by Griff Hosker
I knew that he was daring us to ask questions but I would not oblige him. In the end, it was Colonel Coulter who broke, “Do I get to choose the units, sir?”
“Damn right you do but they had better be good. We need them motorised but I am not risking tanks. You get in, you see how many men there are and where they are and you get out. Firefights I am happy about but I want no Coulter’s last stand! This is not the Little Big Horn!”
I smiled at the analogy; Custer, famously, had taken a small unit into what he thought was a single encampment and he discovered, to his cost, tribes of Plains Indians gathered for war.
Lieutenant Colonel Coulter coloured, “I have no intention of being associated with a disaster, sir!”
The General sucked on his cigar and said, “That is why Major Harsker will be leading the operation. He has proved time and time again that he can make good judgements under fire and as the last man out of Seoul he is in the best position to assess its defences. So, any questions?”
“When do we go, General?”
“As soon as possible, Colonel Hackworth. You will be going in different directions and you will be discreet. You have two days to get me the information I need. Operation Tomahawk will only go ahead if I think it can succeed. The start date is no earlier than January fifteenth so you can see, gentlemen, just how much rests upon your shoulders.” He pointed his cigar at some manila folders. “Here are the maps and other information you will need. Major, a word, if you please.”
“Sir.”
He took me to a corner by the window. “I need you to be involved in this and then Operation Tomahawk but after that, the British want you back. I fought to keep you here because of your knowledge of Seoul but the Commonwealth Division need you and your men. You will be attached to 29th Infantry Brigade. You need to know that this will be your last mission under American command before you and your men go off on this mission. I will be honest, I fought for your inclusion. Everything I have heard about you and your men I like. Chuck Wilding was also a friend of mine and his men told me how much you did to try to save him and his command. I hope that you can give Colonel Coulter some pointers. He is a good officer but between us we will make him a great one!”
It was a great deal to take in. The Lieutenant Colonel had been annoyed by the General’s comments; I could tell. We were alone in the jeep and, although wrapped up against the cold we were able to talk. “Sir, the General seems to be a plain-speaking man. In England, we say that someone like the general calls a spade a shovel!”
He laughed, “I can appreciate that. The thing is, Major, I am coming on this little jaunt and I can’t be seen to be deferring to you all the time, can I?”
I didn’t remind him that the General had made it perfectly clear that I was in charge but I had a plan to make it easier for him. “How about this then, sir? My men and I will be the vanguard and we will use the radio to let you know the situation. I can run any decisions by you.”
He nodded, “I can live with that besides you know the road. You were one of the last units out of Seoul.”
I didn’t tell him that we had not been able to use the road when we had come south due to the number of refugees but it was a moot point anyway. “What vehicles will we be using?”
“I thought half-tracks and a couple of self-propelled guns.”
“If we meet dug in guns, sir, or heavy concentrations of Chinese then we get the hell out of there. That is what the General said. I would like at least a couple of jeeps with a Browning .50. The half-tracks are a good idea but take the fastest ones we have. My men and I can try to sniff out the enemy but if we find large numbers then speed will be of the essence.”
“I can see your point.” We were nearing our camp. He said, “I decide when we go.”
“Of course.” To me, it made little difference. We were just trying to get close to them. Small groups of men we could handle. Heavy defences meant we turned around and day or night would make no difference.
“Then we leave before dawn tomorrow.”
I nodded, “And one more thing, sir. Snow camouflage! The snow is not going to thaw in the next few days. Let us blend in with our background, eh sir?”
“Of course, Major. And I appreciate your advice.”
I knew that when we reached his men, I would be treated like a subordinate and all my ideas would be his. I didn’t mind. The Colonel was a career soldier. After this, if I survived, I was going home!
My men were sanguine about the operation. Sergeant Grant said, “Travelling in a jeep or a half-track is better than walking, sir.”
Corporal Lowery nodded his agreement, “And it beats waiting for the Chinese Brass Band to come calling. I bloody hate brass bands! Sorry, sir.”
I waved my hand. His words had not offended me and the others had all laughed. “I intend to have two jeeps. I will drive one with Ashcroft and Lofting. Sergeant Grant, Entwhistle and Harris will be in the other. The Lieutenant will have half of the men in one half-track and Sergeant Thorpe the other half. I intend to travel with the jeeps, half a mile in front of the two half-tracks and they will be half a mile in front of the Americans.”
Lieutenant Morrison asked, “Why sir?”
“The Jeep can often be mistaken for a GAZ. The half-tracks are unmistakable. We will not be wearing helmets and I am hoping that we can trick our way close to any North Koreans we meet. They might think you are chasing us.”
The Colonel had one jeep for himself and six half-tracks. As far as I was concerned this was a major incursion but they seemed to think that eleven vehicles would not even be noticed. The vehicles were brought over before dark and we examined them. I had no Fred Emerson as a mechanical whizz to give them the once over but Lieutenant Colonel Coulter had men who knew engines. The white uniforms arrived and I had my men put parachutes over the front of our jeeps. It might delay our being seen. On our heads, we wore caps we had taken from the dead Chinese. They had ear flaps and were lined with fur. Everything was about making any soldiers we met, hesitate. In a perfect world, I would have had a couple more silencers and Colts but we would have to make do with mine. That evening, after we had eaten, I pored over the maps with my officers. We would be heading up Highway 1 to Suwon and then up to Seoul. It was a straight road and there were many places the enemy could have battle lines. The fact that the air force had not seen them meant nothing. This would take eyes on the ground. Our eyes!
The land froze solid as soon as darkness fell. The roads would be treacherous and I knew that the Colonel would be wondering about my choice of vehicle. The half-track could cope with ice as well as snow while the jeep would slip, slide and slew around. I knew all of that but also knew that the jeep was our best chance to remain undetected. The Colonel started us dramatically by pumping his arm three times in the air. We drove up the road towards Suwon. Ashcroft had two jobs: he would man the radio and the Browning. Lofting would feed the heavy calibre machine gun. Mine was simple. I had to drive and to keep the jeep on the road.
I had chosen Sergeant Grant for the jeep behind us as he was a good driver and he was dependable. We virtually crawled up a black and deadly road. In many ways that helped for my two men were able to keep a watch for enemy positions. We passed the detritus of battle. The artillery had destroyed vehicles and guns. The Chinese had cleared the roads of such obstacles but the sides were littered with them as well as the remains of bodies. I saw few tanks and the ones I did see were the smaller, lighter tanks. My theory of them outrunning their supplies and fuel made even more sense now. Once we were a mile from Suwon, we slowed down even more for if the enemy had a fortified line then it would be close to Suwon which they could use as an anchor. We drove through an empty and almost deserted town. Here the roads were less icy but we still maintained our sedate pace. I was more comfortable in the jeep now and the couple of early skids were already behind me. The Colonel had a South Korean soldier with him to translate. I hoped he would stop and find someone to question. I could have used t
he radio for that but I wanted to maintain radio silence as long as possible.
North of Suwon the roads had fewer signs of damage. The American artillery had not pounded this area. In the houses adjacent to the road I saw smoke rising. There were still people here and the Colonel could garner valuable intelligence. Each time we approached a crest in the road I slowed, expecting to be greeted by Chinese and North Korean soldiers. We found none. As the sun showed a thin glow in the east we continued towards Seoul. I had begun to wonder if the enemy had any soldiers at all south of the Han River when sharp-eyed Lofting tapped me on the shoulder.
“Sir, I see a light next to the road about three hundred yards north of us.”
I trusted Lofting and I stopped the jeep. “Ashcroft, get on the radio and tell the Colonel that we have found North Koreans or Chinese, five miles north of Suwon and we are investigating.”
Grant’s jeep pulled up behind mine. I did not need to tell the Lieutenant. He would be monitoring the radio and would stop behind our jeeps. I took out my Colt and fitted the silencer. My battle vest had six grenades and that would be enough.
“Sergeant Grant, there is a light ahead. Take your two men and head up the western side of the road. I will take the east. If there are less than twenty men there then we will try to take them. If there are more then we wait for the Lieutenant.”
“Sir. Entwhistle and Harris, with me.”
Ashcroft turned off the radio. “The Colonel has acknowledged, sir.”
“Let’s go!”
We left the road and headed across the fields. This road was lined with small fields. The farmhouse we passed was burned out. It could have been destroyed last summer or when the Chinese came south. The derelict building was too badly damaged to be used by the men we were hunting. I wondered why they had not heard the jeep. Perhaps they had and were waiting in ambush for us. The frozen snow crunched underfoot. There was no way to avoid it but Lofting and Ashcroft used my footsteps to minimize the sound. I smelled the fire before I saw it. The fact that Lofting had spied it from the road meant that there was likely to be some sort of structure between us and the fire. It could be harmless and might just be the South Korean family still trying to eke an existence out. Then I heard voices. They were male and there were at least four of them. It sounded to me like an argument. I could not see anyone and I realised why. There was some sort of animal byre or pen ahead. The snow had drifted against it but approaching from the east I could see it and the glow from the fire. I waved my hand to the right and held my Colt before me. Ashcroft and Lofting moved to my right and levelled their weapons. I stepped forward. As I cleared the building, I saw the fire. There were four North Korean soldiers and there was a heated argument going on. It explained why they had not heard us. They were wrapped in their winter uniform with mitts on their hands. As far as I could tell one was a sergeant.
We were just thirty yards from them when our movement alerted them. I shouted, in Korean, “Hangbog!” It was Korean for surrender.
For a heartbeat, I thought they were going to do as I asked but the door of the wooden animal byre was pushed open and an officer with a Russian submachine gun, the PPsh41, raised his weapon at me. I reacted and, raising my Colt, fired three times. The machine gun with the drum magazine fell to the ground but the four men around the fire reached for their weapons. Grant and his two men had been approaching and five guns ended the threat of the four Koreans.
I shouted, “Hangbog! Son deul-eo!”
Ashcroft said, “What did you say, sir?”
“I said, surrender and hands up. There should be more men inside.”
I heard a conversation in Korean which confirmed the presence of more men. “Hangbog! Son deul-eo!”
A voice shouted, “We come! No shoot!”
Five men came out. One was wounded in the leg, there was a bloody bandage around his thigh, and he was supported by two others. “Lofting, Ashcroft, check the building. Sergeant Grant, take Harris and bring up the jeeps and, if they are there, the half-tracks.”
“Sir!”
“Entwhistle, cover them.” Holstering my weapon, I went to the officer and searched him. He had papers with him but they were indecipherable. They were in Korean. I might have learned a couple of phrases but I could not read a single symbol!
Ashcroft and Lofting came out. “There is a dead North Korean in there, sir. He looks like an officer. He had a stomach wound.”
This began to make sense to me now. These were survivors from the battle. It explained the argument I had heard. The four men must have wanted to head north. I heard the sound of the half-tracks as they ground up the road. One jeep pulled up and a minute later the second. Sergeant Grant glowered at Marine Harris, “Sorry about your jeep, sir! Harris here is about as much use as a one-legged man in an arse-kicking contest. He skidded your jeep and bent the wing.”
Harris looked embarrassed. I shook my head, “So long as it can be driven, I don’t care.” I turned to the prisoners. “Which one speaks English?”
The wounded Korean said, “Few words!”
“Where is your army? Where are the Chinese?”
He shook his head, “Gone!” He pointed north.
I heard the half-tracks, “Go and fetch Pike.”
Harris said, “Sir!” He ran to the half-track. No doubt he was trying to atone for his error. “Ashcroft, offer them a cigarette.”
Ashcroft took out the packet of Marlboroughs and offered them all one. They eagerly took one and then he took out his Zippo. The Koreans loved American cigarettes. It was why I had acquired some from the PX and given them to my men. “Where have they gone?”
The wounded man frowned. He had not understood me.
I pointed north again. “Chinese? Where?”
“Han river!”
Pike and Powell arrived with Lieutenant Morrison and half a dozen of my men. “Look after him. Lieutenant, tell the Colonel that I think the enemy has pulled back to the Han river. I intend to head north and find out if that is true. You follow us when he arrives.” I handed him the papers I had taken.
“But what if there are more North Koreans north of you, waiting in ambush.”
I looked at the wounded man. I had not seen a lie in his eyes. “I will be careful, Lieutenant.”
When we reached the jeep, I saw why Sergeant Grant had been annoyed. The left front wing was badly dented. It was not Harris’ fault. I was a good driver and I had found the road difficult. The sun had risen and the sky was clear. In the distance, I saw clouds gathering. There would be more snow before dark. “Sergeant Grant, I intend to push on as fast as I dare. I don’t want to get caught in that storm. I think the North Korean was telling the truth. If there were soldiers south of the Han then they would have tried to get their wounded men to them.”
“Right, sir. We will keep our eyes peeled.”
There were no more occupied houses as we headed north but there were some unnatural looking mounds beneath the snow. I suspected that the local populace who had not fled south had paid the price for the withdrawal.
Seoul rose in the distance. There was a sprawl of buildings south of the river and, as we neared them, I slowed and then stopped. I took out my glasses and scanned the buildings. They did not look to be fortified and I saw no roadblocks. “Have the Browning ready!”
I drove up the road through deserted and empty buildings. Many showed damage from the fighting. Lumps of rubble and masonry littered the road but I saw no uniforms and, thankfully, no bullets came in our direction. I stopped six hundred yards from the bridge and parked the jeep where it would not be seen. Sergeant Grant did the same. “Ashcroft, you stay here and watch the jeeps. Get on the radio to the Colonel and tell him where we are.”
“Sir!”
I took my Thompson and led my four men along the road. We used the buildings at the side for cover. Where we could we walked over the dead ground to the left of the road. We were aided by burned-out vehicles and the rubble from fallen buildings. Here, howe
ver, our snowsuits hindered rather than helped us. There was less snow around to disguise us.
Lofting was on my right and he suddenly hissed, “Sir! Machine gun emplacement! Dead ahead!”
“Down!”
We dived to the ground behind the remains of a shop. I slowly raised my head above the brickwork. If anyone saw me, they would see the same kind of hat worn by the North Koreans and Chinese. It would buy me enough of a delay to save me. I saw, just a hundred yards ahead of me, sandbags across the end of the bridge and there were two machine guns there. I took out my glasses and scanned the bridge. The parapet and the sandbags prevented a good view but I saw a barrel. There was either artillery or a tank there.
“Well done, Lofting. I guess we can go back to the jeeps and give the good news to the Colonel.” I heard the rumble of the half-track. The Chinese must have heard it too for a trumpet sounded and the machine guns opened fire.
“Sergeant Grant, have you a smoke grenade?”
“Yes, sir.”
“When I give the word we rise, give them a volley and you throw the grenade. Then we high tail it back to the jeeps. We have seen enough.” We just had to distract the machine guns and whatever the barrel could fire and that would allow the half-tracks to take cover.
I cocked the Thompson and shouted, “Now!”
I stood and sprayed the machine gun left and right. I heard Lofting’s rifle and saw one gunner slump forward. Then Grant’s grenade spewed smoke and I shouted, “Run!”
A loud crack from north of the river told me that they had fired their heavy weapon while the other machine gun sprayed the rubble behind which we had hidden. As we ran back to the hidden jeeps we kept under cover. I saw that the half-tracks were now under cover but there was damage to one of them. As we neared the jeeps, I spied the Colonel and the rest of the half-tracks. I hoped he would realise there was artillery or a tank ahead.