Breakout From Yudam-ni
_Joint Planning for Breakout--The Fight for Hills 1419 and 1542--March
of 1/7 Over the Mountains--Attack of 3/5 on 1–2 December--The
Ridgerunners of Toktong Pass--CCF Attacks on Hills 1276 and
1542--Advance of Darkhorse on 2–3 December--Entry into Hagaru Perimeter_
The first steps toward regaining the initiative were taken by the
Marine command as early as 29 November. Upon being informed that the
composite battalion had failed to open up the MSR south of Yudam-ni,
General Smith concluded that it was a task for a regiment. At 1545 that
afternoon he issued the following orders to RCTs 5 and 7:
RCT-5 assume responsibility protection Yudam-ni area adjusting
present dispositions accordingly. RCT-7 conduct operations clear
MSR to Hagaru without delay employing entire regiment.[501]
[501] CG 1stMarDiv msg to COs 5th and 7thMars, 1750 29 Nov 50.
That same evening the Division CP received X Corps OI 19, providing
that an RCT be redeployed from the Yudam-ni area to Hagaru.[502] No
further directives from Division were necessary to implement this
instruction, since it had been anticipated in General Smith’s orders.
[502] XCorps _OI 19_, 29 Nov 50.
Upon receipt, the two Yudam-ni regimental commanders began joint
planning for measures to be taken. The unusual command situation at
Yudam-ni, in the absence of the assistant division commander, was
explained by Colonel Litzenberg:
The 5th and 7th Marines were each acting under separate orders
from the Division. The Division would issue orders to one regiment
with information to the other, so that Division retained the
control; and, of course, the 4th Battalion, 11th Marines, in
general support of both regiments, was not actually under the
control of either of us. Lieutenant Colonel Murray ... operated
in very close coordination with me, sometimes at his own command
post and sometimes at mine. We called in [Major] McReynolds,
the commander of 4/11, discussed the situation with him, and
thereafter Lieutenant Colonel Murray and I issued orders jointly as
necessary.... This command arrangement functioned very well. There
was never any particular disagreement.[503]
[503] Litzenberg interv, 27–30 Apr and 10 Jul 51, 57. Maj
McReynolds had already placed his battalion under Col
Litzenberg as senior officer present. LtCol W. McReynolds
Comments, 15 Aug 56.
For purposes of planning the supporting fires for the breakout, an
artillery groupment was formed and Lieutenant Colonel Feehan given the
responsibility of coordination. It was further agreed that no air drops
of 155mm ammunition would be requested because of the greater number of
105mm rounds which could be received with fewer difficulties.[504]
[504] LtCol H. A. Feehan Comments, 1 Aug 56. McReynolds
Comments, 15 Aug 56.
The problems of the two RCTs, commented General Smith, could not be
separated. “The only feasible thing for them to do was pool their
resources.... The assignment of command to the senior regimental
commander was considered but rejected in favor of cooperation.”[505]
[505] Smith, _Notes_, 918–919.
At 0600 on the 30th, the two RCTs issued their Joint OpnO 1-50, which
called for the regroupment of the Yudam-ni forces in a new position
south of the village and astride the MSR as a first step toward a
breakout.[506] Thus in effect the two RCTs and supporting troops would
be exchanging an east-and-west perimeter for one pointing from north
to south along the road to Hagaru. Not only was the terrain south of
the village more defensible, but a smaller perimeter would serve the
purpose.
[506] The remainder of this section, unless otherwise noted,
is derived from: RCT 5 and RCT 7 _Joint OpnO 1-50_, 30
Nov 50; X Corps _OpnO 8_, 30 Nov 50; 7thMar _SAR_, 22–23;
3/7 _SAR_, n. p.; 2/5 _SAR_, 20–21; Litzenberg interv,
27–30 Apr and 10 Jul 51, 55; Gen O. P. Smith Comments, 13
Nov 56; Col J. L. Winecoff Comments, n. d.; LtCol R. D.
Taplett Comments, 9 Aug 56.
Lieutenant Colonel Winecoff, Assistant G-3 of the Division, flew to
Yudam-ni on the 30th to observe and report on the situation. He was
given a copy of Joint OpnO 1-50 for delivery to General Smith on his
return to Hagaru.[507]
[507] A copy had been sent out earlier with the pilot of an
evacuation helicopter but it did not reach the Division
CP until 1 December. Winecoff Comments.
That same afternoon, during a conference with General Almond at
Hagaru, the Marine commander received X Corps OpnO 8, directing him
to operate against the enemy in zone, withdrawing elements north and
northwest of Hagaru to that area while securing the Sudong-Hagaru MSR.
And at 1920 that evening, Division issued the following dispatch orders
to RCTs 5 and 7:
Expedite execution of Joint OpnO 1-50 and combined movement RCT-5
and RCT-7 to Hagaru prepared for further withdrawal south. Destroy
any supplies and equipment which must be abandoned during this
withdrawal.[508]
[508] CG 1stMarDiv msg to COs 5th and 7thMars, 1920 30 Nov 50.
See also Smith, _Notes_, 923–924.
As a prerequisite, a good deal of reorganization had to be effected
at Yudam-ni. In order to provide a force to hold the shoulders of the
high ground through which RCT-7 would advance, it was decided to put
together another composite battalion.
The new unit consisted of George Company, 3/7, Able Company, 1/5,
and the remnants of Dog and Easy Companies, 2/7, combined into a
provisional company under Captain Robert J. Polson; a section of
81s each from 2/7 and 3/7’s Weapons Companies; and a communications
detachment from 3/7. Major Maurice E. Roach, regimental S-4 placed in
command, realized that such a jury-rigged outfit might be subject to
morale problems. Noting that one of the men had made a neckerchief
out of a torn green parachute, he seized upon the idea as a means
of appealing to unit pride. Soon all the men were sporting green
neckerchiefs, and Roach gave the new unit added distinction by
christening it the Damnation Battalion after adopting “Damnation” as
the code word.[509]
[509] This account of the organization of the “Damnation”
Battalion is based upon: Narrative of Maj W. R. Earney,
n. d., 9–10; MajGen H. L. Litzenberg ltr, 7 Aug 56; LtCol
M. E. Roach Comments, 27 Nov 56. “I trust,” commented Gen
Litzenberg dryly, “that the green neckerchiefs were all
made of _torn_ parachutes!”
Beginning in the early morning hours of the 30th, regroupment was the
chief activity at Yudam-ni. Enemy opposition during the night took the
form of scattered small-arms fire varied with minor probing attacks.
This comparative lull lasted until 0710, when Item Company of 3/5
beat off an enemy assault on Hill 1282 (North Ridge) with the support
of Marine air strikes and 81mm mortar fire. In the same area George
Company had a brisk fire fight from 1315 to dusk.
The plan of the regroupment envisioned a gradual withdrawal from the
north and west of Yudam-ni by RCT-5 for the purpose of relieving units
of RCT-7 and enabling them to extend the perimeter southward from the
village (see Map 23). It fell to 2/5 to execute the most difficult
maneuver of the day. Roise’s battalion held a line stretching from Hill
1426 on Southwest Ridge along the high ground to 3/5’s positions on
Hill 1282. After disengaging with the help of Marine air and artillery,
2/5 gave up Hill 1426 and pulled back nearly a mile, relieving elements
of 3/7 on the left. Roise’s new line included Hill 1294 on Southwest
Ridge, overlooking the MSR, and extended northeast to Hill 1282 as
before. Meanwhile 1/5 continued to hold a defensive line from Hill 1240
eastward to Hill 1167.
[Illustration: BREAKING OFF ACTION
30 Nov 50
MAP-23
]
These movements freed 3/7 to re-deploy to new positions astride the
MSR about 4000 yards south of Yudam-ni. In this same general area, 1/7
continued to block the valley to the southwest while holding Hill 1276,
of South Ridge, about 2500 yards south of the village.
“The question of whether we should make these movements during daylight
or at night was a difficult one,” said Colonel Litzenberg. “We finally
decided to make the movements in daylight when we could have advantage
of observation for air cover and artillery. The movement, piecemeal by
battalion, was successfully executed.”[510]
[510] Litzenberg interv, 27–30 Apr and 10 Jul 51, 55.
The enemy took surprisingly little advantage of the readjustment.
Movements were completed in an orderly and methodical manner as the
units drew rations and ammunition for the breakout. Preparations were
made for the destruction of all equipment which could not be carried
out, and air drops of ammunition and other supplies were received.
As a solution for the problem of casualty evacuation, General Smith had
suggested the construction of an OY strip. A start was made at 0900 on
the 30th by the TD-18 dozers of Major McReynolds’ artillery battalion,
but the area came under enemy fire the next day and the nearly
completed strip could be used only twice.[511]
[511] _Ibid._, McReynolds Comments, 15 Aug 56.
_Joint Planning for Breakout_
The plan, as finally agreed upon, called for a combination of the two
solutions. Since it was essential to relieve hard-pressed Fox Company
and secure vital Toktong Pass prior to the arrival of the main column,
one force would advance across country. And since it would have been
physically impossible to carry the wounded over the mountains, the main
body would fight its way along the road to Toktong Pass.[512]
[512] This section is derived from: RCT-5 and RCT-7 _Joint OpnO
2-50_, 1 Dec 50; 5thMar _SAR_, 26–27; 3/5 _SAR_, 15;
7thMar _SAR_, 23; Smith, _Notes_, 923–927; Litzenberg
interv, 27–30 Apr and 10 Jul 51, 58–59; Col J. L. Stewart
Comments, n. d.; LtCol R. V. Fridrich interv, 21 Apr
56; Narrative of LtCol R. G. Davis, 11 Jan 53; Taplett
Comments, 9 Aug 56; Roach Comments, 27 Nov 56; McReynolds
Comments, 15 Aug 56.
The over-all plan for the Yudam-ni breakout, after being flown to
Hagaru by helicopter for General Smith’s approval, was incorporated
into Joint OpnO 2-50. This directive, later modified by fragmentary
orders, was issued in the morning of 1 December 1950.
It meant dispensing with the vehicles and heavy equipment of the
cross-country force. Only the barest military necessities could be
taken by men loaded down with ammunition while struggling through
snow-drifts.
The unit selected for the attempt was the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines,
commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Davis. The plan of maneuver called for
him to strike off across the mountain tops under cover of darkness on
the night of 1 December. As the other units moved out astride the MSR
from Yudam-ni to Hagaru, 3/5 was to be the advance guard.
Lieutenant Colonel Taplett’s battalion had the mission of passing
through 3/7 to seize the commanding ground on both sides of the road
and lead the way for the rest of the Yudam-ni troops. Thus the attacks
of 1/7 and 3/5 would converge in the general area of Fox Hill and
Toktong Pass.
The point of the advance was to be the only Marine tank to reach
Yudam-ni while the MSR was still open. It was left stranded after the
recall of the crew to Hagaru; but Staff Sergeant Russell A. Munsell
and another crewman were flown up from Hagaru by helicopter at Colonel
Litzenberg’s request. They were to man Tank D-23 when it moved out with
the point. Plans also called for a battery of 3/11 to advance near the
head of the column, so that it could go into position near Sinhung-ni
and provide covering fires for the rearguard while other artillery
units displaced.
The 4th Battalion of the 11th Marines had orders to fire most of its
155mm ammunition before departure. All the men who could be spared from
this unit were formed into nine provisional infantry platoons. Two were
assigned to reinforce the 7th Marines and three to the 5th Marines;
four were retained under Major McReynold’s command to protect the
flanks of the vehicle train. It was further prescribed that the guns of
4/11 were to bring up the rear of the convoy, so that the road would
not be blocked in the event of any of its vehicles becoming immobilized.
Only drivers and seriously wounded men were permitted to ride the
trucks in the middle of the column along with critical equipment and
supplies. Since all additional space in the vehicles would doubtless be
needed for casualties incurred in the breakout as well as Fox Company
casualties, it was decided not to bring out the dead from Yudam-ni. A
field burial was conducted by chaplains for 85 officers and men.[513]
[513] After the cease-fire of July 1953, the remains were
returned to the United States, in accordance with the
terms of the Korean Armistice.
All available Marine aircraft were to be on station. Moreover, carrier
planes of TF 77 had been released from other missions by the Fifth
AF to reinforce the aircraft of the 1st MAW in direct support of the
Yudam-ni troops.
_The Fight for Hills 1419 and 1542_
The transition from planning to execution began on the morning of 1
December. Only the 1st and 3d Battalions of RCT-5 were left to the
north of Yudam-ni, and pulling them out was to prove equivalent to
letting loose of the tiger’s tail.
The 3d Battalion began its withdrawal at 0800, followed 90 minutes
later by the 1st. The initial phases of the maneuver were carried out
without great difficulty. The first major problem came when 3/5’s last
unit, George Company, pulled down from Hill 1282 (see Map 24). There
the Marines had been in such close contact with the enemy that grenades
were the main weapon of both sides. The problem of preventing the
Chinese from swarming over the top of the ridge at the critical moment
and pursuing the Marines down the slope was solved by First Lieutenant
Daniel Greene, the FAC, with a dummy run by close supporting aircraft.
While the first pass of the Corsairs kept the Communists down, Captain
Chester R. Hermanson commenced his withdrawal. As soon as his men
moved out at a safe distance he signalled to the FAC, who called for
live runs of Marine air in coordination with the fires directed by the
artillery liaison officer, First Lieutenant Henry G. Ammer. First
Lieutenant Arthur E. House’s 81mm mortar platoon also rendered skillful
support during the withdrawal.[514]
[514] The description of the withdrawal of 1/5 and 3/5 is based
on: 5thMar _SAR_, 26; 1/5 _SAR_, 15–16; 3/5 _SAR_, 15;
LtCol R. D. Taplett and Maj R. E. Whipple, “Darkhorse
Sets the Pace,” _Marine Corps Gazette_, xxxvii, no.
6 (Jun 53), 22–23; Alvarez ltr, 18 Oct 55; Taplett
Comments, 9 Aug 56; LtCol J. W. Stevens, II, Comments, 25
Jul 56.
[Illustration: BREAKOUT FROM YUDAM-NI
1500 to 2400 1 Dec 1950
MAP-24
]
The ancient ruse was so successful that George Company disengaged
without a single casualty. Ammunition left behind by the rifle platoons
was detonated just as the rockets, bombs, and napalm of the Corsairs
hit the Chinese, followed by artillery and mortar shells. Hill 1282
seemed to erupt in one tremendous explosion. While Captain Hermanson’s
men crossed the bridge south of the burning town, an engineer
demolitions crew waited to destroy the span.
The rear guard unit for the withdrawal of the two battalions was First
Lieutenant John R. Hancock’s Baker Company of 1/5. He felt that his
best chance would be to “sneak off” Hill 1240. Accordingly he requested
that no supporting fires be furnished Baker Company, except at his
request. Making very effective use of his light machine guns to cover
his withdrawal with a spray of fire, Hancock disengaged without a
casualty.
The next stage of the regroupment was carried out in preparation for
the attacks of 3/5 and 1/7. In order to clear the way on both sides of
the MSR, 3/7 (minus How Company) moved out at 0900 on 1 December to
attack Hill 1542 while How Company went up against Hill 1419.
Joint OpnO 1-50 was modified meanwhile by verbal instructions directing
2/5, instead of 3/5, to relieve 1/7 on Hill 1276, thus freeing Colonel
Davis’ battalion for its assigned mission. The 1st Battalion of RCT-5
took positions stretching from Hill 1100 on the west side of the MSR
to the low ground southeast of the arm of the Reservoir. This meant
that after 3/7 (-) seized Hill 1542, three Marine infantry battalions
would occupy a defensive line about three and a half miles in length,
stretching diagonally northeast from that position to the arm of the
Reservoir, with Hill 1276 as its central bastion.[515]
[515] 5thMar _SAR_, 26–27; 7thMar _SAR_, 23; 3/7 _SAR_, n. p.;
1/5 _SAR_, 15–16; 2/5 _SAR_, 21–22; 3/5 _SAR_, 15. CO
7thMar msg to CG 1stMarDiv, 1935 1 Dec 50.
Shortly before dusk Lieutenant Colonel Taplett’s 3/5 arrived in
position to pass through Lieutenant Colonel Harris’ 3/7. The two
battalion commanders agreed that 3/5 would execute the movement even
though 3/7 had not yet secured its objectives, and 3/5 attacked
astride the MSR at 1500.[516]
[516] Taplett Comments, 9 Aug 56.
Harris’ battalion had been having it hot and heavy all day on Hills
1419 and 1542 after jumping off at 0900. These objectives were too far
apart for a mutually supported attack and the Chinese defended the
difficult terrain with tenacity.
Item Company, reinforced by artillerymen and headquarters troops, made
slow progress west of the road against the Chinese dug in on Hill 1542.
At 1700 George Company moved into position on the left. Both companies
attempted an assault but the 3/7 report states, “Each attack by ‘I’
Co and ‘G’ Co never reached full momentum before it was broken up.”
One platoon of Item Company reached the military crest before being
repulsed. When night fell, the Marines were still on the eastern slopes
of 1542.[517]
[517] 3/7 _SAR_, n. p.
On Hill 1419, about 1000 yards east of the road, How Company of 3/7 met
stiff opposition from Chinese dug in along four finger ridges as well
as the main spur leading to the topographical crest. It became evident
that How Company alone could not seize the hill and about noon Able
Company of Davis’ battalion joined the attack, on How’s left.
The heavy undergrowth gave concealment to the enemy, though it also
offered footholds to the Marines scrambling up the steep and icy
slopes. Air strikes were laid down just ahead of them, blasting the
Chinese with bombs, rockets, and 20mm fire. Artillery support, however,
was limited by the relative blindness of the forward observer in the
brush, but mortars succeeded in knocking out several enemy positions.
How Company’s attack had come to a standstill because of casualties
which included Lieutenant Harris. First Lieutenant Eugenous M.
Hovatter’s Able Company regained the momentum, thanks to the efforts of
First Lieutenant Leslie C. Williams’ 1st Platoon. Aided by How and by
Baker, which was committed late in the afternoon, Able Company secured
Hill 1419 about 1930. Thus the jump-off point for the 1/7 advance
across the mountain tops had been seized.
After setting up hasty defenses, Davis directed that all dead and
wounded be evacuated to 3/5’s aid station on the road. How Company
was attached to his battalion by order of Colonel Litzenberg, since
all units had been thinned by casualties. Then the battalion tail was
pulled up the mountain and the last physical tie broken with other
Marine units in the Yudam-ni area.[518]
[518] 3/7 _SAR_, n. p.; R. G. Davis narrative, 11 Jan 53;
Fridrich interv, 21 Apr 56; CO 7thMar msg to CG
1stMarDiv, 1935 1 Dec 50; LtCol R. G. Davis interv by
Capts K. W. Shutts and A. Z. Freeman, 6 Apr 51; Maj E. M.
Hovatter Comments, 19 Jul 56.
The Marines had seized the initiative, never again to relinquish it
during the Chosin Reservoir campaign.
_March of 1/7 Over the Mountains_
Planning at the battalion level was done by Davis, his executive
officer, Major Raymond V. Fridrich, and his S-3, Major Thomas B. Tighe.
It was decided to take only two of the 81mm mortars and six heavy
machine guns. They were to be manned with double crews, so that enough
ammunition could be carried to keep them in action.
Pack-set radios (AN/GRC-9) were to provide positive communications
in case the portable sets (SCR-300) would not reach to the Yudam-ni
perimeter. The artillery liaison officer was to carry a pack set
(SCR-610) to insure artillery communication.[519]
[519] This section, except when otherwise noted, is based on
Davis narrative; Litzenberg interv, 27–30 Apr and 10 Jul
51; Fridrich interv, 21 Apr 56; R. G. Davis interv, 6 Apr
51; and Capt W. J. Davis interv, 4 Jun 56.
All personnel not sick or wounded were to participate, leaving behind
enough walking wounded or frostbite cases to drive the vehicles and
move the gear left behind with the regimental train. Extra litters were
to be taken, each serving initially to carry additional mortar and
machine gun ammunition; and all men were to carry sleeping bags not
only for the protection of the wounded but also to save their own lives
if the column should be cut off in the mountains for several days.
Every man was to start the march with an extra bandolier of small arms
ammunition, and personnel of the reserve company and headquarters group
were to carry an extra round of 81mm mortar ammunition up the first
mountain for replenishment of supplies depleted at that point.
After driving the enemy from the topographical crest of Hill 1419, the
four companies were not permitted a breathing spell. Davis feared the
effects of the extreme (16 degrees below zero) cold on troops drenched
with sweat from clawing their way up the mountain. He pressed the
reorganization with all possible speed, therefore, after no enemy
contacts were reported by patrols ranging to the southeast. And at 2100
on the night of 1 December the column set out in this order:
Baker Company First Lieutenant Kurcaba
1/7 Command Group Lieutenant Colonel Davis
Able Company First Lieutenant Hovatter
Charlie Company Captain Morris
Headquarters Group Major Fridrich
How Company Second Lieutenant Newton
The night was dark but a few stars showed over the horizon in the
general direction to be taken. They served as a guide, with a prominent
rock mass being designated the first objective.
The snow-covered peaks all looked alike in the darkness, and the guide
stars were lost to sight when the column descended into valleys.
Repeated compass orientations of the map examined by flashlight under a
poncho never checked out. The artillery was called upon to place white
phosphorus on designated hills, but the splash of these rounds could
seldom be located.
The point was slowed by the necessity of breaking trail in snow that
had drifted knee-deep in places. After a path had been beaten, the
icy footing became treacherous for the heavily burdened Marines. Some
painful falls were taken on the downhill slopes by men who had to climb
the finger ridges on hands and knees.
Apparently the enemy had been caught by complete surprise, for the
Marines had the desolate area to themselves. A more immediate danger
was loss of direction, and the head of the column veered off to the
southwest while crossing the second valley. A drift in this direction
would eventually take the battalion toward the enemy-held road to
Hagaru (see Map 25), which had been scheduled by the Marine artillery
for harassing and interdiction fires.
Radio failures kept Kurcaba, at the point, from receiving messages
sent in warning. An attempt was made to communicate by word of mouth,
but the shouts from behind often did not penetrate to ears protected
from the cold by parka hoods. At last the loss of direction became so
alarming that Davis himself hurried forward with his radio operator
and runner. In the darkness he lost touch with them and floundered on
alone, panting and stumbling.
It took such effort to overtake the point that he did not make it until
the men were scrambling up the next steep ridge. There the westward
drift was corrected just in time, for the battalion was running into
its first CCF opposition.
The column had been heading up Hill 1520, the eastern and western
slopes of which were held by the enemy. An increasing volume of
small-arms fire was received as Davis gave his company commanders
orders to reorganize units in preparation for attack. Exhausted though
the men were, they summoned a burst of energy and advanced in two
assault columns supported by 81mm mortars and heavy machine guns. Now
the exertion of carrying extra ammunition paid dividends as Baker and
Charlie Companies closed in on a CCF position held in estimated platoon
strength. Some of the Chinese were surprised while asleep or numbed
with the cold, and the Marines destroyed the enemy force at a cost of
only a few men wounded.
The attack cleared the enemy from the eastern slope of Hill 1520, but
distant small-arms fire was received from ridges across the valley to
the east. Davis called a halt for reorganization, since the troops
had obviously reached the limit of their endurance. Suddenly they
began collapsing in the snow--“like dominoes,” as the commanding
officer later described the alarming spectacle. And there the men lay,
oblivious to the cold, heedless of the Chinese bullets ricocheting off
the rocks.
A strange scene ensued in the dim starlight as company officers and
NCOs shook and cuffed the prostrate Marines into wakefulness. The
officers could sympathize even while demanding renewed efforts, for the
sub-zero cold seemed to numb the mind as well as body.
Davis had even requested his company commanders to check every order
he gave, just to make sure his own weary brain was functioning
accurately. At 0300 he decided to allow the men a rest--the first in
20 hours of continuous fighting or marching under a double burden. As
a preliminary, the battalion commander insisted that the perimeter be
buttoned up and small patrols organized within companies to insure a
25 per cent alert. Then the pack radio was set up to establish the
night’s first contact with the regimental CP, and the men took turns at
sleeping as an eerie silence fell over the wasteland of ice and stone.
_Attack of 3/5 on 1–2 December_
Returning to the Yudam-ni area, it may be recalled that Lieutenant
Colonel Taplett’s 3/5 had passed through 3/7 at 1500 on 1 December
with a mission of attacking astride the MSR to lead the way for the
main column. Tank D-23, a How Company platoon and a platoon of Able
Company engineers set the pace, followed by the rest of How Company
and the other two rifle companies. After an advance of 1400 yards the
battalion column was stopped by heavy CCF fire from both sides. How and
Item Companies fanned out west and east of the road and a longdrawn
firefight ensued before the Marines cleared the enemy from their flanks
at 1930.[520]
[520] Descriptions of 3/5 operations in this section are based
on the 3/5 _SAR_, 15; Taplett and Whipple, “Darkhorse
Sets the Pace,” II, 46-50; Taplett Comments, 9 Aug 56.
Artillery support for the breakout was provided by 1/11 and 3/11 (minus
Battery H). The plan called for 1/11 to take the main responsibility
for furnishing supporting fires at the outset while 3/11 displaced as
soon as possible to the vicinity of Sinhung-ni, whence the last lap of
the march to Hagaru could be effectively covered. The 1st Battalion
would then join the vehicle column and move with it to Hagaru.[521]
[521] 11thMar _SAR_, 7; _MCB Study_, II-C-72.
Taplett gave 3/5 a brief rest after securing his first objectives--the
high ground on both sides of the road just opposite the northern spurs
of Hill 1520. Then he ordered a renewal of the attack shortly before
midnight. How Company on the right met only moderate opposition, but
was held up by the inability of Item Company to make headway against
Chinese dug in along the western slope of Hill 1520. Neither 1/7 nor
3/5 had any idea at the moment that they were simultaneously engaged on
opposite sides of the same great land mass, though separated by enemy
groups as well as terrain of fantastic difficulties. So rugged was this
mile-high mountain that the two Marine outfits might as well have been
in different worlds as far as mutual support was concerned.
Item Company stirred up such a hornet’s nest on the western slope that
Captain Harold O. Schrier was granted permission by the battalion
commander to return to his jump-off position, so that he could better
defend the MSR. There he was attacked by Chinese who alternated
infantry attacks with mortar bombardments. Radio communication failed
and runners sent from the battalion CP to Item Company lost their way.
Thus the company was isolated during an all-night defensive fight.
Second Lieutenant Willard S. Peterson took over the command after
Schrier received a second wound.
Taplett had ordered his reserve company, George, and his attached
engineers into defensive positions to the rear of Item Company. The
engineers on the right flank were also hit by the Chinese and had
several wounded, including the platoon commander, First Lieutenant
Wayne E. Richards, before repulsing the attack.
Counted CCF dead in the Item Company area totaled 342 at daybreak on
the 2d, but the Marines had paid a heavy price in casualties. Less
than 20 able-bodied men were left when George Company passed through
to renew the attack on Hill 1520. For that matter, both George and
How Companies were reduced to two-platoon strength. Taplett requested
reinforcement by an additional company, and was assigned the so-called
Dog-Easy composite company made up of the remnants of 2/7. This outfit
moved directly down the road between George and How Companies.[522]
[522] “Item Company upon relief was temporarily non-effective.
In fact it ceased to exist except on paper. Some of the
survivors were assigned to G/5 and the wounded who were
able to walk were assigned to a provisional rifle unit
organized from H&S Co and under the command of Lt George
Bowman.” Taplett Comments, 9 Aug 56.
It took George Company until 1200 to secure the western slope of Hill
1520. The composite company ran into difficulties meanwhile at a point
on the MSR where the Chinese had blown a bridge over a deep stream bed
and set up a roadblock defended by machine guns. While George Company
attacked down a long spur above the enemy, Dog-Easy Company maneuvered
in defilade to outflank him. Lieutenant Greene, the FAC, directed
the F4Us on target and the ground forces were treated to a daring
exhibition of close support by Corsairs which barely cleared the ridge
after pulling out of their runs. The roadblock was speedily wiped out,
but the vehicle column had to wait until the engineers could construct
a bypass. Then the advance of 3/5 was resumed, with George and How
Companies attacking on opposite sides of the MSR, and the composite
company astride the road, following the tank and engineer platoons.
_The Ridgerunners of Toktong Pass_
All the rest of their lives the survivors of the two spearhead Marine
battalions would take pride in nicknames earned during the breakout
from Yudam-ni. For Taplett’s outfit it was “Darkhorse,” after the radio
call sign of the battalion, while Davis’ men felt that they had a right
to be known as the “Ridgerunners of Toktong Pass.”
At daybreak on 2 December, 1/7 corrected its westward drift of the
previous night and attacked toward Hill 1653, a mountain only about a
mile and a half north of Fox Hill. Davis’ men got the better of several
firefights at long range with CF groups on ridges to the east, but the
terrain gave them more effective opposition than the enemy.[523]
[523] This section is based on R. G. Davis narrative, 11 Jan
53; Litzenberg interv, 27–30 Apr and 10 Jul 51; Fridrich
interv, 21 Apr 56; R. G. Davis interv, 6 Apr 51; and W.
G. Davis interv, 4 June 56; Col R. G. Davis Comments, 20
Aug 56; Hovatter Comments, 19 Jul 5.
The radios of 1/7 could not contact Marine planes when they came on
station, and relays through tactical channels proved ineffective.
Moreover, all efforts to reach Fox Company by radio had failed. This
situation worried the battalion commander, who realized that he was
approaching within range of friendly 81mm mortar fire from Fox Hill.
The ancient moral weapon of surprise stood Davis and his men in good
stead, however, as the column encountered little opposition on the
western slope of Hill 1653. How Company, bringing up the rear with the
wounded men, came under an attack which threatened for a moment to
endanger the casualties. But after the litters were carried forward,
Newton managed to keep the Chinese at a respectful distance without aid
from the other companies.
Charlie Company was given the mission of seizing a spur covering the
advance of Able and Baker companies east from Hill 1520 to Hill 1653.
The command group had just passed Morris on this position when the
radio operator shouted to Davis:
“Fox Six on the radio, sir.”
Captain Barber’s offer to send out a patrol to guide 1/7 to his
position was declined, but Fox Company did control the strike by planes
of VMF-312 which covered the attack of Kurcaba’s company on the final
objective--a ridge about 400 yards north of Fox Hill. Aided by the
air attack and supporting 81mm mortar fires, Baker Company seized the
position and Able Company the northern portion of Hill 1653. It was
1125 on the morning of 2 December 1950 when the first men of Baker
Company reached Fox Company’s lines.
Able Company held its position on Hill 1653 until the rest of the
battalion was on Fox Hill. After grounding their packs, men from the
forward companies went back to help carry the 22 wounded men into
the perimeter. While supervising this task, the regimental surgeon,
Lieutenant Peter A. Arioli, (MC) USN, was instantly killed by a Chinese
sniper’s bullet. There were no other death casualties, though two men
had to be placed in improvised strait jackets after cracking mentally
and physically under the strain. Both died before evacuation was
possible.
The first objective had been reached, but there was to be no rest until
Toktong Pass was secured. Baker Company paused on Fox Hill only long
enough for Kurcaba’s men to eat a hasty meal of air-dropped rations.
Then they moved out to seize the high ground commanding the vital
terrain feature at a point where the road describes a loop from north
to south. Able Company followed shortly afterwards and the two outfits
set up a single perimeter for the night while the rest of the battalion
manned perimeters on the high ground east of Fox Hill. Barber’s men
remained in their positions.
Five days and nights of battle had left Fox Company with 118
casualties--26 KIA, 3 MIA, and 89 WIA. Six of the seven officers were
wounded, and practically all the unwounded men suffered from frostbite
and digestive ills.
_CCF Attacks on Hills 1276 and 1542_
While the two spearhead battalions advanced, the Marine elements in
the rear could not complain of being neglected by the enemy. All three
infantry battalions were kept busy with CCF attacks which persisted
from midnight until long after daybreak (see Map 24).
Lieutenant Colonel Roise’s 2/5, which had been designated as rearguard,
was hit on Hill 1276 in the early morning hours of 2 December. Under
cover of rifle and machine-gun fire, the Chinese advanced on the Fox
Company positions with their “inverted wedge” assault formation.
Testimony as to its effectiveness is found in the 2/5 report:
The [Chinese] ... used fire and movement to excellent advantage.
They would direct a frontal attack against our positions while
other elements of their attacking force moved in closer to “F”
Company flanks in an attempt at a double envelopment. Then in turn
the forces on both flanks would attack while the forces directly to
our front would move closer to our position. In this, the enemy, by
diverting our attention in the above manner, were able to maneuver
their forces to within hand grenade range of our positions.
One Fox platoon, assailed from three sides, was forced to withdraw
at 0110 and consolidate with the rest of the company. At 0200 the
FAC requested an air strike from two night fighters on station. The
aircraft were directed on the target by 60mm mortar white phosphorus
bursts and conducted effective strafing and rocket runs within 200
yards of the Marine front line. In all, five aircraft of VMF(N)-542
were employed with excellent results during the night.
At 0230 Roise directed Fox Company to retake the left-flank hill from
which the platoon had been driven. Two attempts were made before
daybreak with the support of 4.2-inch mortar fire, but enemy machine
guns stopped the assault. At 0730 an air strike was requested. After
strafing and rocket runs, Fox Company fought its way to the crest, only
to find the position untenable because of machine-gun fire from the
reverse slope. At 1000 the Corsairs blasted the enemy for 25 minutes
with napalm and 500-pound bombs, and CCF troops were observed vacating
the objective area. It was nearly time for the battalion to displace
as the rearguard, however, and the enemy was left in possession of a
scarred and scorched piece of real estate.
Both Dog and Easy Companies received probing attacks which the Chinese
did not attempt to push home. At daybreak some of them broke and ran
along the Dog Company front, throwing away their weapons as they
scattered in disorder. Marine fire pursued the retreating Communists
and cut down many of them. Captain Arthur D. Challacombe’s provisional
company of artillerymen on Dog Company’s right counted over 50 dead in
front of its positions.[524]
[524] 2/5 _SAR_, 22; Stewart Comments; McReynolds Comments, 15
Aug 56.
On the eastern flank 1/5 came under attack about 2100 by 75–100 Chinese
who crossed the arm of the reservoir on ice. Mortar and artillery fire
drove them back at 0100 with heavy losses, but attempts at infiltration
continued throughout the night. In the morning 51 CCF dead were counted
in front of one Charlie Company machine gun, and total enemy KIA were
estimated at 200.[525]
[525] 1/5 _SAR_, 16; Alvarez ltr, 18 Oct 55.
At the other end of the Marine line, a CCF attack hit 3/7 (-) on Hill
1542. The assault force, according to the enemy report, consisted of
Sung-Wei-shan’s 9th Company, 3d Battalion, 235th Regiment, the 5th
Company of 2/235, and apparently two other companies of 3/235. All were
units of the 79th CCF Division, and their mission was “to annihilate
the defending enemy before daylight.”[526]
[526] The description of the fight on Hill 1542 is derived
from: ATIS _Enemy Documents: Korean Campaign_, Issue 66,
88–93; 3/7 _SAR_, n. p.; Litzenberg ltr, 7 Aug 56; Maj W.
R. Earney ltr to Gen Litzenberg, 16 Jul 56.
George and Item Companies of 3/7, following their repulse from the
upper reaches of Hill 1542, had formed a defensive perimeter on the
eastern slope. As reinforcements the depleted units were assigned a
composite outfit known as Jig Company and consisting of about 100
cannoneers, headquarters troops, and any other elements which could
be hastily put together. First Lieutenant Alfred I. Thomas, of Item
Company, was placed in command of men who were for the most part
strangers to him as well as to one another.
Sung led the 9th Company’s attacking column. Although the Chinese
account states that his men were advancing from the northwest toward
the topographical crest of Hill 1542, they actually held the summit.
Their attack was downhill, though some climbing of spurs and finger
ridges may have been necessary. After reconnoitering to a point
within 25 yards of the Marines, the Chinese jumped off at 0430 with
the support of fires from battalion weapons. Relying on the “inverted
wedge,” the attackers bored in alternately right and left while seeking
an opportunity for a knockout blow. The 2d Platoon on the Chinese
left took a severe mauling, losing its commander and almost half of
its men. The other two platoons had heavy casualties but succeeded in
routing the jury-rigged Jig Company. Since it was a composite outfit
not yet 24 hours old, there is no record of either its operations or
losses. Apparently, however, a majority of the men straggled back to
their original units. Lieutenant Thomas, who had commanded ably under
difficult circumstances, rejoined First Lieutenant William E. Johnson’s
Item Company with such men as he had left. The Marines gave ground
slowly under Chinese pressure until daybreak, when they held positions
abreast of George Company, which had not been heavily engaged.
The two companies were reduced to a total of fewer than 200 men. After
being reinforced by H&S Company personnel, they formed a defensive line
in an arc stretching from the MSR about 1100 yards and taking in the
eastern slopes of Hill 1542.[527]
[527] General Litzenberg points out that “it was necessary for
3/7 to maintain protection for the main column until it
passed by Hill 1542. They [3/7] held high enough to keep
Chinese small arms fire at a sufficient distance from the
Road.” Litzenberg Comments, 7 Aug 56.
Apparently the Communists, like military forces everywhere, did not
err on the light side when estimating the casualties of opponents. The
Marine losses for the night were listed in the CCF report as “killed,
altogether 100 enemy troops.” This figure, indicating total casualties
of several hundred, is manifestly too high. Owing to the loss of 7th
Marines records, the statistics for Item Company are not available, but
it does not appear that more than 30 to 40 men were killed or wounded.
_Advance of Darkhorse on 2–3 December_
Several CCF daylight attacks in platoon strength were received between
Hills 1542 and 1276 during the morning hours of 2 December. All Marine
units in this area were in process of disengaging, so that the emphasis
was placed on breaking off action rather than attempting to defend
ground soon to be evacuated.
The vehicle train in the rear made slow progress during the afternoon
of 2 December. Infantry strength was not sufficient to occupy all
the commanding terrain during the passage of the motor column, and
CCF groups infiltrated back into areas vacated by Marine riflemen.
Effective air support reduced most of these efforts to harassing
attacks, but Marine vehicle drivers were singled out for special
attention, making it necessary to find replacements among near-by
troops.
To 1/5 fell the mission of furnishing close-in flank protection on the
left. Marine air and artillery supported infantry attacks clearing
the flanks and the column jolted on with frequent halts. The night
passed without incident except for a CCF attack on 3/11. George Battery
gunners had to employ direct fire to repulse the Communists, and a
105mm howitzer was lost as well as several vehicles.
Darkhorse, leading the way, was meanwhile fighting for nearly every
foot of the road during the advance of 2 December. George Company
on the left went up against Hill 1520 while Dog-Easy moved astride
the MSR. By noon George had secured its objective. Dog-Easy advanced
against moderate resistance to a point about 300 yards beyond Hill
1520 where a demolished bridge had spanned a rock ravine as the road
turns from south to east. Here Chinese automatic weapons fire halted
the column until a strike by 12 Corsairs cleared the enemy from the
ravine. On the right Captain Harold B. Williamson’s How Company was to
have joined in the attack, moving through the high ground south of the
bend in the road. A Chinese strongpoint delayed its advance and How was
pinned down by heavy enemy fire while attempting to cross a stream bed
halfway to its objective. The last air strike of the day freed Captain
Williamson’s unit, which secured its objective after dark. During
the last minutes of daylight, the engineer platoon, now commanded by
Technical Sergeant Edwin L. Knox, constructed a bypass around the
blasted bridge. About 1900 the first vehicles followed the tank across.
[Illustration: BREAKOUT FROM YUDAM-NI
2–4 Dec 50
MAP-25
]
Taplett’s battalion continued its slow progress with George and How
Companies clearing the high ground on opposite sides of the road while
Dog-Easy moved astride the MSR. At about 0200 on the 3d the advance
came to a halt 1000 yards short of Fox Hill. Dog-Easy, which had
suffered heavy casualties, particularly among its key NCOs, had reached
the limit of exhaustion, and 3/5 secured for the rest of the night. Not
until daylight did How Company discover that it had halted 300 yards
short of its final objective, the hill mass southwest of Fox Hill.
At dawn on 3 December the ground was covered with six inches of new
snow, hiding the scars of war and giving a deceptively peaceful
appearance to the Korean hills as the Marine column got under way again
with Sergeant Knox’s engineers at the point, just behind Sergeant
Munsell’s lone tank. Alternately serving as engineers and riflemen,
this platoon came through with 17 able-bodied men left out of the 48
who started.
Dog-Easy Company having been rendered ineffective by its casualties,
Taplett moved George Company down from the left flank to advance
astride the road. First Lieutenant Charles D. Mize took over the
reorganized outfit, assisted by Second Lieutenant August L. Camaratta.
The two riddled Dog-Easy platoons were combined with George Company
under the command of Second Lieutenant John J. Cahill and Technical
Sergeant Don Faber.
Cahill had the distinction of leading the platoon which fought the
first action of Marine ground forces in the Korean conflict. But it
hardly seemed possible on this sub-zero December morning that the
encounter had taken place barely four months before, or that the
temperature that August day had been 102° in the non-existent shade.
Korea was a land of extremes.
Darkhorse was not far from a junction with the Ridgerunners. The
night of 2–3 December had passed quietly in Toktong Pass, where the
five companies occupied separate perimeters. The Marines on Fox Hill
lighted warming fires in the hope of tempting the enemy to reveal his
positions. The Chinese obliged by firing from two near-by ridges. One
CCF group was dug in along a southern spur of the hill held by Able
and Baker Companies, and the other occupied a ridge extending eastward
beyond Toktong Pass in the direction of Hagaru.
Simultaneous attacks in opposite directions were launched by 1/7. Davis
led Morris’ and Newton’s companies against the CCF force barring the
way to Hagaru. Tighe moved out with Kurcaba’s and Hovatter’s companies
meanwhile against a larger CCF force on high ground south of the big
bend in the road. This stroke took the Chinese by surprise. As they
fell back in disorder, the Communists did not realize that they were
blundering into the path of the oncoming Marines of Williamson’s How/5,
attacking south of the MSR. Colonel Litzenberg, who had been informed
by radio, turned to Lieutenant Colonel Murray and said, “Ray, notify
your Third Battalion commander that the Chinese are running southwest
into his arms!”[528]
[528] Litzenberg interv, 27–30 Apr and 10 Jul 51, 61. Other
sources for this section are as follows: LtCol Taplett
interv, 8 Jun 56 and Comments, 9 and 14 Aug 56; TSgt
E. L. Knox interv, 30 May 56; _MCB Study_, II-C-78–80;
Taplett and Whipple, “Darkhorse Leads the Way,” II,
49-50; Smith, _Notes_, 932–946; R. G. Davis narrative, 11
Jan 53; 5thMar _SAR_, 29; Geer, _The New Breed_, 338–341.
Taplett was unaware that Tighe’s attack was forcing about a battalion
of Chinese into his lap. He had spotted the Chinese in strength on the
high ground south of the road when day broke. Attempts to lay artillery
on the Chinese having failed because of the range from Hagaru, the 3/5
commander called for an air strike. The overcast lifted just as the
Corsairs came on station. They hit the demoralized Communists with
napalm and rockets while the 81mm mortars and heavy machine guns of
the two converging Marine forces opened up with everything they had.
Probably the greatest slaughter of the Yudam-ni breakout ended at 1030
with the CCF battalion “completely eliminated,” as the 3/5 report
phrased it, and How Company in possession of the CCF positions.
At 1300 on 3 December, after Davis had cleared the enemy from the ridge
northeast of Toktong Pass, the basic maneuver of the breakout was
completed by the junction of 3/5 and 1/7. Several more fights awaited
Taplett’s men on the way to Hagaru, but at Toktong Pass they had
fulfilled their mission. That the victory had not been gained without
paying a price in casualties is indicated by the following daily
returns of effective strength in the three rifle companies:
---------------+--------+--------+--------+--------
Unit | 1 Dec. | 2 Dec. | 3 Dec. | 4 Dec.
---------------+--------+--------+--------+--------
George Company | 114 | 96 | 84 | 80
How Company | 180 | 167 | 131 | 73
Item Company | 143 | 41 | 41 | 41
---------------+--------+--------+--------+--------
Total | 437 | 304 | 256 | 194
---------------+--------+--------+--------+--------
This is a total of 243 battle and non-battle casualties as compared to
the 144 suffered by the same units during the CCF attacks of 27 to 30
November.
_Entry into Hagaru Perimeter_
When the truck column with its wounded men reached Toktong Pass, it
halted to receive the casualties of 1/7, 3/5, and Fox Company of 2/7.
Lieutenant Commander John H. Craven, chaplain of the 7th Marines,
helped to assist the litter cases into vehicles. Since there was not
room for all, the walking wounded had to make room for helpless men.
They complied with a courage which will never be forgotten by those
who saw them struggling painfully toward Hagaru alongside the truck
column.[529]
[529] Stewart Comments.
When the tank leading the 3/5 column reached Toktong Pass it halted
only long enough for Colonels Taplett and Davis to confer. D-23 then
moved out and the four companies of 1/7 came down from their hillside
positions and fell in behind.
Stevens’ 1/5, having leap-frogged 3/5, followed next on the way to
blocking positions farther east on the MSR. Taplett remained in Toktong
Pass until after midnight, acting as radio relay between Colonels
Litzenberg and Murray, by now in Hagaru, and 2/5 in the rear. At about
midnight the 3/5 commander sent G and H Companies into the vehicle
column to furnish security for the artillery, and an hour later the
remainder of the battalion joined the column. Roise’s 2/5, which had
passed through 3/7 came next, followed by Harris’ rear guard.
Interspersed among the infantry were elements of artillery and service
troops with their vehicles, and the column became more scrambled after
each halt.[530] Two observation planes of VMO-6 circled overhead to
give warning of enemy concentrations. Marine planes were on station
continuously during daylight hours, strafing and rocketing to the front
and along both flanks. A total of 145 sorties, most of them in close
air support of troops advancing along the Hagaru-Yudam-ni MSR, were
flown on 3 December by the following units:[531]
[530] Sources for this section, unless otherwise noted, are
the same as those for the last and: 3/1 tels to G-3
1stMarDiv, 0430 and 1715 4 Dec 50; G-3 1stMarDiv tel to
11thMar, 0730 4 Dec 50; 7thMar tels to G-3 1stMarDiv,
0830 and 0925 4 Dec 50: G-3 1stMarDiv tels to 3/1, 0950
and 1330 4 Dec 50; Stevens Comments, 25 Jul 56.
[531] MAG-33 _SAR_ sec B 6–7; VMF-214 _SAR_, 5; 1stMAW _HD_,
Dec 50.
Squadron Sorties
VMF-214 36
VMF-323 28
VMF-212 27
VMF-312 34
VMF(N)-513 7
VMF(N)-542 13
----
145
At the other end of the route the Royal Marine Commandos, reinforced by
a platoon of tanks, were sent out from Hagaru at 1630 on 3 December, to
drive the Chinese from the road leading into that perimeter.
Thanks to excellent air support, 1/7 met no opposition save harassing
attacks. One of Davis’s flanking patrols reported the flushing out of a
few Chinese so exhausted by cold and hardships that they had abandoned
their weapons and holed up together for warmth. If these Marines had
been in a mood for such reflections, they might have recalled that
the American press of late had been bemoaning the supposed decline of
the nation’s young manhood. UN reverses in the summer of 1950 had led
editorial writers to conclude that our troops had neither the legs
for long marches nor the backs for the bearing of military burdens.
Mechanization had gone so far, they lamented, that we had become
the servants rather than the masters of our own wheeled and tracked
vehicles.
The Marines of Davis’ battalion might have taken a grim satisfaction,
therefore, in encountering Chinese peasants, inured all their lives to
privations, whose will to fight had been broken by the hardships of
the past week. These Marines had not known a full night’s sleep during
that week. They had subsisted on a diet of crackers varied with canned
rations thawed by body heat. They had been under continuous nervous
pressure as well as physical strain, and yet they were able to summon
one last burst of pride when the point neared the Hagaru perimeter at
1900 on 3 December 1950. Several hundred yards from the entrance a halt
was called while the men closed up into a compact column.[532] Then
they came in marching, their shoulders thrown back and their shoepacs
beating a firm tread on the frozen road.
[532] Since the four rifle companies had been left on key
points, controlling the last two and a half miles into
Hagaru, the column consisted mostly of H&S and Weapons
Company personnel. Davis Comments, 20 Aug 56.
The Marines at the head of the column were followed by the walking
wounded and the vehicles loaded with more serious cases, some of whom
had been strapped to the hoods. All casualties were given medical care
and the remaining troops taken into warming tents for hot coffee. Many
of them appeared dazed and uncomprehending at first. Others wandered
about aimlessly with blank faces. But there were few who had suffered
any psychological disturbances that could not be cleared up with a good
night’s sleep and some hot food.
Troops of 4/11 and 3/5 were due to arrive next at Hagaru while 1/5
and 2/5 echeloned companies forward along the MSR to provide flank
protection. Not all the Chinese had lost aggressiveness, but the
column had little difficulty until 0200 on 4 December. Then it came to
an abrupt halt when prime movers of eight 155mm howitzers ran out of
diesel fuel. As far back as Sinhung-ni 150 gallons had been requested
but none had been delivered.[533] While the troops ahead, including G
and H of 3/5, continued on towards Hagaru, unaware of the break, a bad
situation developed around the stalled guns.
[533] Lieutenant Meeker, dispatched from Hagaru with fuel, was
unable to get through to the stalled artillery because
of Chinese fire. Some of his men, however, did pass
the Chinese block and served as part of CWO Carlson’s
improvised gun crew. Capt E. L. Meeker interv, 19 Jul 56.
Following the halting of the convoy Major Angus J. Cronin, in charge of
4/11’s vehicle column, and his handful of truck drivers and cannoneers
drove off a platoon of Chinese. These Marines were soon joined by
Lieutenant Colonel Feehan’s 1/11 and Able Company of 1/5. By the time
Lieutenant Colonel Taplett arrived, the 155s had been moved off the
road by Captain O. R. Lodge of 4/11, who continued in spite of a wound
until more severely wounded in the head.
Roise and Stevens arrived shortly afterwards and the three battalion
commanders drew up a hasty plan. While 3/5 built up a base of fire a
platoon of Easy Company, 2/5, would move through the ridge north of
the road to knock out the Chinese strong point. Up to this time there
had been few and minor instances of panic during the breakout from
Yudam-ni. But some confusion resulted when the enemy took advantage of
the delay to blow a small bridge ahead and increase his rate of fire.
Thus a new roadblock awaited after the howitzers were removed, and two
truck drivers were killed while the engineers repaired the break. Other
drivers bypassed the bridge and made a dash for safety by crossing the
little stream on the ice.
A comparatively few men, giving way to panic, were endangering the
entire column. Behind one of the fleeing trucks an angry warrant
officer pounded in pursuit, shouting some of the most sulphurous
profanity that Lieutenant Colonel Taplett had ever heard.[534] This
was CWO Allen Carlson of Baker Battery, 1/11. He disappeared around a
bend in the road, only to return a moment later with a chastened driver
towing a 105mm howitzer. Carlson hastily recruited a crew and set up
the piece beside the road for point-blank fire at the enemy position
while Taplett directed the fire of a 75mm recoilless rifle.
[534] Taplett interv, 8 Jun 56.
A Charlie Battery howitzer and a 1/5 heavy machine gun added their
contribution as a platoon of Easy Company, 2/5, attacked under cover of
air strikes. The Chinese position was overrun at 0830 at an estimated
cost to the enemy of 150 dead. Two other attacks were launched by
infantry units of Roise’s battalion on the high ground to the left
before the MSR was cleared.
When the 155mm howitzers were pushed off the road, it had been assumed
that they would be retrieved. Only 1000 yards farther down the MSR
was a cache of air-dropped diesel fuel, but efforts to bring back
replenishments were frustrated by enemy fire. Attempts at recovery by
the British Marines failed later that day, and orders were given for
the destruction by air of the eight stalled howitzers plus a ninth
which had previously been abandoned after skidding off the road. This
was the largest loss of weapons in the Yudam-ni breakout.
At 1400 on 4 December the last elements of the rearguard, 3/7, entered
the perimeter and the four-day operation passed into history. Some
1500 casualties were brought to Hagaru, a third of them being in the
non-battle category, chiefly frostbite cases. It had taken the head of
the column about 59 hours to cover the 14 miles, and the rear units 79
hours.
“Under the circumstances of its execution,” commented General Smith,
“the breakout was remarkably well conducted. Since centralized control
of the widespread elements was a difficult task, particularly with a
joint command, unit commanders were required to exercise a high degree
of initiative.... The spirit and discipline of the men under the most
adverse conditions of weather and terrain was another highly important
factor contributing to the success of the operation and also reflecting
the quality of the leadership being exercised.”[535]
[535] Smith, _Notes_, 948.
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5679
]
_This Was Hagaru--Two views of the Marine forward base
at the foot of the Chosin Reservoir, with East Hill in
the background; here the troops reorganized for the final
breakout._
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 4971
]
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5434
]
_Patrol Actions--Task forces, ranging in size from a squad
to a battalion, sometimes supported by tanks as well as air
and artillery, were employed for specific missions during the
breakout._
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5445
]
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5438
]
_Before and After Taking--Two views, only a few seconds apart,
of the effective close air support given Marine infantry; the
plane is hidden by the dense cloud of black smoke._
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5440
]
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5685
]
_The Hagaru Airstrip--Above, walking wounded awaiting
evacuation in an Air Force C-47 which flew in artillery
ammunition; below, casualties leave their rifles behind but
will take out much-needed parachutes shown in the foreground._
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5683
]
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5398
]
_Helicopter and Ambulance Evacuation--Above, the helicopters
of VMO-6 flew out casualties from areas which otherwise could
not have been reached; below, ambulances had their moments,
too, as this bullet-riddled specimen shows._
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5461
]
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5409
]
_Breakout from Hagaru--Above, crippled vehicles are simply
pushed off the road; below, at every halt the weary
gravel-crunchers sink exhausted into the snow._
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5428
]
[Illustration:
Photos courtesy LtGen E. A. Craig and Capt R. W. Crook
]
_Victims of Communist Aggression--Three views of the Korean
refugees, ranging from infants to patriarchs, who followed the
Marine column all the way to Hungnam._
[Illustration:
USA Photo SC 355017
]
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 130426
]
_Magnificent Air Support--Above, crewmen check rockets of a
Corsair fighter-bomber; and, below, one of the old Grumman
TBMs resurrected for casualty evacuation from Koto-ri._
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 130442
]
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5361
]
_Fighting in the Heavyweight Division--Above, Marine tanks
awaiting withdrawal from Koto-ri; below, Army self-propelled
155mm howitzers firing from the Chinhung-ni area._
[Illustration:
USA Photo SC 354246
]
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5372
]
_Through the Swirling Flakes--The march southward from Koto-ri
begins in a snowstorm as a Marine infantry battalion attacks
northward from Chinhung-ni to open up the MSR._
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5370
]
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5382
]
_The Endless Column of March--Two more views of the column,
the first elements of which reached Chinhung-ni before the
last troops departed Koto-ri, ten miles to the rear._
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5356
]
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5466 USMC Photo A 5444
]
_Clearing the Flanks--Tanks and infantry work together to
clear the flanks of enemy combat groups which watched for
every opportunity to attack from the high ground._
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5369
]
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5376
]
_A job for the Engineers--Above, this gap had to be spanned
if the vehicles were to be brought out from Koto-ri; below,
infantry crossing over air-dropped Treadway bridge._
[Illustration:
USMC Photo A 5408
]
[Illustration:
USN Photo 424506 USN Photo 424527
]
_The Hungnam Redeployment--Above, two views of Marines who
were first X Corps troops to embark; below, a glimpse of the
thousands of tons of equipment to be loaded._
[Illustration:
USA Photo SC 355022
]
[Illustration:
USN Photo 423914
]
_Waterfront Panoramas--Above, these two LSTs were among the
last to be loaded; below, the final demolitions scene, with
the USS_ Begor _(APD 127) shown in the foreground_.
[Illustration:
USN Photo 424297
]
[Illustration:
USN Photo 424567
_The Honored Dead--On the day of his departure from Hungnam
the commanding general of the 1st Marine Division visits the
cemetery for a last silent tribute to the dead._
]