Click
on picture for larger view.JULY 1953
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The "Lost Bastards" of Iron Ridge
During the
Battle of the Kumsong Salient
13 July to 21 July 1953
Compiled by
John R. Carpenter
Copyright 2002 All Rights Reserved
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JULY 1953
The first week of July was strangely quiet. The fourth came and went without celebration by the Americans. Mornings were foggy and it became humid with almost unbroken overcast. The monsoon season had begun in the south. More covering and sand bagging of the trench lines were done. The last of the barbed wire and steel planking was placed carefully. Fighting positions facing the rear were started ... just in case. There seemed no end to their supply of empty sandbags. A partial resupply was done about the 8th.
The first part of July had two ominous events. One was the break down of the ROK communications gear. Since the KMAG FAC team could communicate, this was deemed no major problems. Also the runner system used through out the war by the ROKs still worked well.
The second event was much more sad. A foward machine gun post with six people manning it had one of their own grenades detonate inside their little fighting bunker. This accident stemed from a common practice in the bunkers. This was to pinch the end of the cotter pin closed on the safety pin that held the spoon down on the grenade. When the spoon or safety handle was loosed the grenade would arm itself making a hissing sound then explode in about four seconds. These cotter pins were usually splayed or spread out on the open end to prevent them from sliding out. However, there was a fear that when the grenade was needed the soldiers would not be able to pull the safety pin (the splayed cotter pin), so they closed them.
When the soldiers were cleaning and rearranging their position one of these safety pins fell out while it was on the wood shelf above the machine gun. In the gloom they could not immediately tell which grenade was active to drop it into the prepared hole for hissing grenades in the bottom of the position. Two Americans were killed outright with massive head wounds when the explosive went off at head level setting off at least one other grenade. Two South Korean soldiers were mortally wounded and two ROKs slightly wounded in this unfortunate accident .
The bent tubes of the 40 mm that stuck up in the air seemed to hold a fascination for the enemy mainly in the late afternoon. They used it as an aiming point for direct fire and indirect fire weapons. Most of those rounds went over hitting on the the air strip or flying to some where over the ridge. One of these rounds tumbled down the sand bag rivet for the FAC's jeep. A short time later they scored a direct hit on the jeep causing it to burn brightly. The FAC team was royally ticked.
On July 13, 1953, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army launches its third battle of their summer campaign. They called it the "The Golden City Campaign." To the United Nations Command the enemy was better known as the Chinese Communist Forces or CCF for short. The Americans would call this it "The Battle of the Kumsong Salient."
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"On the evening of July 13, 1953, the Chinese Army launched its largest and most violent attack since the Spring Offensive of May 1951. We (ROKs) came to call it the Battle of Kumsong. The Chinese commanders threw no fewer than five of their armies into the surprise assault, the 24th, 68th, 60th already at the front and the 54th brought up from the rear. The 150,000 men in these units focused on a relatively narrow, twenty mile sector of the front defended by six ROK divisions, the 6th, 8th, 3rd, and 5th from ROK II Corps, and the Capital and ROK 9th attached to the the adjacent (western) U.S. IX Corps under Lt. General Reuben Jenkins." (5) From west (left flank) to east the ROK units were the 9th, and the Capitol (Tiger) Divisions in the IX Corps sector and the 6th, 8th, 3rd and 5th Divisions in the ROK II Corps sector.
The eastern and western bunker complexes of Iron Ridge were two of the 21 major strong points in the path of the Chinese juggernaut. All strong points reported they were under heavy artillery attack by the morning of the 14th. Battalion and Regimental attacks were reported all along the Capitol Division front lines. All night the Division held against the onslaught, however small groups of the enemy began to sneak through the lines. The dismounted .50 caliber machine guns of the eastern bunker joined in the fight when they were able to see the enemy. The FAC team brought down artillery on pre-planned fire missions. The loss of the two twin 40mm was felt the worst since they would have helped tremendously in defense. Some time in the confusion the 60 mm mortars were found to be inoperative.
"The July assault by the Chinese was aimed at the ROK Capitol Division, which was holding the sector on the right flank of the IX Corps, near Kimhwa, the right leg of the Iron Triangle. The Capitol Division, nearly overwhelmed by THREE (emphasis added) Chinese Divisions which broke through their lines and threatened complete envelopment, fell back in confusion." (6)
In the late part of the 14th the Chinese had broken through in several places along the western side of the Capitol Division's front line. The reinforced Chinese 203rd Division of the CCF 68th did the worst damage and penetrated upto 1,000 yards through the 1st ROK Cavalry Regiment west of Iron Ridge. Further attacks caused the 1st Cav to disintegrate as a fighting force. The rest of the ROK Division, comprising the 26th Regiment was ordered to fall back to the next prepared positions while under pressure from the 72nd CCF Division. As the Capitol Division was thus engaged the 204th CCF Division attacked directly from the northeast and east down 117A toward Iron Ridge. This created great disruption and confusion. A major Bug Out began.
"By July 14 six Chinese divisions had pressed savagely against the ROK positions in the Kumsong bulge and had practically destroyed the ROK Capitol Division and much of the ROK 3rd Division (on the right side of the 20 to 21 mile bulge). Casualties on both side were extremely heavy, because it was a stand-up fight directly on the main line of resistance with direct assaults by the communists into the heart of the ROK defensive positions." (7)
Confusion was felt in the eastern bunker. The American knew they had no real means to retreat but began to prepare to blow up the strong point if needed. This to prevent, not only the supplies, but the top secret radar from falling into the hands on the Chinese Communist Forces. Their preference, of course, was to hold out until relieved. They never did hear the general retreat to the Kumsong River line message that went out over the radio from General Walker on the afternoon of the 14th of July.
ROK soldiers of the 26th Regiment began to come back in ones and twos then in groups. All were fleeing the deadly maelstrom behind them. Some ROKs fought to the death while others ran for their lives. Many began to take defensive positions on Iron Ridge. Many who took these positions found themselves intermixed from different units with a lack of officers. Panic began and the Iron Ridge defensive positions began to empty. The officers in the two bunker strong points tried mightily to hold their men.
One ROK Battalion Commander stood out, Lt. Col. Kim was an english speaker who had spent time before the war at the University at Seoul. He had fought backwards to lead his men into the new fighting positions. As he put one group in place another would be infected by the panicky tide and flee. Finally they ran past him despite his threatening fists and smoking pistol. He was mad as hell.
He realized that the closest bunker complex was not bleeding men but standing firm. He asked for and got help from the Americans to help funnel fighting men into the bunker complex. Every 15 yards out stood an American with at least an ROK NCO (noncommissioned officer). The sight of an American standing tall and calm had great effect on those willing to fight. They were the ones carrying their weapons and they were directed into the bunker complex. The new ROKs were given anything to make them feel secure. Bread, coffee and other food stuffs were handed out. With these refreshments they began to man the trenches and wait for the enemy to come.
The bunker complex more than doubled in man power. Now there was over 250 determined men to see the situation through to the bitter end.
The first enemy came at them thinking they would flee before their mighty numbers. They were wrong. Machine gun fire broke up the advance. Machine gun fire from the western bunker helped clear the forward slope. This was not a major attack yet the number of still bodies on the slope below rivaled those in the eastern bunker.
The Chinese were then seen swarming south along the surrounding slopes like ants. They came at the defenders in rushes here and there. For about four hours the fighting was steady then began to taper off. Because of the additional weapons and troops willing to fight, they held their position.
That night the three radar units went up after dark. One watched the front slope of the bunker, another the western slope and side while the third one covered the rear. Machine guns were repositioned to cover the rear approaches. All worked hard to get ready for the attack they knew that would come. The Chinese troops were seen assembling for an attack on them. The fifty calibre machine guns fired into them and the attack fizzled out almost before it began.
The western bunker complex fell very early the next morning after heavy combat. The gun flashes had lit the western part of Iron Ridge. The sound of automatic weapons, the screams of the dying and those about to die were heard as wave after wave of enemy soldiers from the west surged forward blowing bugles. For many hours the western strong point held out until the firing slowly slackened. Then slow deliberate single shots were heard after the Chinese had taken it.
At 0900 on the 15th the Chinese fired about thirty minutes of artillery and mortars at the eastern bunker while they formed up a battle line. Then admidst great yelling and the blare of tin bugles they advanced from the bloody western bunker toward the eastern bunker. The ROK and the Americans allowed them to get within 400 yards before the machine guns began to methodically hose them from one end to the other. The large fifty caliber slugs would go through more than one man when the enemy were in such a tight knit formation. Even the thirty caliber slugs seemed to hit with every round but the enemy still came on. Great gaps began to appear in the Communist battle lines. At one hundred yards the individual ROK soldiers added their individual weapons which stopped the attack. The surviving enemy fell back quickly.
The cries of the hundreds of Chinese wounded were pitiful. Those unable to crawl back to the safety of their own lines stayed where they were. The American trained as a medic became very busy. The relatively few ROK dead were taken downstairs to the bottom level and laid on the cool floor. The ROK soldiers manning the trenches were more concerned about infiltrators than the Chinese wounded. They saw anything moving as a target.
Some where the Chinese set up a loud speaker. They spoke in Chinese and Korean. They offered cigaretes and warm food encouraging the South Koreans to lay down their weapons. Korean music was played for hours with occasional suggestions for them to surrender.
The South Koreans translated for the Americans. They began to talk about the music and how they felt. The Americans and Lt. Col. Kim became concerned of the psychological impact the loud speakers could have on the South Korean soldiers.
For the rest of the day the Chinese were willing to lob an occasional mortar round or snipe away at ROK targets. One of the American squad Sergeants was killed that day. A Corporal from the first squad was made acting Sergeant.
The FAC team tried to get artillery support. Unknown to them at the time most of the Divisional and Corps artillery had retreated during the night. The organized radio network fell completely apart. Isolated units calling for help went off the air one by one. At some points the Chinese advanced over ten miles before they were stopped. For the men holding the eastern strong point of Iron Ridge, their ordeal was just beginning.
For hours and hours they turned the radio knobs from one known frequency to another calling "Mayday Mayday." They waited and waited for any glimmer of outside contact. Near dark they made contact with 8th Army command. They were not believed at first until the FAC Sergeant said something to verify who they were. With no current codes they simply used the Army alpha code to communicate. There was no artillery support available. It was too late in the day to send out air cover. So they waited and waited for the next attack they knew would come.
That night one of the American Sergeants went out with a patrol to find where the loud speakers were. They were found to the north east at the bottom of a cliff. Men went out to the top of the cliff rolling a 50 gallon barrel full of gasoline. There the Sergeant set an explosive charge under it. The next time the loud speakers came on he fired off the charge. Flaming gasoline spewed over the cliff. The speakers went silent along with the temptations it offered.
Just after midnight the radar began to pick up movement to the south. The Americans and the ROKs were then prepared when the Communists came running across the leveled air strip. Machine guns fired across the air strip mowing down dozens with each long burst of fire. Belt after belt was fired and wave after wave of attackers kept coming. Machine gun barrels began to over heat but most dared not take a chance to change them for cooler ones.
As the enemy slowly began to close, the defenders began firing individual weapons, throwing grenades and making out individual enemy soldiers in the dark. Combat of the eyeball to eyeball order is one of the most primitive types of combat. Rifles as clubs, bayonets, entrenching tools, and even bare fists are the rule at this close range. It is simply kill or be killed. It is where anything you can do to survive means living a little bit longer.
Close combat at night is where all senses become keenly aware. The sharp acidic smell of sweat with an almost overwhelming feeling of fear and dread is combined with nervously taut muscles and dirty dry eyes staring out into the murk ... waiting. Some feel like they need to void the bowls but this is forgotten with quick rush of movement, the zing and twang with thuds all around. A face, sudden flashes of hurting light, pressure, mad swinging, awful thuds. The coppery sharp smell of blood, the slickness of sweat, or is it your blood? A ripped quilted body with black hair lying still, noise behind, turn strike, repeat. Growl, howl or grunt outrage in silence. Repeat as many times as needed. Then there is a sudden local silence that is mingled with the smell of urine and the wet smell of garlic and old fish. Moans softly at first, as if embarrassed, linger. With nostrils flared, any noise heard gets an overt reaction as you try to catch your ragged breath by a tongue that sticks in your mouth and tastes like dry earth.
The Chinese finally disappeared into the gloom. Fog began to rise like the spirits of the dead rising from the blood soaked ground. Here and there shots rang out at real or perceived movement. The smarter troops throw grenades instead of revealing their positions. The wounded were taken below to be bandaged the best the American medic could do with his ROK helpers. The dead were taken further below to the room of the dead. Now the bodies began to be stacked in a second row. The surviving Americans and ROK troops paused to lick their wounds. They try to get some sleep while others stood watch with both the human and electronic eyeballs. A random mortar or artillery round was occasionaly fired at the position during the rest of the night.
The next morning the American Lieutenant called a staff meeting of just American NCOs in the command bunker to the rear of the halftrack where the twin 40 mm barrels stuck up in the air. The corporal from the first squad that was made acting Sergeant had to finish putting a fifty caliber machine gun back together. The acting Sergeant hurried up the back trench and just before he made his left turn to enter the meeting area one of those large Russian made shells, probably aimed at those dammed bent barrels, hit. There may have been a point along the side berm that did not have as many layers of steel and sandbags for protection. Maybe it would not have mattered. The high explosive round erupted as designed, the pressure wave expanded taking pieces of the casing and anything else near by into a frenzied dance of death. Seven Americans died instantly along with many ROKs in the confined area of the command bunker.
The acting Sergeant was thrown backwards and mostly buried by the huge blast and shockwave. He thought he was buried alive and screamed for help. Several ROK soldiers began to dig him out. Lt. Col. Kim later told him that the Lieutenant and six other Americans were dead. For the next several hours he was in a concussive daze. The seven Americans, with their Korean brothers, were carried below to the death room. Another layer of violated bodies was started.
Lt. Col Kim, his officers and the FAC team had just had just gone down below after meeting with the American Lieutenant, other wise, they too, would have been killed.
The FAC team got their spare radio from below to replace the destroyed radios and with frantic effort recontacted 8th Army Command. Now this single beat up radio was their only contact with the friendly forces. Eight inch (203.2 mm) Howitzer batteries started to drop in their very distinctive rounds. Accuracy because of the extreme range of almost 10 miles was not good but they were very very welcomed. This 8 inch battery was probably the 424th Field Artillery which was a Federalized National Guard Unit from Indiana. Huge explosive greysers blosomed around known enemy positions. It was a relief to have support once again.
The Corporal from the first squad who was made acting Sergeant was called to the radio by the FAC Sergeant. He identified himself to the Brigadier General on the radio and was stunned when he received a battlefield commission to Second Lieutenant. He was sworn in by the General and given his first order from 8th Army Command. The order was simple, "Hold your position at all costs. Do not surrender. Do not break out." The FAC Sergeant and Lt. Col. Kim congratulated him. The new Lieutenant wasn't so sure about the congratulations. It was July 16th.
The next attack came from the north that evening. Radar picked up the sign of the Chinese forming up about 600 yards downslope. The FAC officer called for artillery. The heavy artillery rounds came in and burst brightly below the eastern bunker. The exploding rounds hit to one side of the Chinese line. The fire was adjusted and clobbered the enemy line. The radar screen became unreadable due to the volume of debris thrown up. The defenders were electronically blind for several minutes. Luckily the enemy scattered under the onslaught.
About an hour or so later the Chinese began to form up again. There was some type of delay getting artillery. The fifty caliber machine guns began to fire short bursts of fire. Every fifth round was a tracer. The machine gun fire began to hurt the Chinese line but they began to move forward up the slope. Artillery began to fall behind the Chinese. Ground clutter of thrown up debri made the radar worthless in the barrage. Tracers flying out began to overshoot the first several waves of attackers. The FAC team strained their eyes but could not see the enemy. They ask and get the artillery to fire illumination rounds. They burst and bright light hang from parachute flares. Suddenly in the swinging glare of magnisium light they see the Chinese soldiers straining to get at them. The FAC began to drop the artillery rounds in front of the horde, then walked the exploding steel projectiles down the slope chasing the fleeing enemy.
Radar warned of another attack coming over the ridge behind them in two places. Machine guns rounds reached out to touch with their deadly streaking fingers. More parachute flares dropped, staining the dark smokey sky with glaring but inconsistant light. Rifles barked over and over. Nearby metallic "plings" were heard as M1 rifle clips ejected upward and "clacks" as bolts flew forward when reloaded. Grenades were thrown clashing with the sound of their solid "thumps." Enemy mortar rounds fell short and hit their own men. Confusion reigned. Communications lines were either cut or blown up. The FAC Sergeant urgently called in more and more artillery all around the position then as close as he dared. Anyone, including the wounded who were able to throw a grenade or fire a weapon, was pressed into the trenches to fight. About a dozen or more Chinese soldiers broke through the defensive line. Anyone that stood above ground was fair game and shot. Lt. Col Kim shot, with his pistol, at least two Chinese soldiers who had made it near the command bunker. No quarter was asked nor given.
For hours the moans, screams and plaintive begging of the Chinese wounded was heard. A survey is done and confirms they still held the bunker complex. Friendly wounded are collected and treated. Occasional shots are heard as the enemy patrolled the field of carnage with their own form of mercy.
The morning of the 17th was wet and gloomy with heavy fog. Bodies in the complex are moved. Friendly dead are taken below. Dead Chinese were used as additional protection with a thin layer of dirt thrown over them. No one dared to go out into "no mans land." Anything seen moving, got a grenade or a bullet.
Canvas was put out to collect water from the fog and the warm but light rain. The radar kept watch. Humans strainned their ears to hear. The radio operator reported that a counter attack was in progress. They were promised air support when the weather clears. On each corner of the perimeter they put out air recognition panels. Then they waited and waited. Hints of blue were seen as the sun tried to clean the fog.
Towards noon the Chinese began to form up again in the fog down slope. Artillery whined overhead. This was lighter stuff (probably 155 mm "Long Tom" rounds) that came in fast, furious and accurate. After the deadly blanket of steel the Chinese Communists left the eastern bunker mostly alone. Mortar shells danced their dance and an occasional heavier round sought out the residents. A few well hidden Chinese heavy machine guns began to duel with the bunker's machine guns. They fired without tracers and their heavy slugs chewed at the sand bags. Every once in a while the firing ports would let an enemy round whistle through. More wounded were taken below. More corpses were added like cord wood to the death sepulcher below.
Work parties came out at night to repair the damage and breath in relatively fresh air. The wounded however had to suffer halfway between the dead and living in stale humid air. Attempts to move fresh air around were made. The top level of the bunker, at first called the roof then the attic, was now mostly in ruins. All of the halftracks had been mangled by artillery. Some of the machine guns that had been blown off their sandbagged settings were rebuilt from parts and spares. Another radar piece had been damaged, this too had been repaired from the parts and for the most part worked though limited in range.
The eastern bunker began to have a charnel house smell mixed with the unwashed bodies of men living in close proximity to each other for much to long. When the Americans soldiers looked at each other they saw long hair bearded men. Many were surprised to see gray hair. All looked tired and stressed. The ROKs did not look much better. Water was now getting short and a ration of one half a canteen cup per day was started.
The next afternoon brought welcome noise. A dark blue aircraft roared over head from the south. When the defenders saw the "White stars with wings" (the national insignia for United States military aircraft) they yelled, "They're Ours!" Even the ROK troops were yelling and waving. Many came out of the bunker to watch the show. The FAC Sergeant made contact with pilots he knew and the "fly boys" identified the east bunker as friendly.
The FAC team directed the aircraft toward seen and unseen enemy positions. Orange red blossoms spread across the hillside while black oily smoke reached upward. The smell of burnt napalm and human hair came on the breeze. At times the heat of the burning jellied gas could be felt through the firing ports and men had to turn away. Explosions rocked the ridge as target after target was hit. For the rest of the day the beautiful sound of American aircraft was heard. The fly boys were angels of deliverance brought by the hard working FAC Sergeant.
That night the radar showed the enemy lining up for another human wave attack from the west. Artillery was called and disrupted the mass of humanity. The Chinese did not form up again.
On the morning of the 18th radar picked out movement in the fog. It appeared to be an enemy patrol about platoon size. The defenders thought it was a trick. That this may be a diversion of some kind, that this could not be a patrol that lost its way. The Chinese got closer and closer. Amazingly, the defenders could hear the Chinese talking as they approached to about fifty yards. The shadow of the fog shifted revealing the Chinese. Sudden machine gun and rifle fire startled the Chinese. Within seconds the enemy was down, most permantently. A few shots replied to the onslaught of lead. These few were targeted by several machine guns which chewed the ground and anyone there from whence the return fire came. A cease fire order was called. The fog settled back down. It was quiet once again.
There were American aircraft overhead as the fog began to burn off. Several aircraft indicated it would be a shame to leave without bombing something. The radar was still up and the FAC Sergeant had an idea. He ordered the aircraft to fly a certain heading and to drop some of their ordinance when instructed into the blanketing fog below. He then asked the radar operator where the bombs had hit. On the next pass the dropped explosives were even closer to the chosen target. The best results were when the aircraft flew in formation and dropped in mass. Later as target after target was hit the enemy fired less and less at the bunker.
The 19th was quiet and little movement was seen. Very little sniping or any other fire was directed at the bunker. Chinese were seen moving northwards on the surrounding hills. Those seen were often targeted by aircraft or artillery. Many of the defenders tried catch up on long needed sleep. The radio told them relief forces would be there some time tomorrow. The word was spread. A nervous tension started among the Americans.
If the relief force came at night or during the fog they could be accidentally fired upon. Radio contact was with 8th Army Command and they did not have the frequency for the relief force. One of the Americans said it would be easier if they had an American flag. Someone got up and went downstairs. In a few minutes he came back with a small American flag. It was quiet while those present touched the red, white and blue banner. They found a pole and mounted a cross stick so it could be easily seen.
Several men went out and placed more air recognition panels so they could be seen from the south and west. The dirt track that went around the eastern edge of Iron Ridge was especially watched. This was the most likely avenue of approach. A few men went out a bit to wait. At this time 14 of the 28 Americans had died. All three of the FAC team were alive. Over half of the ROKs were killed or wounded.
On July 20, 1953 at about 0530 a lone American soldier came out of the out of the fog along the road to the bunker. This American soldier was a point man from a Company of the 17th Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. This Company was specificlly attached to the ROK 6th Infantry Division for the relief of the cut off "Lost Bastards."
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