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Punch Bowl Rim / 37 pullback was a good plan, because if the North Koreans saw the tank on top of the ridge during the daytime, they would try to destroy it. Trying to destroy the tank would bring in an awful lot of artillery, which would hit in my platoon sector—not a good plan. The 5th RCT Tank Company had received the newer medium-size tanks, the M46 Pattons, each armed with a 90mm cannon. This 90mm cannon used a muzzle break to allow the gases that are created when firing a round to escape early, thereby reducing the gun recoil. When deployed on a mountain ridge as was done during Korea, the mission of the M46 was to be surprise tactic to kill North Koreans. Since it was impossible for North Korea’s tanks to attack the rim of the Punch Bowl by coming up the mountainside, the tankers really didn’t have a lot to do. The only access to our position by tanks was the singlelane Skyline Drive, and it was highly unlikely that the North Koreans would use that road for an attack. Most nights the tankers would pull into a shooting position just above the rim and wait until they thought they had a target before firing. The location of the tanks’shooting position placed their main guns some fifteen to twenty feet above the top of our trenches. Part of the tankers’ mission was that when they couldn’t zero in on a real target, they would fire in the general direction of a potential target, hoping to catch the enemy in the open by surprise. Firing in such a manner was called “H & I” or “harrassment and interdiction” fire. The concept behind the H & I methodology was to shoot randomly at known or suspected targets, thereby keeping the enemy worrying about where we would shoot next. One of many objectives of H & I firing would be to catch the North Koreans on a patrol coming down a finger (also known as a ridge) leading into the valley in front of our position. I don’t know if the tankers ever hit anyone or anything except the side of a mountain. They fired frequently, and when they fired the 90mm cannon, the smoke and noise were impressive. In addition, on the rim of the Punch Bowl there was a station for a half-track (full tracks like a tank on the back and two tires in the front). Mounted on the back of the vehicle were four .50-caliber machine guns, referred to as a “quad fifty.” The half-track would move to a position off the line during the day and pull back up on the line at night. The quad fifty was a great weapon. The .50caliber bullets were loaded in belts so that every fifth shell was a tracer. In between the tracers were a standard ball shell, an explosive shell, another ball, and another explosive shell. All four guns would fire at the same time. When the quad fifty walked up and down a finger searching for suspected North Koreans , anyone on the targeted finger was in great danger. Normally the platoon sergeant would accompany me while I checked the 38 / Chapter 3 line in case any corrections were needed. Corrections were rare, however, since the platoon had been on position for several weeks. Sometimes I would check the platoon alone. Late one evening, a couple of weeks after I had recovered from my cold, I was checking out the fighting position just to be sure everyone was awake. As described earlier, the 1st Platoon, Able Company, started near the very top of the highest point on the northern rim of the Punch Bowl and went downward (eastward) toward the center of the rim. At 1,243 meters, the peak was some 4,040 feet high. As noted before, the western side of the peak was the responsibility of the Turkish army. Holding on to the rope, I slowly worked my way down the ice-covered trench and—WHAM—just as I passed under the 90mm tube on the tank, it fired a round. It scared the hell out of me! I released the rope and slid down the trench as if I were on a luge. My carbine went one way, my helmet another, me another. I must have dropped down the trench fifty feet. The trench had several small turns, but a big turn finally stopped me. Several soldiers saw...

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