Battle for the Punchbowl: The U. S. 1st Marine Division 1951 Fall Offensive of the Korean War Page: 180
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east of 751. (See Map # 30) It was along the same finger ridge leading to 1052 item 3/1
had previously occupied. How had only advanced 150 yards up this finger ridge when
machine gun and rifle bullets from both flanks sprayed into the company, the air dense
with snapping steel, the most deadly type of swarm. The Marines had to pull back to the
LD after two hours of this hail and there brought in artillery to try and squelch the
sources of the fire. Then, at 1800, an air strike came in and dropped napalm and
launched rockets into Hill 980, eliminating much of the enemy fire, or at least silencing it
for a time. That hill was reported to be rife with "heavily entrenched positions" brimming
with enemy troops.3
Item Company 3/5 was in direct support of How Company. George, however, was
in battalion reserve.
"Little progress was made by the attacking elements of the regiment, as far as
ground gained was concerned. The day was of extreme value in as much as we now
had the opportunity to 'feel out' the enemy; to get an idea of where and how he was
entrenched; the type of tactics to employ to 'dig him out;' and in general, get a more
complete picture of the 'what and how' of the job that was ahead. It was amply apparent
that the job ahead would be 'rough.' We were now engaged with an enemy that had had
plenty of time to 'dig in.'" Casualties for 3/5 16t September were 3 KIA and 7WIA.4
The day was similar for 2/5. They passed through 3/1 near Hill 751 that morning to
attack Hill 812 (Objective Dog), 1,000 yards to their north. (And 3/1, then subsequently
relieved on Hill 751 by elements of the KMC regiment, retired to regimental reserve,
except for How Company, which set up a company perimeter on Hill 673.) Again the hill
3 Fifth Marine Regiment, "Historical Diary," September 1951, 19; Third Battalion, 5th Marines, "Historical
Diary," September 1951, 7.
4 Fifth Marine Regiment, "Historical Diary," September 1951, 19, Appendix V, Dispatch 162158.180
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Montandon, Joshua W. Battle for the Punchbowl: The U. S. 1st Marine Division 1951 Fall Offensive of the Korean War, thesis, August 2007; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3938/m1/195/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .