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
Within ten minutes, Vegas, furthest east of the four OPs in 1/5
territory, became the object of serious enemy attention. Outposts
Berlin and East Berlin, meanwhile, still further east in the 3/5 sector
proper were also engaged by fire from hostile small arms and mortars
from Chinese occupying Hills 15 (Detroit), 13 (Frisco), and 98 to the
northeast. As the coordinated fire attack raged throughout the 5th
Marines regimental front, preparatory fire and diversionary probes hit
the 1st Marines sector. Outposts Hedy, Bunker, Esther, and Dagmar, in
the center regimental area, were struck by small arms, mortars, and
artillery shells a few minutes before 1900. Platoon and squad strength
limited attacks were conducted against Dagmar, Hedy, and Esther, and
enemy units were sighted moving in front of the KMC, further west along
the MLR.
At precisely 1910, a force of 3,500 Chinese from the 358th Regiment,
120th Division, 46th CCF Army began to swarm down from Ungok,
Arrowhead, Hill 25A, and Hill 190 and launched a massive assault in
regimental strength against the 5th Marines sector. (Map 27.) Elements
of six companies from three battalions converged on the area from
three directions. Two enemy platoons of the 1st Company, 1st Battalion
from Ungok struck Carson while one infantry company each, initially,
began a direct assault on Reno and Vegas. Units from the 3d Company,
1st Battalion, from Arrowhead and Hill 29, crossed the Seoul road to
hit Reno in a direct frontal assault. Elements of the 7th Company, 3d
Battalion moved down from Hill 190, a mile north, to encircle the left
flank of Reno and thus strike from the rear of the Marine position.
Other Chinese soldiers of the 8th Company, 3d Battalion, supported
by the 9th Company, moved some 500 yards south of their ridgeline
positions on Hill 25A and 155 immediately north of Vegas to attack the
outpost head-on.
Another enemy unit, the 2d Company, 1st Battalion, swept south from
Hill 57A and made diversionary probes of the two most remote outposts
of the entire 1st Marine Division line, Berlin and East Berlin in the
3d Battalion sector. These two smaller positions, each manned by a
reinforced squad-size detachment from G/3/5, were to be successful in
driving off the enemy’s less determined efforts there with a rain of
small arms, mortar, and artillery fires.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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