Passing the Test: Combat in Korea, April-June 1951

4. TANKS ABOVE KAP’YONG

TANKS ABOVE KAP’YONG In the center of the UN line the ROK 6th Division held the left flank of the U.S. IX Corps, the 1st Marine Division to the east and the 24th Infantry Division of the U.S. I Corps on the west. The Chinese planned to steamroll the South Korean division with a massive attack by two armies and then exploit the gap by driving into the flanks of the adjacent American divisions and following the Kap’yong and Pukhan. Rivers into the UN rear. When the Chinese buildup in front of the 6th Division was detected on 22 April, IX Corps pushed artillery forward to support the ROK units. That night, however, the Chinese attack overwhelmed the 6th Division’s two forward regiments and forced its reserve regiment to withdraw. Artillery support units were caught up in the chaotic night retreat. UN commanders scrambled to react to the collapse of the ROK division. The next day, when it became obvious that the ROK 6th Division could not be reformed and that its ability to stop another enemy attack was negligible, IX Corps pushed more artillery forward and ordered the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade, then in corps reserve, to establish blocking positions along the Kap’yong River. Late on 23 April the 27th Brigade placed the 3d Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (RAR), and the 2d Battalion, Princess Patricia ’s Canadian Light Infantry, in forward positions, with the 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, in reserve.1 Several American units also moved forward to support the 27th Brigade, including Company A, 72d Tank Battalion; elements of the 74th Engineer Combat Chapter 4 Company A, 72d Tank Battalion, 23–24 April 1951 Pukhan River Kap’yong River 794 677 504 504 225 333 425 Sogok Hanamjong Sangnamjong Cheguryong Somok-tong Chuktun-ni Ford Sokchang-ni Noru-kogae Tungmudae Hamajang-ni Kap’yong Chungch’on-ni MILES 0 2 1 Area of Operations, 3d Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, and Company A, 72d Tank Battalion, 23–24 April 1951. (Original map by author, based on maps in Army Map Service series L751.) 61 TANKS ABOVE KAP’YONG Battalion; and artillery and mortar units. The situation is described by commanders and staff officers. Lt. A. Argent, intelligence officer, 3d Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (RAR): The 3d Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, was in reserve in the vicinity of Kap’yong when it was ordered on the afternoon of 23 April to move north four miles. The battalion occupied the high ground northwest of Hill 504 in order to block the valleys to the north and to the northwest. The 2d Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, occupied positions on the high ground east of Hill 677. The RAR Battalion was in position at 1600, 23 April. The battalion consisted of four rifle companies and one support company, each totaling 120 men. Company A, 72d Tank Battalion, was in support of the battalion . The RAR Battalion had no artillery support because all field artillery batteries were moving to avoid the danger of being overrun . This included the 16th New Zealand Field Regiment and the 213th Field Artillery Battalion. Communications with Company B, 2d Chemical Mortar Battalion, in support were not operating, and the company [located along the Kap’yong River south of Sokchangni ] did not fire.2 1st Lt. Kenneth W. Koch, commander, Company A, 72d Tank Battalion: On 23 April, Company A (minus the 3d Platoon that was guarding the IX Corps CP), 72d Tank Battalion, was in a bivouac area across the Kap’yong River north of Chungch’on-ni, one mile north of Kap’yong town. That afternoon the company (less the 3d Platoon) was ordered into attachment with the 3d Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. The company was instructed to take positions in the vicinity of Chuktun-ni in anticipation of an enemy breakthrough in the ROK 6th Division sector. The enemy attack was expected from several avenues of approach: the valley north of Hanamjong and the Sogol valley, converging on Somok-tong generally from the north, and the Cheguryong valley, generally from the northwest. East of Chuktun-ni, Company D of the Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) took positions in the vicinity of Hill 504; Companies A and C were to the left and slightly north. North of Chuktun-ni and 62 PASSING THE TEST B 1/4 2/4 1 A C 2 AT RAR N...