armor plate, it had a range of up to 75 yards.

Infantry mortars, .60mm, .81mm and 4.2mm - These front loaded weapons fired shells at a high angle, able to reach into valleys and trenches, with a range of 1,800 to 4,000 yards.

Howitzers, 105mm, 155mm, and 8-inch - Cannons with a range of 2 to 5 miles
Bibliography
The Coldest War by David Halberstam