 The big picture is a report to you from your army an army committed by you the people of the United States to stop Communist aggression wherever it may strike. We want you to meet Lieutenant Charles Wright You saw infantry action in the European theater then during World War two, right? Yes, I did What could you compare the the two theaters for us the European theater then and Korea? Well in my opinion the fighting in Korea is much Rougher than the fighting was in Europe. Well in what ways was it rumble check? Well, it was rougher mentally and physically I think on the people who were there Physically in as much as the country was so rugged the terrain of course was all Mountainous and we had to carry practically everything on our back We were so greatly outnumbered at all times that our men were forced to stay on the line for a prolonged period of time And it just Actually wore them down mentally Aggress and material things They knew conveniences has Korea a land shaped by conflict Between 1894 and 1945 the Korean Peninsula became the site of several wars involving the Chinese Russian and Japanese empires In 1905 Japanese victory in the russo-Japanese war turned the peninsula into an unwilling Japanese colony Japan sought to maintain control of the resource rich peninsula as it expanded its sphere of imperial and military influence in the 1930s and 1940s During the second world war allied leaders sought to defeat and dismantle the Japanese empire in asia At the chiro conference in november 1943 United States president franklin d. Roosevelt British prime minister winston churchill and chinese general lycee mo jiang kai shek convened to discuss what would happen After the japanese defeat and their vision for the future of korea They agreed that korea should once again become an independent nation Two years later at the potstam conference Soviet premier joseph stalin agreed to allow korean independence When the soviets attacked japanese forces on the peninsula just two days after the united states dropped an atomic bomb on hiroshima The united states state department was not overly concerned since the soviet invasion helped hasten the japanese defeat After japan's surrender on 15 august 1945 the u.s. Sent its own troops to korea to implement the terms and conditions of the japanese surrender To avoid any conflict with the soviets already on the peninsula the u.s. Army issued general order number one the order divided the korean peninsula along the 38th parallel And established the areas in which each nation would work to facilitate the terms of the japanese surrender After which korea was planned to be left as an independent and unified nation After all the japanese troops had been removed from korea The soviets refused to leave Understanding now that the soviets were turning the 38th parallel into a dividing line That created a soviet sphere of influence in the north the us petitioned the newly formed united nations to negotiate a soviet withdrawal Instead the soviets boycotted the assembly leaving the remaining nations to act in defense of korea by making it a ward of the united nations The united nations voted to hold elections throughout the peninsula to establish an independent korean government In response the soviets refused to allow any elections in the north or for any international observers to enter the soviet occupied area Eventually two korean governments emerged The democratic people's republic of korea in the north and the republic of korea in the south A soviet sponsored communist regime established itself in the north at pyongyang Under kim il sung while an american backed ostensibly democratic government arose in the south at seoul under sigman re These opposing korean governments each envisioned a unified peninsula under their rule Placing them on a trajectory toward conflict The events of 1949 profoundly changed the geopolitical landscape in northeast asia The chinese civil war ended with a communist victory led by mao zi dong over jang kai shek's nationalists us officials realized their greatest fear the spread of communism to asia's largest power With the people of the united states to stop communist aggression wherever it may strike With moscow's detonation of an atomic bomb that same year concerned about communist expansion grew The detonation ushered the soviet union into the atomic age Resulting in a nuclear standoff between the soviet union and the united states Korea was a land now divided with the opposing sides each sponsored by an atomic superpower Tensions on the korean peninsula turned to war on 25 june 1950 The north korean people's army or nkpa with chinese and soviet support Launched a massive offensive along the entirety of the 38th parallel against the inferior republic of korea army Outnumbered and lacking the weapons and equipment necessary to defend themselves against the invaders south korean forces fell back The commanding general of the far eastern command general douglas macArthur Responded with the immediate assistance of american air and naval power stationed in japan But it was not enough to keep the nkpa from advancing to take soul the capital of south korea in just two days macArthur summarized the situation in a message to officials in washington dc The only assurance for the holding of the present line and the ability to regain later the lost ground Is through the introduction of us ground combat forces into the korean battle area To continue to utilize the forces of our air and navy without an effective ground element cannot be decisive After much consideration and having already approved the deployment of one regimental combat team to south korea us president harry s truman ordered macArthur to send two infantry divisions in defense of the peninsula Recognizing the seriousness of the threat from north korea the un voted on 7 july to create the united nations command The signers agreed to support the republic of korea's efforts to reunite the peninsula However, none of those countries were currently capable of fully supporting their unanimous decision Of the 10 us army divisions and nine regimental combat teams available at the time None were at full strength Further compounding the problem these units were equipped with worn and outdated second world war era weapons and equipment In the continental united states only one infantry division remained active the second infantry division Stationed at fort lewis washington the second infantry division had not been at full strength since the end of the second world war Regardless, it constituted the us army's most battle ready division Only two days prior to its deployment colonel paul l freeman jr. Took command of the 23rd infantry regiment The new commander did not have much time to evaluate the battle readiness of his soldiers and equipment before deploying freeman however proved a wise choice for the commander of the 23rd He had spent most of his youth in east asia and then after graduating in the west point class of 1929 Served with the 15th infantry regiment at tensin china while there He attended language school and became the assistant military attache at chong jim during the second world war freeman served as a supply officer for general joseph w stillwell commander of the china india berma theater He later participated in more covert operations that further put his language skills regional expertise and cultural knowledge to good use Following the war freeman was stationed in brazil where he first met and worked with general matthew ridgeway His future commander in korea the soldiers respected freeman because he led from the front Sharing the same conditions and dangers as his men Also known for his column demeanor even during combat freeman projected confidence when the situation was bleak which was often the case in korea These qualities aided him and his men more than once Even though freeman was only with his unit for a short amount of time prior to the deployment The leadership attributes he exhibited would serve him well once the 23rd reached korea in the summer of 1950 Already in south korea The u.s. Eighth army under the command of lieutenant general walton h. Walker existed as the senior ground headquarters in country By the time the 23rd infantry reached south korea to join the eighth army All united nations ground forces including remnants of the republic of korea or rock army Have been pushed south toward the major port city of pusan where they held a defensive perimeter As the only remaining port held by un forces mccarthur knew that if pusan fell the whole of the peninsula would fall to the north koreans To prevent this from happening mccarthur devised a counter attack beginning with an amphibious operation in the north The plan dubbed operation chromite called for tenth core to land it in cheon and for the eighth army to break out of pusan in the south After executing operation chromite 10th core and the eighth army would then link up all the while engaging and destroying the enemy's forces mccarthur intended for his forces to eventually push the north koreans out of the south and to gain the offensive While mccarthur originally referred to his plan as a double involvement, which field manual three dash 90 dash one explains results from simultaneous maneuvering around both flanks of a designated enemy force In actuality the operations executed would now be called a turning movement and a breakout According to field manual three dash zero a commander Uses a turning movement to seize vital areas in the enemy support area Before the main enemy force can withdraw or receive support while simultaneously Forcing the enemy to reposition forces or in effect turn from their current position The landing achieved both of the objectives When paired with the eighth army's breakout of the pusan perimeter in an effort to regain freedom of movement mccarthur planned to push the north koreans out of the south and regain the offensive Only one problem remained It would take another month of the eighth army holding the perimeter around pusan To allow tenth core enough time to prepare for the landing while participating in the defense of pusan The us army redesignated the 23rd infantry regiment as the 23rd regimental combat team With the attachment of the 37th field artillery battalion A battery from the 82nd artillery battalion and a company of engineers from the second engineer battalion At full strength an army regimental combat team of that era was an organization normally within a division comprised of 181 men organized into three battalions of 919 men each Supported by an organic headquarters company a heavy mortar company a medium tank company and a medical company Other units such as combat engineers rangers field artillery and anti aircraft batteries could be attached as needed The 23rd was augmented with 105 millimeter howitzers As well as twin barreled 40 millimeter and quad mounted 50 caliber anti aircraft weapon systems On 16 september the eighth army went on the offensive as part of mccarthur's operation chromite A day after tenth core landed at inch on the victory at inch on Disrupted the invading north korean lines of communication Effectively terminating the invasion and forcing them to withdraw After tenth core secured the beach head and extinguished enemy resistance around inch on UN forces in the south including the eighth army began a breakout offensive in the vicinity of pusan successfully ending the fighting around the city on 18 september UN forces then advanced north toward the 38th parallel and secured soul on 25 september UN forces continued into north korea supporting the rock's goal of uniting the peninsula under the sole government with the un troops nearing the chinese borders and disregarding chinese threats China entered the war in support of the north korean government in october 1950 Through sheer numerical superiority the chinese communist forces quickly reversed the un gains The attack by the chinese on 25 and 26 november Decimated the second rock core and battered the eighth army Ultimately routing the united nations forces and causing them to retreat southward During the retreat the second id was designated to provide the mobile rear guard defense of the eighth army The 23rd rct was subsequently designated to be the division's rear guard The 23rd set up an area defense in the village of gunu re As the second id passed through at the end of the eighth army on its way to su chan Streamline the design of modern A level of production Must affect the compromise with the machine The withdrawal of the second id constituted a retrograde movement FM 3-90-1 specifies that a retrograde movement is any movement of a command to the rear Or away from the enemy It may be forced by the enemy or may be made voluntarily Such movements may be classified as withdrawal Retirement or delaying actions remaining behind the 23rd rct held off numerous chinese attacks stragglers from other units continued to pour down the road from the north behind the second id Delaying the 23rd rct's departure Unfortunately for the division and those following it out the chinese anticipated their use of the valley road to su chan And established ambushes on the hills on either side of the route Thousands of soldiers were killed as more and more chinese forces swept south upon gunu re and the hills beyond Recognizing the increasingly desperate situation freeman called his troops together to prepare for a last stand His soldiers remembered how freeman remained calm and in control of the situation Inspiring them to remain confident that he would somehow find a way out for them By early afternoon the road to su chan was cut off as a means to withdraw Only the road to the southwest which first core known then as icor Had earlier used remained an option for getting his soldiers out alive freeman hoped it remained clear However, other problems remained to be solved He needed icor's permission to use the road before the 23rd could leave gunu re His unit would need to retreat quickly But with 18 howitzers to tow out of the village and down a mountain pass The plan did not appear feasible Additionally, there were not enough vehicles to safely carry the soldiers of the 23rd And walking was not a viable option as it would limit the required speed for the movement FM 3-0 directs that when confronted with a risk or a lack of positional advantage Leaders at every echelon are expected to display the initiative necessary to assume prudent risk While taking timely advantage of opportunities that present themselves under ambiguous chaotic conditions It is not always possible to understand those opportunities before they arise So it is important that units have a command climate that rewards those who make decisions And act boldly in the absence of orders Trusting in his ability and that of his soldiers freeman started to formulate a plan He directed attention to the most significant factor first He called icor to request permission to use the road Anticipating that his request would be approved He ordered all 3026 rounds of 105 millimeter ammunition to be fired into the surrounding hills where the chinese forces were located It took 20 minutes of firing to expend all rounds He ordered the guns disabled and left behind Meanwhile, the soldiers who were not busy firing artillery gathered up weapons and equipment abandoned by the 8th army to supplement their current stocks Freeman having received the permission he needed ordered his soldiers to mount all available vehicles as the unit prepared to move With evening falling the 23rd moved out to the village of anju Sergeant don thomas remembers the ride out A dozen of us climbed on the tank I was one of the last ones up and therefore the only space I found was behind the turret over the grate where the air is drawn in by the engine's cooling fan I was so exhausted Cold and hungry. I just laid down on the grate and went to sleep The temperature was in the minus 20s for this period of the withdrawal In addition to the wind chill from the tanks movement. I had the additional wind from the drawing engine fan The convoy clanked down the road all night. I was on that grate for eight hours The 23rd rct completed its withdrawal from anju and north korean territory by 3 december Placing the unit south of the 38th parallel, but north of soul The 23rd rct then underwent a period of refitting During this time the french battalion under command of lieutenant colonel ralph monclar joined the 23rd rct Monclar and his soldiers immediately became an integral part of the unit and were welcomed and treated as equals by freeman and his troops The conditions were slowly shifting in favor of the united nation's command army doctrine publication three dash 90 explains A defending commander seeks a window of opportunity to transition to the offense by anticipating when and where An enemy force will reach its culminating point or require an operational pause before it can continue During these windows the combat power ratios most favor a defending force An enemy force will do everything it can to keep a friendly force from knowing when it is overextended The profession's great new problem modern man has molded the earth Lieutenant general walker's untimely death in a traffic accident resulted in lieutenant general matthew ridgeway taking command of the 8th army in december 1950 Ridgeway brought a new spirit of resolve with him to south korea During a meeting in tokyo japan on christmas day general douglas mccarthur now commander in chief of the united nation's command in korea Tasked ridgeway with defending the un positions and maintaining cohesion among its units mccarthur also mandated that ridgeway inflict maximum casualties upon the enemy after receiving his orders Ridgeway asked if he could take the 8th army on the offensive should the opportunity present itself mccarthur showing his trust in ridgeway's judgment gave him the freedom to maneuver the 8th army as he identified opportunities to seize the initiative mccarthur's trust in ridgeway reflected the guidance in adp 3-90 Important mission command principles include mission orders informed initiative and commander's intent Mission orders are the commander's directives that emphasize to subordinates the results to be attained Not how they are to be achieved Informed initiative is action in the absence of orders to achieve the desired result when existing orders no longer fit the situation Or when unforeseen opportunities or threats arise Commanders rely on their subordinates to take action to develop the situation in these three situations The commander's intent defines the limits within which subordinates may exercise their initiative It gives subordinates the confidence to apply their judgment in ambiguous situations because they know the mission's purpose key tasks and desired end state Accordingly ridgeway reorganizes command structure by placing 10th core under the 8th army Thus giving him control of all united nations command forces in korea in order to accomplish the task assigned to him Recognizing that ridgeway possessed the level of competence and commitment to successfully complete the assigned mission mccarthur allowed him to exercise the initiative and launch a counteroffensive Three-day life and happiness albert einstein All worlds will lead to communism and british and american imperialism can do nothing to stop this inevitable development A successful offensive is characterized by surprise concentration tempo and audacity Which ridgeway intended for united nations command forces to employ as they resumed offensive operations in january 1951 He outlined his specific objectives under what he termed lure and kill These included locating the chinese communist forces luring them into battle Regaining the initiative warning off counterattacks and defending all friendly lines of communication Ridgeway recognized however that during the 8th armies withdrawal south it lost contact with the enemy Thus the united nations command lacks sufficient actionable intelligence on enemy troop activity concentrations and movements Ridgeway and his staff therefore developed operation wolfhound to rectify this intelligence gap Consequently ridgeway instructed icor to locate the enemy by conducting a movement to contact When executing a movement to contact commanders divide their formation into a covering force An advanced guard for each column flank and rear guards and a main body Once contact is made with the enemy the commander develops the situation and decides to attack defend or retrograde In ridgeway's own words I made my immediate plans for a coordinated phased advance by both us course the first and the ninth For the purpose of developing the enemy situation on their front There were supposed to be 174 000 chinese in front of us at that time But where they were placed in what state of mind and even that they were there at all was something we could not determine All our vigorous patrolling all our constant air reconnaissance had failed to locate any trace of this enormous force Operation wolfhound although well planned and executed failed to locate and dislodge the enemy from the central sector of the atharmy zone The atharmy therefore executed operation thunderbolt to determine the disposition of chinese forces in the han river valley towards soul eventually 10th core joined operation thunderbolt thus expanding the operation eastward During the operation 10th core recaptured wanzhou and hoengsang on 2 february 1951 subsequently Lieutenant general edward allman's 10th core Ordered the newly assigned second infantry division to secure the eastern flank along the boundary between 10th core and 9th core Along the han river He ordered second infantry divisions lure and kill patrols to locate the chinese 42nd army The lure and kill patrols of 1951 were in essence today's combat patrols army techniques publication 3-21.8 explains A combat patrol provides security and harasses destroys or captures enemy troops equipment or installations When the commander orders a combat patrol the intent is for the patrol to make contact with the enemy and engage in close combat U.S. Army intelligence placed the chinese 42nd army in the area along the han river valley at the start of the new year But the chinese forces had seemingly disappeared Major general clark l ruffner commander of the second infantry division gave the task of locating the 42nd army To the 23rd rct because of its proximity to the suspected chinese force The 23rd was stationed furthest west on 10th course flank along the road running north to wanzhou And from british rule among nations pocket-sized radio instruments will enable individuals to communicate With anyone anywhere After the withdrawal of united nations command forces from soul the 23rd rct found itself in 10th core zone As part of operation thunderbolt the 23rd rct began preparations to locate the chinese 42nd army Situated between sinchon and chip young knee the americans gave the twin tunnels area its name Because of the two train tunnels that pass through the hills at the top of its horseshoe shaped valley The road running north along the valley floor passed the village of sinchon and then turned northwest To exit the valley towards the village of chip young knee just southwest of the valley's mouth sat the key terrain of hill 453 Baker company first battalion conducted the 23rd rct's first patrol near the twin tunnels The company encountered some chinese elements south of the tunnels and engaged them without sustaining any casualties Knowing that the chinese forces were operating in the area freeman sent out a second patrol the next day commanded by lieutenant james mitchell of first battalions charlie company To reinforce the motorized patrol in case of chinese attack freeman also sent along dog company from the 21st infantry 4th division 9th corps The joint patrol was also supported by aerial liaison aircraft captain melvin r. Stuy an assistant operations officer from the 23rd also joined the patrol at the last minute The two companies were to link up at the mouth of the twin tunnels valley and share first battalions vehicles for the patrol charlie company arrived first at the pre-arranged link-up location without any incident While they waited captain stuy who had the radio for communicating with the liaison aircraft Offered a reconnoiter the village of sin chan in his jeep He departed with his driver and the radio never to be seen again Leaving the patrol without a means to contact headquarters for support Shortly after captain stuy departed dog company arrived and both units began the patrol up the valley road passing hill 453 on their way ATP 3-21.8 directs that a combat patrol must be prepared to breach obstacles assault the objective and support those assaults by fire But as the two companies drew near the tunnels They made visual contact with an enemy force approaching from the north on the valley road from chip young knee The patrol discovered the road to their rear was cut off by camouflage chinese forces hidden in the snow on hill 453 That left the patrol only one direction out of the valley over the ridges to the east Unable to decisively engage the enemy and unable to breach the road obstacle The patrol quickly began trudging up the hills to secure the high ground all the while fighting off the pursuing enemy forces meanwhile The liaison aircraft which had seen the chinese approaching But unable to warn the two companies because of the missing radio notified regimental headquarters of the patrol's predicament Colonel freeman immediately ordered the patrol be resupplied with airdropped ammunition and medical kits and called for airstrikes against the chinese forces freeman then contacted the second battalion commander lieutenant colonel james w. Edwards to reinforce the ambush patrol At the time second battalion was occupying a patrol base forward of the regimental lines and was closest to the twin tunnels lieutenant colonel edwards ordered fox company known as the fighting foxes led by captain stanley c tyrell to mount the rescue mission tyrell's entire company of three officers 142 enlisted men and their associated weapons vehicles and equipment Was reinforced with a section of 81 millimeter mortars A heavy machine gun section and an artillery forward observation group to communicate with the liaison aircraft The total force dispatched amounted to 167 personnel After a strike by eight fighter planes on chinese units near the twin tunnels and an airdrop of medical supplies and ammunition to the patrol Fox company moved out as quickly as possible Reaching the base of hill 453 by nightfall As fox company approached captain tyrell realized hill 453 needed to be secured before any rescue attempt could be made As colonel freeman recalled it in his memoirs The fighting foxes fought one of the most brilliant small unit actions in the korean campaign They battled their way completely over the top of hill 453 in the dark routing the enemy and trench there Then still in the dark, they repeatedly climbed up and down the steep hill On which the patrol had made its stand to carry down the 30 odd wounded and to assist the survive Lieutenant mitchell's patrol served its purpose by alerting general ridgeway that the chinese were moving forces south toward wangju In an attempt to infiltrate behind 10th corps lines Indeed chinese communist forces had regained control of hill 453 chinese forces adhered to the concept of infiltration which fm 3-90-1 describes as A form of maneuver in which an attacking force conducts undetected movement through or into an area occupied by enemy forces To occupy a position of advantage in the enemy rear while exposing only small elements to enemy defensive fires To halt the chinese advance general ridgeway ordered 10th corps commander lieutenant general almond to establish a strong point at the twin tunnels On 30 january almond ordered the 23rd rct to secure the high ground surrounding the twin tunnels valley Thereafter the 23rd rct would clear all enemy forces in the area Once freeman's troops cleared the area They were to advance on chip young knee and secure the crossroads for the 8th armies attack north To meet ridgeway's intent to gain and maintain contact with the enemy The 23rd rct needed to take prisoners and determine which chinese forces were in the area fm 3-90-1 provides definitions for clear and secure clear A tactical mission task that requires the commander to remove all enemy forces and eliminate organized resistance within an assigned area secure A tactical mission task that involves preventing a unit facility or geographical location From being damaged or destroyed as a result of enemy action The regiment responded by designating an assembly area roughly 9.6 kilometers south of the tunnels By the evening of 30 january 3rd battalion and freeman's advance regimental command group moved into the area The recently attached french battalion was still moving while 2nd battalion remained behind as 2nd infantry divisions reserved 1st battalion was tasked with defending the main supply route between division headquarters at moon man knee And the village of co rune knee to the southwest of the valley This would leave freeman only two battalions approximately 2 000 men to clear the twin tunnels of chinese soldiers By the morning of 31 january rct headquarters 3rd battalion and the french battalion Moved into place including two artillery batteries a regimental mortar platoon and the attached tank platoon As the 23rd advanced towards the valley's mouth freeman ordered his field artillery battalion to position itself at the village of co rune Knowing the twin tunnels valley would not allow for effective defensive artillery fire within its hills freeman also left behind all unarmored vehicles and their drivers as infantry support for the artillery's protection To have an effective defense of the valley freeman needed to preserve his artillery ADP 3-37 notes that Protection is the preservation of the effectiveness and survivability of mission related military and non-military personnel equipment facilities information and infrastructure deployed or located within or outside the boundaries of a given operational area freeman's forces continued their advance to the mouth of the valley arriving in the late afternoon The rct commander evaluated the terrain for establishing an effective defense against nighttime attacks by the chinese Understanding that the ridgelines surrounding the valley was the only defensible position freeman ordered the french battalion to secure hill 453 as the anchor point for an advance along the valley's western ridgeline The french encountered little resistance and once the hill was cleared their commander ordered his first company to defend it The second and third companies along with the battalions attached company of rock infantry moved to clear and occupy the ridgeline north To the point where it ended at the road leading out of the valley third battalion meanwhile moved slowly along the eastern ridge clearing and securing with king company Occupying the ridge at the valley's mouth They were followed by item company to their north and a love company Occupying the ridge along the top of the valley and across the road from the french third company The regimental command post freeman decided would remain on the valley floor Along with the french heavy weapons company to defend the southeast part of the perimeter and the artillery to the south to support in the defense Finally one tank and 140 millimeter anti aircraft gun would defend the road through the hills toward chip young knee Completing the defensive perimeter's ring Everyone remained alert throughout the night at 0 4 30 With only two hours of darkness remaining the chinese bugles pierced the early morning calm as enemy infantry attacked It had taken the chinese all night to gather a force of 10 000 soldiers To stop the 23rd from reaching the key terrain of chip young knee A company from the 374th regiment of the 125th division 42nd army commenced the attack by assaulting the strong point established by freeman's troops On the road dividing the french third company and love company at the head of the valley The soldiers of the 374th regiment engaged the m24 tank and m19 flak wagon Both vehicles were damaged by enemy bazookas Multiple enemy regiments then advanced on each of the company's position to top the ridge lines surrounding the valley The 373rd regiment attacked the french first and second companies from the west While the remainder of the 374th regiment attacked the french third and love companies That left elements of the 375th regiment to attack the 23rd rct's regimental command post on the valley floor At 0 600 the french first company on hill 453 came under heavy attack that lasted for almost two hours Running low on ammunition and with significant casualties The french launched a counter attack in the form of a bayonet charge that scattered their attackers Allowing them to reestablish their position By 0 800 freeman had ordered first battalion to move forward to assist in the battle But learned that enemy forces had blocked the road between his position in the artillery at co rune With air support unavailable due to poor weather conditions and faced with the prospect of losing his artillery Freeman directed baker company first battalion to clear the road and then move to support the artillery position By tasking part of his reserve to defend the artillery freeman assumed a degree of risk in reducing the fighting strength of his battalions at the twin tunnels As seen in adp 3-90 every military decision includes risk commanders exercise judgment when deciding where to accept risk an unrealistic expectation of avoiding all risk Is detrimental to mission accomplishment? Waiting for perfect intelligence and synchronization increases risk or closes a window of opportunity Successful operations require commanders and subordinates to manage accepted risk Exercise initiative and act decisively even when the outcome is uncertain As ordered baker company fought through the roadblock and arrived to defend the artillery as an overwhelming number of chinese continued their attack on the understrength battalions in the valley Failing to dislodge the units of the 23rd The chinese began throwing waves of men into the attack on the french battalion's first company on hill 453 And its second company on the ridge to the northwest of the valley's mouth With the help of their heavy weapons company the french were barely able to repel the attackers losing one of their company commanders in the battle On the eastern ridge line love and item companies came under heavy attack as well They had more success than their french comrades from their elevated and dug in positions They were able to repulse the enemy's charges up to steep ridge The enemy's dead accumulated in front of the 23rd rct's positions During these attacks master sergeant hubert l lee of item company took command of his platoon after the chinese overran their position And wounded their platoon leader Regrouping his soldiers he led them in a counterattack and was wounded in the leg by shrapnel from a grenade Unsuccessful the first time he renewed the assault five more times On the fifth attempt he was seriously wounded in the legs by another grenade Whereupon he led his platoon as he crawled To successfully retake their position after killing 86 chinese soldiers For this action lee was later awarded the medal of honor With no sign of the chinese ceasing their efforts to dislodge the 23rd from its positions And realizing the unit was in danger of being overrun the second id commander major general roughner Released freeman's second battalion from the division reserve the battalion immediately advanced north toward the twin tunnels roughner also assured freeman that the 23rd would be given priority for air support should the cloud cover break Without aerial support american forces saw the chinese intensify their attacks on the ridges and valley floor It was evident that the chinese were committed to preventing the regiment's forces from advancing to chip young knee With a renewed effort the 373rd chinese regiment drove the french third company from its position Exposing love companies flank and headquarters to machine gun fire Seeking to retake the position freeman directed his m19 with twin 40 millimeter guns And all available mortars and artillery to fire on the enemy with all remaining ammunition After 10 minutes of concentrated fire the french once again organized a bayonet charge against the remaining chinese and retook the position By early that afternoon the french second company was close to falling back from its position Item company was in especially bad shape with one platoon down to only 12 men and hand-to-hand combat occurring at all positions Both love and item companies were receiving effective enemy machine gun fire from a chinese emplacement On higher ground between the two companies both companies found themselves in a beaten zone and subjected to plunging fire By 1500 their ammunition was nearly exhausted And the situation had deteriorated to the point that freeman designated a final defensible position near one of the tunnels What happened next freeman would say Was like something from the movies At the moment freeman was about to order withdrawal the sun broke through a small gap in the clouds The aerial liaison officer noticing the break and cover called for immediate air support For marine f4u corsairs responded by diving through the opening and making passes over item company to determine Who was friend and who was foe They then dropped their 500 pound bombs and followed up with rocket attacks on the now scattering chinese forces The corsairs continued to strafe enemy positions as spotting aircraft arrived on station and began calling in Previously undetected enemy positions to freeman's artillery For the first time that day the 23rd rct's artillery hit the chinese units in the hills where they were hiding As darkness fell on one february the chinese communist forces 125th division found itself combat ineffective With only an hour of daylight left and the chinese halted for the moment The airdrops began resupplying freeman and his men with the ammunition and supplies They needed to hold off another attack that night Additionally a chinese soldier had been captured Under interrogation by freeman. He admitted to being part of the 125th division attached to the 42nd army The 23rd rct had found the missing chinese force as tasked by general ridgeway First battalion was released from defending the main supply route and ordered forward to fill gaps in the perimeter defense Allowing the french battalion and third battalion to consolidate and strengthen their weakened positions The second battalion also arrived around midnight at the village of co rune re after a forced march of six hours They remained there to help defend the artillery position The chinese however did not return that night nor the next day instead they pulled back Relocating their forces north of the area surrounding chip young knee freeman later recounted that the battle at the twin tunnels Was probably the most desperate fight that i participated in during my entire time in korea We were very lucky that we weren't overrun because we were truly making our last stand He later estimated that the chinese lost some 3600 soldiers while the 23rd rct's casualties totaled 225 After the battles of co rune re wang jiu and the twin tunnels the 23rd rct operated at 75 strength With enough ammunition freeman believed his regiment remained an effective fighting force The battle at twin tunnels served as a lesson for freeman He recognized that in order to overcome the enemy's numerical superiority The 23rd rct had to utilize manageable and defensible perimeters and accrued sufficient amounts of ammunition to attrit the enemy Although a decisive factor at the twin tunnels freeman also learned that he could not depend on aerial support because of the unpredictable weather in korea For future engagements He envisioned developing perimeter defenses that could help the regiment withstand the chinese massed infantry assaults Such as the americans had seen at the twin tunnels freeman would successfully employ these lessons when the chinese renewed their attack against the 23rd rct at chip young knee Less than two weeks after the us victory at the twin tunnels