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
MAP 1 K. WHITE
EUSAK DISPOSITIONS
15 MARCH 1952]
It was hoped that the rearward movement of units from the front line
and the subsequent inactivity there would cause the enemy to come out
of his trenches to investigate the apparent large-scale withdrawal of
UNC troops. Then Marine and other EUSAK troops could open fire and
inflict maximum casualties from covered positions. On the fifth day of
the operation, CLAM-UP was ended. The North Koreans were lured out of
their defenses, but not in the numbers expected. CLAM-UP was the last
action in the X Corps sector for the 1st Marine Division, which would
begin its cross-country relocation the following month. (See Map 1.)
Code-named Operation MIXMASTER, the transfer of the 1st Marine Division
began on 17 March when major infantry units began to move out of their
eastern X Corps positions, after their relief on line by the 8th
Republic of Korea (ROK) Division. Regiments of the Marine division
relocated in the following order: the 1st KMCs, 1st, 7th, and 5th
Marines. The division’s artillery regiment, the 11th Marines, made
the shift by battalions at two-day intervals. In the motor march to
West Korea, Marine units traveled approximately 140 miles over narrow,
mountainous, and frequently mud-clogged primitive roads. Day and night,
division transport augmented by a motor transport battalion attached
from Fleet Marine Force, Pacific (FMFPac) and one company from the
1st Combat Service Group (CSG) rolled through rain, snow, sleet, and
occasional good weather.
Marines employed 5,800 truck and DUKW (amphibious truck) loads to move
most of the division personnel, gear, and supplies. Sixty-three flatbed
trailers, 83 railroad cars, 14 landing ships, 2 transport aircraft, the
vehicles of 4 Army truck companies, as well as hundreds of smaller jeep
trailers and jeeps were utilized. The division estimated that these
carriers moved about 50,000 tons of equipment and vehicles,[13] with
some of the support units making as many as a dozen round trips. The
MIXMASTER move was made primarily by truck and by ship[14] or rail for
units with heavy vehicles.
[13] Marine commanders and staff officers involved in the
planning and execution of the division move were alarmed
at the amount of additional equipment that infantry units
had acquired during the static battle situation. Many
had become overburdened with “nice-to-have” items in
excess of actual T/E (Table of Equipment) allowances. Col
William P. Pala comments on draft MS, 5 Sep 66, hereafter
_Pala comments_.
[14] Heavy equipment and tracked vehicles were loaded aboard
LSDs and LSTs which sailed from Sokcho-ri to Inchon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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