U.S. Marine Operations in Korea, 1950-1953, Volume 5 (of 5): Operations in West KoreaUnited States. Marine Corps
History
U.S. Marine Operations in Korea, 1950-1953, Volume 5 (of 5): Operations in West Korea
United States. Marine Corps
Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Campaigns; United States. Marine Corps -- History -- Korean War, 1950-1953
Marines flew, on 13 August, all of the daylight close air support
missions in support of the actions on both Bunker in the center and
Stromboli in the right of the 1st Marines sector. On 13 August, a total
of 94 aircraft were committed over the regimental sector to conduct
strikes in support of ground operations. Enemy Hill 104, commanding
the 2/1 outpost on 48A (Stromboli), received four attacks. Fighter
bombers (F4U propeller-driven Corsairs) carrying napalm, rockets, and
1,000-pound bombs, raided the hill mass at 0535. The other strikes
against this key terrain-feature were made by attack and fighter
aircraft during the afternoon. Other targets on the regimental right
were weapons positions beyond Hill 104 and an enemy outpost one
thousand yards west of Stromboli.
Most of the air support received by the 1st Marines on the 13th was
directed against targets that were participating--or that were capable
of taking part--in the battle on Bunker Hill. Against the enemy on the
height itself, the Marines directed only three strikes, and these came
late in the morning. A majority of the air attacks were dispatched
against observation and command posts and the firing positions of both
automatic and large caliber weapons. Chinese artillery and mortar
fire had inflicted more casualties and punishment on the Marines than
the enemy infantry assaults. As a consequence, the main effort of the
close air support strikes was directed against these hostile supporting
weapons.
After dark on the 13th, VMF(N)-513 commanded by Colonel Peter D.
Lambrecht,[190] took up the air offensive against the heavy firing
positions in the rear of the enemy line. The squadron conducted four
attacks with its night fighters. Two of its attacks were made just
before sunrise.
[190] Two days later, Colonel Lambrecht, flying a F3D twin jet
night fighter with his radar operator, Second Lieutenant
James M. Brown, disappeared while on a night flight. The
last known position of the plane was over the Yellow
Sea, 50 air miles west of Pyongyang. At about that point
the aircraft faded from the radar screen. Efforts to
reestablish communications failed. It was reported that
observers at sea sighted a crash and explosion at about
this same time. Extensive search failed to uncover any
trace of the Marines or their aircraft.
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