by Griff Hosker
“Any damage Lieutenant?”
“Not to the vehicle but Lake and Bridges were hit by shrapnel.”
That was ironic. They were both medics. “See to them and then pull back south. Don’t expose yourselves. I will wait for the Colonel!”
The Chinese gun and the machine guns were still firing. They had no targets as all of our vehicles were off the road.
Marine Lofting said, “Do you mind if I have a pop at them, sir? There is a snowdrift over there I can use.”
I nodded, “But, for God’s sake be careful. We have achieved what we came for. Let’s get home safe!”
“Sir!”
I watched him head to a broken wall between which snow had been blown. Wrapping the end of his rifle in parachute silk he lay down. The Chinese gun fired and I saw why. The Colonel was roaring up in his half-tracks. A shell exploded just in front of the first half-track and, as men spilt out a second landed a little closer, the explosion throwing the half-track on to its side.
I shouted, “Get the half-tracks off the road!” Even as the Colonel’s jeep slewed next to the half-track, I heard the crack from the gun. “Take cover!” The Colonel and his two men barely made it behind the nearest half-track before their jeep was destroyed.
There were four Americans who would not have to move for they lay crushed beneath the wrecked half-track. Behind me, I heard Lofting’s rifle as he sniped at the enemy. Lieutenant Colonel Coulter was looking around as though dazed, I waved my arm, “Over here, sir!”
The other half-tracks had seen the fate of the first and were sheltering behind buildings. Eventually, the gun would shift targets and they would be at risk.
The Colonel ran up, “We heard the firing and thought you were under attack, Major.”
“We were but we were not exposed, sir.” I realised then that if the Lieutenant Colonel had led the reconnaissance then we would have had serious losses. I pointed to the bridge, “The Chinese have the bridge defended. There are machine guns and at least one artillery piece. The prisoner was correct, at least here in Seoul, the Chinese have fallen back to the Han River.”
I saw him rub away a patch of blood. Shrapnel had caught him. “Any chance we could rush the bridge, Major?”
Machine gun bullets struck the walls above Lofting. I sighed, “You saw what they did to your half-track. Even now they may be bringing more artillery here or they might blow the bridge. We have done our job, sir. Now we get the hell out of Dodge!” The Chinese gun fired again and this time part of a building was struck and fell into the road. A few bricks flew perilously close to our heads.
“I suppose.” Lofting’s rifle barked again, “What is your man doing, Major?”
“Annoying the Chinese and keeping their heads down.” Just then there was a double crack and the shells hit the wall close to Lofting. “Lofting, back to the jeep. It is time we left.” I looked at the Colonel, “It is time we all left!”
“You are right! Back to the half-tracks! It is time to go home.” He shook his head as he looked at the bodies of the four dead men, “Damn shame!”
We made it back to our camp before dark and I helped the Lieutenant Colonel to write the report. He would deliver it. I did not mind. One more mission and I would be returned to the British and that pleased me. Our two wounded medics were not seriously hurt although they became the butt of many jokes. It was always the way with British soldiers. Humour was a way of getting through each day!
Chapter 15
The Wolfhounds had a similar story to tell except that they suffered no casualties. The Chinese had withdrawn their main units to the Han River and whenever aircraft could take to the skies then their supply lines through North Korea were bombed. High Command had seen a weakness and we would exploit it. Operation Tomahawk was planned for the twenty-fourth of January. Over ninety thousand men seemed to me to be a large number for a reconnaissance but as the plan was General Ridgeway’s and he was a cautious man, I was optimistic. Along with the Wolfhounds, the 5th Cavalry and four companies of the 95th we were to be a fast-moving screen which headed for Kumnyangjang-ni. We, along with a Turkish division, were to take the crossroads on Highway 20. I knew that too long a period had elapsed since our initial recce and that the Chinese would have moved men south but I hoped that they would not have had time to dig in.
It was a good plan for our tanks could move across country and we had air support. The air force had not seen large numbers of Chinese but that did not mean they were not there. The Chinese and North Koreans might not have many tanks but they had plenty of anti-aircraft guns and our pilots were wary of them. We had the same vehicles as on the original recce. We were happy with them. This time, however, as we were making an extended recce, we took more supplies with us and they were in the half-tracks. We were close to the Turkish battalion and next to the 95th and Lieutenant Colonel Coulter. I suspected that the Colonel would be happier this time as he was in command of his own sector. We had found a minor road between Highway 1 and Highway 55. We took it, leaving the Turks to use Highway 1 and the Colonel and the Wolfhounds to use Highway 55. I knew we would have to leave the road eventually and go across country. To that end, we acquired some rope for the half-tracks which would be able to pull us out if we were stuck.
We left after dawn to enable the USAAF to give us air cover. We headed down the minor road which we hoped would be both quiet as well as allowing us to avoid detection. Nothing had been down it for some days and the only indication of its direction was the shape of the snow. The jeep had good tyres and it was actually easier to drive than it had been on the slick and icy road. This was also rougher land and there were many places for us to be ambushed. Ashcroft kept his headphones on as reports were passed back to Headquarters. Other units were heading up the main road and Suwon was taken without a fight; we grew hopeful that this recce would be as fruitful as the first one with the singular difference that we could hold on to what we had. Just before noon, we realised that the Chinese had reinforced the land south of the Han River and intended to make us bleed for the land. The difference was that they had not had time to dig in nor had they heavy artillery and tanks to support them. We knew they had come south since our first recce when we heard gunfire from the east and the west. Small explosions indicated grenades and the louder cracks the mobile guns the Lieutenant Colonel had brought. We had no such problems and I began to wonder if they thought we would not use this narrow track. Once again Lofting’s hunter’s eyes spotted the ambush.
“Sir, at two o’clock. I saw a flash. It might be nothing.”
“We heard firing to the east and west, let us assume it is something.” I braked gently and leapt from the jeep. The other vehicles stopped behind me. “Sergeant Major Thorpe, I want you to be bait. Head slowly up this road in your half-track and we will ambush the Chinese and North Koreans up ahead. The rest of you will be with me.”
“But sir, I might be wrong!” Lofting was appalled that we would act on his slight sighting.
“Then regard this as an impromptu run. Let’s go!”
I hefted my Thompson over my shoulder and set off up the slope. In the summer this might have been harder but the snow had frozen and evened out some of the cracks and crevasses. My men naturally fanned out on both sides of me. Lieutenant Morrison was on the far right and Sergeant Grant on the far left. We had four Thompsons and two Bren guns. We had firepower. Lofting was next to me and eager to prove himself correct. His eyes scanned the slopes above us. We moved somewhat obliquely so that we were constantly climbing.
When Lofting dropped to his knees, I knew he had seen something and I held up my hand. He used his left hand to point across the slope. The North Koreans and Chinese were not all wearing camouflage white as we were and I saw them. They had heavy machine guns and what looked like mortars ready to attack anything coming up this narrow track. I pointed to the mortars and Lofting. He nodded and unslung his rifle. I could leave him to deal with them. I pointed up the slope and led my men to approach t
he Chinese and North Koreans from above. It was hard work for here the frozen snow was quite slippery. The sky was filled with white and we blended in. We did not stand out along the skyline. A hundred and fifty yards below us I could now see the full extent of the ambush and I heard the half-track as it lumbered along in low gear. An officer shouted something and I saw the mortar crews prepare their shells.
I waved my men to the ground, “Choose your targets.” I knelt and, resting my gun arm on my knee I shouted, “Fire!” Lofting must have had good hearing or perhaps he anticipated my command for he fired his first shot and hit the Chinese soldier who was about to drop a mortar into the pipe. Our automatic weapons came as a complete shock to the enemy. They managed to fire one shell and then Bert Entwhistle opened up with the Browning heavy machine gun. I emptied one magazine and reloaded another.
Lieutenant Morrison shouted, “Sir, they are breaking and heading north.”
“Down to their camp. I want papers.”
There were still sporadic shots as Lofting and my men who were armed with rifles picked off the enemy who were fleeing. There were at least seventy dead and dying. From their uniforms, they were a hotchpotch of different units and a couple looked to be civilians. Perhaps they were South Korean sympathisers. We took all the papers we could find from the officers and the heavy weapons then headed back to the vehicles.
We loaded up and continued on the road. When it turned north-west, we left the road and I allowed the half-tracks to lead. Long before they had had proper roads here, they had used ancient paths to cross the higher areas. We followed one of these. It was not easy and we did not make good time. Twice the half-tracks had to pull us free but we reached the top of the ridge and looked down on Highway 20; it was three miles away. There were men preparing defences which straddled the road but I did not think they had seen us as there was no road down from the peaks and we had parked our vehicles in dead ground. I saw that there appeared to be a sort of trail heading down the slope but the snow made it hard to correctly identify it. I took my binoculars out and scanned the men below us. They had some small calibre artillery pieces but it was mainly infantry. I estimated their strength to be that of a regiment. They were fortifying half a mile of the road.
They had to be preparing to take on the 95th which was to our right. “Ashcroft, get on the radio to the Turks and Lieutenant Colonel Coulter. Tell them there are men digging in on the road between them.”
“Sir!”
Our lofty eyrie meant he had a good signal. I looked at my watch. It was almost three in the afternoon and the sun would soon drop like a stone. “Officer’s call!”
When my NCOs and Lieutenant Morrison were around me, I said, “I want a night attack on these positions. We will leave the vehicles here and move down during the night. We will leave four drivers with the vehicles and they can bring them down during daylight. It is too risky at night. First, we eat. I will try to find a good route down. Sergeant Major, organise the food if you please.”
“Sir.”
“Lieutenant, come with me.”
The two of us crept to the edge and then slid down as far as we could so that we were not seen from below. The slope was not as steep as it had first looked. Once again, the frozen snow helped. As the two of us scanned the ground large snowflakes began to fall. That could only be to our advantage. I pointed to the left of me, “We can zig-zag down the slope. We have some rope and if we are roped together then we should be able to ensure that we do not lose anyone.” He nodded. “I will lead one half and you the other. You should be able to follow our steps but keep the men steady; better to get down there slowly than risk a fall. I intend to make roughly two hundred-yard legs. We can cover three miles in less than two hours easily. We will still have plenty of time to attack them. If we can then you, Williams and I, will try to booby trap their guns in the dark. That will depend upon their sentries. I will use my Colt and you two lay the charges.”
He nodded, “We have some explosives and plenty of grenades.”
“If it takes too long to make the descent then we will just have to use firepower rather than explosives.” I placed my Commando hat at the place I would begin our descent.
“Sir!”
When we returned Ashcroft said, “Sir, I have had both commanders on the radio. They have been held up and won’t be at the road until mid-morning at the earliest. The air force is going to send a flight of Sabres and Mustangs if the weather permits.”
I nodded and took the mug of beef tea the Sergeant Major proffered. It was warm rather than hot as we had had to use Thermos flasks. “That makes sense. We were not seen and the men who fled us were heading north. The roadblock is a response to the two flank columns. I would bet more men will be on their way tomorrow. All we have to do is disrupt them and hold them until the Turks and the Americans arrive. If we have to, we can retreat up the hill. I want Corporal Lowery and Digger Tomlinson on the radio. We can keep Headquarters informed about our progress.”
“Sir.”
As darkness fell, I slung my Thompson and fitted the silencer to my Colt. Lofting followed me as he had shown great skill in moving silently in addition to which he had a poacher’s sixth sense which you could not replicate. In the darkness, the slope looked more intimidating. I found my hat and turned left to walk down the slope. We were all roped together. If one slipped then the others would lock the rope until the one who had slipped regained their footing. I hoped we would not need it but it was a very necessary precaution. My pistol was in my belt and I was using my hands for balance. As my eyes became accustomed to the slope and the darkness, I found the movement easier but I still kept it steady. The enemy had lit fires. No doubt they were cooking but I took comfort from the fact that I could not hear them. After two hundred steps I turned right to begin the next leg. I looked up and saw the line of men led by the Lieutenant. They were moving steadily and that was good. The falling snow ensured that we were careful. It made it hard to see and it was only when a flurry ceased that I was able to look down at the enemy position.
It was the third leg where disaster almost struck. We were passing Lieutenant Morrison’s section when Wally Bridges, who was in the middle, slipped. Marine Collins was a strong lad and he locked his right arm across his chest so that Bridges fell no further. Pike was in front and he helped Bridges to his feet. They said not a word but nodded to each other. Had there not been snow then there would have been a skittering of stones which might have alerted the enemy. We had had a lucky let off. The slope was gentler towards the bottom and there was a temptation to go faster but that would have been a mistake. I estimated that the whole journey would take less than an hour and a half. We would have the opportunity to get into position and even to do some sabotage.
The ground flattened out some one hundred and fifty yards from the southern end of the defences. There were no defenders looking either north or south and the four sentries I had been watching as we descended were looking east and west. The main camp was on the north side of the road. We stopped on the slight slope two hundred yards from their defences. I untied the rope. The last man would coil it; Commandos were neat. I waved the men into a defensive line. Already Marine Lofting had found some rocks beneath the snow and he had made a snow loophole. His rifle was masked by parachute and he slid it through. He was ready before anyone else. I waved the Bren gunners so that they were spread out. Sergeant Grant took one end of the line and Sergeant Major Thorpe the other. I waited until all of them were in position and hidden before I signalled the Lieutenant and Lance Corporal Williams to join me. I laid my Thompson down between Ashcroft and Lofting, that would be my position and then I drew my Colt.
I looked at the four sentries. The two pairs had their heads together and I saw the glow of their cigarettes. They would not expect danger from the slope we had just descended. I moved forward towards the small artillery pieces. They had obligingly placed them and the four anti-tank guns back to back. It made sense. They would be able to keep
the ammunition centrally. The sandbags we had seen were protecting the eight guns; that way the guns could keep up a good rate of fire east and west. We moved slowly for we had hours until daylight. The snow had been falling as we had descended and shrouded the whole camp in a world of white. I kept watching first east and then west as my two saboteurs laid booby traps and charges amongst the guns and the ammunition. The ammunition was set with timers while the guns would be triggered when they tried to load them. It took longer than I would have liked but, eventually, it was done and we moved back. I was the last man and, after holstering my gun, I used my hand to remove our tracks. It was not the best clearing up job I had ever done but, with the snow continuing to fall, nature would do it for me.
I joined Ashcroft and Lofting and pulled up my hood. I laid my Thompson and Colt before me. We now all had mitts with a firing finger although Lofting still preferred his fingerless gloves. We had some high sugar content sweets, the Americans called them candies, although not as good as Kendal Mint Cake, we could eat them while we waited for dawn and it would keep up our blood sugar. I looked at my watch and saw that it was an hour until dawn. I glanced up and saw that my line of men could barely be seen for they were completely covered in snow. I was proud of them. They had remained motionless during the snowstorm and resisted the impulse to shift.
The Chinese used a bugle to wake their men. I smiled to myself. So much for their ambush. However, they must have thought the nearest allied troops were still many hours away. The four sentries fed the fire and put a pot to heat upon it. It would be for water to make tea no doubt. My only fear was that someone would come to our side of the camp to use it as a latrine. I slid my hand on to the butt of the Colt. I still had a silencer fitted. Dawn broke and I began to feel the need to make water myself but I fought the urge. The Chinese and North Koreans breakfasted and then went to the guns. They would not load them until they had to. The choice of ammunition would be determined by the targets. We had seen both armour piercing and high explosive.