Just finished another book about this subject, "The Last Stand of Fox Company" by Bob Drury & Tom Clavin. Good book, quick read.

It's fairly detailed as to the tactics and equipment of the Chinese forces. It was not uncommon to find them with WWI era Mausers of various types, 03 Springfields, US made Thompson's, WWII German M98s, WWII Japanese weapons as well as the classic soviet designed drum fed sub-gun.

Chinse troops would frequently assault Marine crew-served weapon emplacements with the intent to capture the weapon rather than destroy it. They'd then turn it over and use it in follow-on engagements.

Also noted were examples of Chinese troops wearing undergarments of stretched and oiled goat hide used as a form of body armor. The frequent failure of the 30cal M1 & M2 Carbine round was attributed to this practice.

While it's common knowledge that many of the Marine officers and senior NCOs were carry overs from WWII, a majority of the junior enlisted were reservists, many of whom never went to boot camp. The extent of their training was at weekend drills and summer camps.

Douglas McArthur was universally hated by the ground pounders, both Army and Marine. "Doug out Doug", commanding from Tokyo. "Just another old man quick to send young men off to die."

It's another quick read that will round out your knowledge of the Marines in Korea.

Semper Fi........TWL.

I was at a wedding a couple months back. Almost every guy in the wedding party was a Marine, not to mention the guest list. Tables were Marine battles. I was at Chosin Resevoir (table). Glad the wedding went better.
You are correct, They used every type of arm they could get! BTW, Most of the Mausers were Chinese made. The Chang Kei-shek type 24 was used from 1935 to the early '60's. It was a GEW98 copy.

If you haven't already, read James Brady's "The Marines of Autumn". An excellent read, I've done it twice.

Semper Fi

Google "French Battalion in the Korean War"

Craigster:
Roger on James Brady's "Marines of Autumn". It's sitting on my nightstand, next up. Brady also has other excellent works on the Marines in Korea.
SF.....TWL

My step dad fought at the Chosin Reservoir as an 18 yr old Marine.

My cousin was captured there.

I have heard that the chinese were misearably equipped.

my father was on a boat; he said the POWs were starving. they were so glad to be fed well by the US that they were no trouble.

Canucks were there too...
A joint defence with three of the best (Nucks, Yanks and Aussie's)...the Chicoms were done like dinner they just didn't know it right away.

Distinguished Unit Citation

The Distinguished Unit Citation was redesignated the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) 3 November 1966.

3d Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (23 and 24 April 1951) 2d Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (24 and 25 April 1951) Company A, 72d Heavy Tank Battalion (United States) (24 and 25 April 1951)

The above units are cited for extraordinary heroism and outstanding performance of combat duties in action against the armed enemy near Kapyong, Korea, on the dates indicated. The enemy had broken through the main line of resistance and penetrated to the area north of Kapyong. The units listed above were deployed to stem the assault. The 3d Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment moved to the right flank of the sector and took up defensive positions north of the Pukhon River. The 2d Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, defended in the vicinity of Hill 677 on the left flank. Company A, 72d Heavy Tank Battalion, supported all units to the full extent of its capacity and, in addition, kept the main roads open and assisted in evacuating the wounded. Troops from a retreating division passed through the sector which enabled enemy troops to infiltrate with the withdrawing forces. The enemy attacked savagely under the clangour of bugles and trumpets. The forward elements were completely surrounded going through the first day and into the second. Again and again the enemy threw waves of troops at the outer defences, but each time the courageous, indomitable, and determined soldiers repulsed the fanatical attacks. Ammunition ran low and there was no time for food. Critical supplies were dropped by air to the encircled troops, and they stood their ground in resolute defiance of the enemy. With serene and indefatigable persistence, the gallant soldiers held their defensive positions and took heavy toll of the enemy. In some instances when the enemy penetrated the defences, the commanders directed friendly artillery fire on their own positions in repelling the thrusts. Toward the close of 25 April, the enemy break-through had been stopped. The seriousness of the break-through on the central front had been changed from defeat to victory by the gallant stand of these heroic and courageous soldiers. The 3d Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment; 2d Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; and Company A, 72d Heavy Tank Battalion, displayed such gallantry, determination, and esprit-de-corps in accomplishing their missions under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions as to set them apart and above other units participating in the campaign, and by their achievements they brought distinguished credit on themselves, their homelands, and all freedom loving nations.

'Princess Pat' (Canadian) troops are definetly people you want in your foxhole with you in a tight spot. My son was amongst them during shots fired in anger (snipers) from their unit in Afghanistan back in May 2002 and they carried their end of the load.

Matt
Thanx...they are special soldiers for sure.
They do us proud wherever they go.

I knew several soldiers who fought at Chosin Reservoir ;

Most I know refereed too it as Frozen Chosin !.



While not a victory in the classic sense, the withdrawal from the Chosin Reservoir is revered as a high point in the history of the US Marine Corps. In the fighting, the Marines and other UN troops effectively destroyed or crippled seven Chinese divisions which attempted to block their progress. Marine losses in the campaign numbered 836 killed and 12,000 wounded. Most of the latter were frostbite injuries inflicted by the severe cold and winter weather. US Army losses numbered around 2,000 killed and 1,000 wounded. Precise casualties for the Chinese are not known but are estimated at 35,000 killed. Upon reaching Hungnam, the veterans of Chosin Reservoir were evacuated as part of the large amphibious operation to rescue UN troops from northeastern Korea.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
Google "French Battalion in the Korean War"

That was good reading.

quote:

Originally posted by delloro:
I have heard that the chinese were misearably equipped.

my father was on a boat; he said the POWs were starving. they were so glad to be fed well by the US that they were no trouble.

I knew quite a few WWII-generation Okinawans. We had to kick them out of the POW camps. They were the only well off people on the island. They could serve their family members coffee when they visited. They'd fill the cups to just below the brim with sugar, then put a thin layer of coffee on top.

Then everyone would go home and dry the sugar out on a sheet. And sell it for big bucks.

The Okinawans said we treated them a lot better than the Japanese ever did. I knew quite a few who got forced out of one gate and immediately went through another to apply for a job.

The best read for that "Police Action" that I have come across is "U.S. Marine Action in Korea" by Montross and Canzona, most notably Vol. 2 and 3. While my father was a Marine in that war, he got there after Chosin. However, my father-in-law was one of the walking wounded Marines working for Chesty and the stories he would tell. I saw a picture of him in uniform after Korea and his purple heart had 5 stars. He later became a member of Chosin Few.

Rest in peace Marine.

Back on mute.

quote:

Just finished another book about this subject, "The Last Stand of Fox Company" by Bob Drury & Tom Clavin. Good book, quick read.

As an aside, I hope they mention the man who led the relief column to Fox company. 1LT Chew Een Lee. Ironically the first American Officer of Marines of Chinese ancestry, going into combat against the Chinese.

From his Navy Cross Citation:

quote:

For extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of a Machine-Gun Platoon of Company B, First Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division (Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces in Korea, on 2 and 3 November 1950. Immediately taking countermeasures when a numerically superior enemy force fiercely attacked his platoon and overran its left flank during the defense of strategic terrain commanding approaches to the main supply route south of Sudong, first Lieutenant Lee boldly exposed himself to intense hostile automatic weapons, grenade and sniper small-arms fire to carry out a personal reconnaissance, well in advance of his own lines, in order to redeploy the machine-gun posts within the defensive perimeter. Momentarily forced back by extremely heavy opposition, he quickly reorganized his unit and, instructing his men to cover his approach, bravely moved up an enemy held slope in a deliberate attempt to draw fire and thereby disclose hostile troop positions. Despite serious wounds sustained as he pushed forward, First Lieutenant Lee charged directly into the face of the enemy fire and, by his dauntless fighting spirit and resourcefulness, served to inspire other members of his platoon to heroic efforts in pressing a determined counterattack and driving the hostile forces from the sector. His outstanding courage, brilliant leadership and unswerving devotion to duty were contributing factors in the success achieved by his company and reflect the highest credit upon First Lieutenant Lee and the United States Naval Service.

As a further aside, MacArthur earned his nickname "Dugout Doug" years before the fight at the Chosin reservoir during the battle of Bataan, when he only left his bunker at Corregidor once in 4 months to visit the front lines.

The "Last Stand of Fox Company" is one of the very finest books I've read on a small unit action in any war.

I recently met a USMC vet from Able Co. in Colonel Ray Davis' First Battalion who was up at Yudam-ni when the CCF attacked. His was one of the units which finally linked up with Fox Co during the heroic breakout from the Chosin Reservoir.
Amazing stories!

General MacArthur's career as a general officer was a good bit more complex, and ambiguous, than the "Dugout Doug" moniker would indicate. One simple illustration: the "island hopping" strategy resulted in many thousands of American deaths, but probably saved many thousands more American lives.

Part of the problem, I think, is that while commanding in Australia he surrounded himself with some truly odious lackeys and sycophants. Maybe that tells us something, too.

Whatever. He had two medals of Honor. That's plenty good enough for me.

It was ADM Nimitz that initiated the island hopping campaign, not MacArthur.

In Australia he surrounded himself with mediocrities and sycophants because of his vanity. For instance, Marshall offered to send BGEN Doolittle to serve as his AAF commander, and MacArthur turned him down for completely bogus reasons. He said among other things that he was concerned that Doolittle's long break in service might cause the Australians to doubt his ability. This after Doolittle had become world reknowned for leading the raid on Tokyo. The real reason was because he couldn't stand the idea of such a famous personality coming into his AOR and possibly upstaging him.

Ironically, the guy the Army did send MacArthur, General Kenney, was highly competent. But the first thing MacArthur did was bring him into his office and demand to know if Kenney would be loyal to him personally. That was something that consumed him; he surrounded himself with yes men on his own staff because he demanded they be personally loyal. He demanded that over and above competence.

As for his MoH, those (I've only read one citation; I've only ever been ablet to find one citation) were highly political awards. He's cited for his bravery under fire, but he only left his bunker once.

He had his good points, definitely, but he was a very flawed man and not entirely worthy of the adulation he gets.

Most of what I know of the Chosin was from boot camp and two USMC authorized biographies of Chesty. He is a personal hero of mine. Those men who went through that were truly amazing human beings. I dont imagine, and hope I won't, ever experience something so horrifying. If I do, I pray that I may perform with such Honor, Courage, and Commitment. Amen.

Semper Fi marines. Good night Chesty, wherever you are.

quote:

Originally posted by guncurtis2:
Most of what I know of the Chosin was from boot camp and two USMC authorized biographies of Chesty. He is a personal hero of mine. Those men who went through that were truly amazing human beings. I dont imagine, and hope I won't, ever experience something so horrifying. If I do, I pray that I may perform with such Honor, Courage, and Commitment. Amen.

Semper Fi marines. Good night Chesty, wherever you are.

I knew several guys who lived through that ordeal. One was a priest who was a Navy chaplain assigned to the Marines. He personally captured 11 NORKs at pistol point.

Another was a friend's father. He died last year. He was a Marine who earned the Silver Star by rescuing every surviving member of his squad by carrying them one by one over 600 yards. Then he spent a year in the hospital. He never said much about it other than the fact by the time he got to Korea he had spent 2 years with these guys and it was unthinkable that he'd leave any one of them behind.

Nobody I ever met who fought at the Chosin reservoir ever complained about hot weather. They all said that given their anticipated life expectancy, their main worry was that they'd never live long enough to get warm again. They were cold, they were going to die cold, and they'd be cold for eternity.

None of these guys were bitter because of the experience. On the contrary, the men I knew were among the most optimistic guys I ever met. Like the Vietnam POWs I've been fortunate to know.

I asked one why he was so cheery all the time. He said any day you wake up and have a window and a door with a knob on your side, that you can just turn and walk out any time you like, is a good day.

That certainly gives some perspective on the issue China Fleet. It is easy to get wrapped up in mundane things and forget what matters.