U.S. Marine Operations in Korea, 1950-1953, Volume 1 (of 5): The Pusan PerimeterMontross, Lynn
History
U.S. Marine Operations in Korea, 1950-1953, Volume 1 (of 5): The Pusan Perimeter
Montross, Lynn
Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Campaigns; United States. Marine Corps -- History -- Korean War, 1950-1953
On 3 September, with D-day less than 2 weeks away, a conference was
held in Tokyo to decide the question once and for all. X Corps was
represented by General Wright, the G-3, and General Edward S. Almond,
the new commanding general and former chief of staff, GHQFEC. COMNAVFE
(Admiral Joy), COMSEVENTHFLT (Admiral Struble) and COMPHIBGRUONE
(Admiral Doyle) were the Navy officers present. General Almond
opened the discussion by reiterating that the 32d Infantry would be
substituted for the 5th Marines. In reply, General Smith mentioned
the complications of an amphibious assault landing and urged that the
operations plan be amended if the untrained Army regiment were to be
employed.
Another solution, offered by Admiral Struble, was baited with
reciprocal concessions. He suggested that the Brigade be employed
briefly for counterattacks in the Pusan Perimeter, but that meanwhile
the 32d or some other 7th Infantry Division regiment be moved from
Japan to Korea. There it would become a floating reserve for EUSAK,
thus releasing the Brigade units to take their former places in the 1st
Marine Division for the Inchon operation. This compromise was finally
accepted, and orders were issued for the Brigade to be withdrawn from
Eighth Army control at midnight on 5 September.
The first intimations to reach the troops at the Bean Patch were
received on the 1st, at 0810, when the Brigade was alerted for a
possible move by CG EUSAK to an unknown destination. At 1109 came
the warning order for a road lift to the Miryang assembly area. The
confirmation followed at 1215, with all units being scheduled to move
out at 1330.[325]
[325] Brig SAR.
The Marines had another date with destiny.
_Return to the Naktong Bulge_
General Craig set up his CP in the Miryang area at 1800 on 1 September.
Billeting officers, having gone ahead by helicopter, were prepared
to take care of Brigade units as they arrived. Among them was the
1st Battalion of the 11th Marines, which had been returned from 25th
Division control to the Brigade.
The news from the front was depressing. Heavy attacks had been received
all day along the 2d and 25th Infantry Division fronts. An enemy
penetration of 4,000 yards was made at the expense of the 2d Division,
with the old familiar Naktong Bulge being occupied again by Red Koreans
who had gained a firm foothold on the east bank of the river.
This meant that General Craig’s men, now under operational control of
the 2d Division, were likely to revisit some scarred parcels of Korean
real estate they had hoped never to see again. Major General Lawrence
B. Keiser, commanding the 2d Division, informed the Brigade commander
that several of his companies had been cut off by enemy advances which
pushed his lines back almost to Yongsan.[326] There was a good deal of
NKPA infiltration, he added, in his rear.
[326] Craig, 23 May 54.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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