KOREA REMEMBERED
Chapter 5 |
BULLDUST BAFFLES BRAINS"Algy Clark" ********* Late in 1951, we observed a big build up for a major Chinese offensive.
During one day we pinpointed at least thirteen tanks
moving into an assault position and called for fighter
ground attack support. We got a squadron of USAF F80s
(Shooting Stars) who, after flying around for a while and
shooting off their rockets, duly reported that all tanks
were destroyed. This sounded like success, except that
after the planes left, all thirteen tanks opened up fire
with their main guns - damage assessment on the ground
seems not to have been much better in the Iraqi War of
1991. The tank assault, however, was only the beginning of
a major attack. This started about eight o'clock that
night.
We had access to direct support from a New Zealand
Artillery Battery: when needed, all I had to do was to get
on my radio and say: 'Hello, might 62, fire task
Zebra, out' and within two minutes a battery of six
guns should give twenty minutes fire, or as required. In
the darkness we could hear the enemy infantry on our wire
about a hundred yards forward of the position, and so I
sent out a call for artillery fire. The fire did not
arrive.
Two minutes went by, and we could hear the enemy
getting further and further through the wire. Twenty
minutes passed and I was a bit concerned. I called again
on the radio to the New Zealand forward observer, noting a
bit irately the time that had elapsed since my first fire
support request. Actually I said, 'Hello 62, fire,
f.... you, fire!' Then out of the darkness
came a great barrage: the eight guns of the supporting New
Zealand Field Battery fired; then the sixteen remaining
guns of New Zealand Regiment, next the forty eight guns of
both the Canadian Field Regiment and the British Field
Regiment, then the thirty-six guns of the adjoining United
States Second Infantry Division, and all guns of the
flanking Republic of Korea Infantry Division, plus the
Corps Artillery of medium and heavy guns. In all, two
hundred and eight guns rained fire for twenty minutes. I
realized I was not all alone, after all.
Despite the pounding given
the enemy, we withdrew, as planned, some distance. The
next morning we could observe no sign of activity around
our previous position. I was ordered to send out a section
patrol to reconnoitre our old area to see if in fact the
enemy were there. This was convenient; liquor was
excellent currency for trade with the Americans and I
wanted to recoup my ration of spirits - two bottles of gin
- which I had left behind in my bunker when we withdrew.
So I outlined the requirements of the reconnaissance
patrol before dobbing anyone in. I mentioned that
whichever corporal led the patrol out, he could keep one
of the bottles of gin for himself, but the other bottle
had to be returned to me. The thought of a free bottle of
gin was all the inspiration needed. Even though they were
likely to get shot at, all three Corporals volunteered.
Sure enough I got one of my bottles back - and traded it
to the Americans for a heater for my Jeep. The patrol also
found the enemy had indeed withdrawn, and we went back to
our position. The next day, the Chinese equivalent of a Brigade Major of their Artillery supporting this attack surrendered himself to us. He said he was disgusted at the way things had gone and told us that it had been a five thousand man Chinese brigade attack which had been crushed by our artillery bombardment, and that one thousand and forty-two men had been killed in this twenty minute period. Something for the Guinness Book of Records for a junior officer to call down such a volume of fire and to have had such a spectacular result!
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