The 24th Infantry Division was overwhelmed by numerically superior forces of the Korean People's Army (KPA) at the major city and transportation hub of Daejon (then spelt Taejon).

The 24th Infantry Division's regiments were already exhausted from the previous two weeks of delaying actions to stem the advance of the KPA.

The entire 24th Division gathered to make a final stand around Taejon, holding a line along the Kum River to the east of the city.

Hampered by a lack of communication and equipment, and a shortage of heavy weapons to match the KPA's firepower, the outnumbered, ill-equipped and inexperienced U.S. forces were pushed back from the riverbank after several days before fighting an intense urban battle to defend the city.

During the action, the KPA captured Major General William F. Dean, the commander of the 24th Infantry Division, and highest ranking U.S. prisoner during the Korean War.

American forces in the Far East had steadily decreased since the end of World War II, five years earlier.

[3] When forces were initially committed, the 24th Infantry Division of the Eighth United States Army, headquartered in Japan, was the closest U.S.

[3] The division was under-strength, and most of its equipment dated from 1945 and earlier due to defense cutbacks enacted in the first Truman administration.

[15] The Kum River wrapped north and west around the city, providing a defensive line 10 to 15 miles from the outskirts of Taejon, which was surrounded to the south by the Sobaek Mountains.

[16] The division was attempting to make a last stand at Taejon, the last place it could conduct a delaying action before the North Korean forces would converge on the unfinished Pusan Perimeter.

One of the few weapons that could penetrate the North Korean T-34 tanks, the 3.5-inch M20 "Super Bazookas" firing M28A2 HEAT rocket ammunition, were scarce.

[26] Although the North Korean 2nd Infantry Division was ordered to attack from Chongju against the American right flank, it was slow to move and arrived too late to participate in the battle.

Each North Korean division, normally operating with 20,000 men, was at 60 to 80 percent strength, giving them nearly a two to one numerical superiority over the American forces.

[29] In the confusion and resulting poor communication, the North Korean infantry managed to move around the American lines.

[29] The North Koreans captured an outpost of the 63rd Field Artillery Battalion, supporting the 34th Infantry with 105 mm howitzers.

[29][33] Later in the evening, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry, counterattacked the positions but was unable to take them back in the face of machine gun and small arms fire, and was forced to withdraw by nightfall.

[36] The North Korean 4th Division began crossing the river, only slightly impeded by U.S. aircraft attacking its boats.

Stretched thin, the 19th Infantry was unable to hold the line at the Kum River and simultaneously repel the North Korean forces.

[41] That evening, 2nd Battalion was moved to attempt to deal with the North Koreans in the rear but suffered casualties as well, and was unable to break the roadblocks.

[50] North Korean forces prioritised and attempted to eliminate American gun emplacements, food stores, and ammunition dumps, having received information on the location of these facilities through agents operating in the city.

[52][53] The 34th Infantry also moved to the city to oppose the North Korean forces, which assaulted it head-on while attempting to flank and cut off retreat from the rear.

[57] Large columns of North Korean forces began marching on the city from the south roads, reinforcing those that had crossed the river.

[56] The 24th Infantry Division repeatedly attempted to establish its defensive lines, and was each time pushed back by the numerically superior North Koreans.

Dean repeatedly attempted to make the North Koreans kill him for fear of divulging information under torture.

Most of the casualties in and around Daejeon, from 16–20 July, were from the 34th Infantry Regiment[65] Evidence suggests that the North Koreans executed some of the missing and captured prisoners immediately after the battle.

[66] Although badly mauled, the 24th Infantry Division accomplished its mission of delaying North Korean forces from advancing until 20 July.

[72] North Korean casualties could not be estimated because of lack of communications between units during the battle, which limited the value of American signals intelligence.

[75] For his actions on the front lines, Dean was awarded the first Medal of Honor, although he remained a prisoner of the North Koreans until the end of the war (released in September 1953).

[68] Additionally, a chaplain, Herman G. Felhoelter, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for an incident later known as the Chaplain-Medic Massacre which took place during the battle near the Kum River.