inchon has between 29 and 35 -- 36 foot tide differentials. so, you know -- higher than this ceiling at high tide, below our floor at low tide. that's a huge tidal difference and that makes a dramatic difference when you're trying to land. secondly, you've got mud flats at low tide that extent 6,000 yards. 6,000 yards. so they're going to have -- that's four miles and of course landing craft and ships and tanks are going to get stuck in the mud so you're not going to be able to land at low tide. there are numerous islands en route that you'll have to occupy. as you advance, the waterways are really rough in the wintertime so you've got to make sure the landing take place before the winter comes on. are next, there's a four to five island and welmedo has to be taken or you can't get in. there's a sea wall and the sea wall enters right at the port. so you have to get over the sea wall. then on top of that the city begins right on top of the sea wall. so as soon as you enter into inchon you're involved in urban warfare so it's very difficult figh

the inchon landing is brilliant. he pulled it out. pulled it off. strangely enough, when we came to the pusan perimeter, we had more troops in the pusan perimeter than the north koreans had so when walker attacked the north koreans showed resistance but eventually broke. many people thought as soon as we landed in inchon and secured our way into seoul that the north korean army would collapse but, in fact, it resisted pretty well but ultimately it was forced to fall back. eventually, let me go to the first slide so you can see that again. oops. as the north koreans began falling back, there was a big debate as to whether we should pass the 38th parallel. remember the objective was to restore south korea and that's what the u.n. authorized and that was the 38th parallel but when the u.n. authorized it, it placed matters largely in control of the united states. and macarthur in charge. so the u.s. was largely calling the shots, although a number of other nations had military personnel who were risking and losing their lives in this adventure. we elect

so as soon as you enter into inchon you are involved in urban warfare so it's very difficult fighting in that regard. and there was a question about whether the troops at pusan could actually break out. we were so unrestraint that we had the infantry division from the u.s. army and we had two marine corps divisions to make up a single division and now the first division. those of you who were in this class, of course, read dog company 6 and simmons was in the first marine division and landed at inchon, as you certainly know. what they did was they designated the 10th course 7th infantry -- oops. and allows the 1st marine division to go in and in classic macarthur fashion he pulled it off. you study the career of macarthur, when he's good, he is the best. when he is bad, he is the worst. and in this instance macarthur is at his best and he pulled it out and pulled it off and strangely enough, when we came to the pusan perimeter we had more troops in the pusan perimeter than the north koreans had so when walker attacked, the north koreans showed resistance, but eventually broke. many pe