So here are the events of August 1950:

August 1950 was characterized by the brutal fighting in the Pusan Perimeter in which neither side gained any significant ground but the UN troops managed to hold their ground despite thin lines. At the same time UN troops managed to wear down their enemy and got significant reinforcements until in late August UN troops had the numerical advantage over the NKPA.

1 August 1950 - All UN ground forces are directed to withdraw east of the Naktong River and establish their main defensive position. This is to become known as the Pusan Perimeter, named after the major port city through which all supplies and reinforcements arrive in Korea. The perimeter is to become the last stand for the UN forces.

5 - 18 August 1950 - Battle of the Naktong Bulge: A force of 800 NKPA troops from the 4th Division cross the Naktong River at the Ohang ferry site on the night of 5-6 August to attack the thinly manned UN lines on the Naktong Bulge. They succeed in pushing back American lines and capturing large amounts of equipment. The attack threatens to split UN lines in two. American counter attacks in the following days fail to retake the lost ground. NKPA-Engineers start building underwater Bridges from sandbags and logs to move heavy material over the river. In the following days, they constantly harass and outflank UN positions on the eastern shore of the river. A massive counter attack on 17 August annihilates the NKPA 4th Division and pushes the remaining troops back over the Naktong River by nightfall on August 18th.

5 - 20 August 1950 - In the Battle of P'ohang-dong, an attack on the eastern part of the perimeter by 3 NKPA divisions is ultimately halted by UN forces. The 8th NKPA Division is halted almost immediately by the ROK 6th Division. The NKPA 12th an 5th Divisions however infiltrate the thinly held UN lines and in a confused fight against mostly ROK troops manage to surround the ROK 3rd Division which is evacuated by ship on 16 August to rejoin UN forces in the Pusan Perimeter. On August 14th NKPA forces attempt to take the town of P'ohang-dong but fail due to the tenacious defense and naval and air supremacy of the UN. On 17 August UN forces force the NKPA troops back and by 19 August the NKPA troops have completely withdrawn from the area.

7 - 14 August 1950 - Task Force Kean – consisting of most of the 25th Infantry Division minus the 27th Infantry plus the 5th RCT and the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, a force of about 20'000 men – start an offensive from the town of Masan. At the same time, the NKPA 6th Division starts an offensive of its own and the two divisions clash with most of the NKPA troops being overrun and the UN troops being fragmented and having to rely on airstrikes to keep it effective. After 3 days of fighting, Task Force Kean attempts to take the town of Chinju but encounters heavy resistance. Heavy fighting and redeployment of several units to other parts of the Pusan Perimeter force Task Force Kean to retreat back to Masan and by 14 August the troops are back in the same position as before the start of the offensive.

Wow, I had to read this twice before I realized that all three actions were happening at the same time.

Yeah Mark, I was amazed myself... It's especially amazing when you think how few troops there were and how thinly the lines were spread...

And of course none of that helped with raising people's awareness of the war. I still have people adamantly telling me that it was a mere policing action and not a war. Wish I could send them back in time to experience it first hand, and then see what they have to say about it

I've visited South Korea a number of times in the past 10 years, It may be the Forgotten War or a police action over here, but it's still a current event over there...

Hey, if they're issuing fully loaded M46s to Police, where do I join the academy? Of course, it doesn't take many carpet-bombings to reduce burglary figures in the average neighbourhood...

I seem to recall the irony of the whole "police action" theme was a recurring one on MASH back in the 1980s, so perhaps I'm part of the last generation to learn about the realities of Korea outside a specialist history classroom.

Tom

Indeed. My father served some time over at Kunsan AFB along the border. He made an interesting comment about the native people over there. The elderly were very grateful for US military presence as apparently they remember that they could have become part of North Korea and it was because of our forces (and those of our allies?) that stopped that from becoming a reality. On the other hand the younger generations have adopted the trend of a common wordly view towards us and hate our presence and want us out of there, treating or service men and women with disdain. It's interesting what a few decades of relative peace and good fortune can do to people.

Hi all,

I was putting this Sherman in the Sherman campagne first. But I've got another one so I can put the entry here


I'm building the Dragon M4A3 HVSS POA CWS H5 flamethrower Sherman

I will use some extra sets on this one, AFV club suspension and tracks. And a lot of extras from newer dragon Sherman kits.











Martin

Very cool Martin, I was hoping one of these bad boys would show up. Any idea what markings you are going to use on this build?

Hi Jeremy,

I don't know what markings I'll use. I've got a couple of pictures and have bought 2 movies (for 30 sec of footage )

I think I'll use the kit decals.

Martin

Police action, ay? That's what they told the guys who went down there and that it was just a matter of mopping up a little bit of a problem... I was fortunate enough to interview my Grandfather about 12 years ago for a school project. Very insightful. He was a combat engineer and had to learn on the job. Before the war he was a PFC responsible for the officer's club swimming pool somewhere in Georgia...

Martin, nice work on the POA, saw it in the Sherman campaign too. Unfortunately this campaign doesn't start until January so you're a bit early... But please keep us updated on your progress, just to get our mouths watered. Hopefully you will find another project for the campaign?

Cheers!
Stefan

I would like to hear about some of that when you have the time Stefan, that is if you don't mind sharing.

I'm looking forward to this campaign guys

Hi
I would be interested I could do my Fathers Tank
Thanks Gary

Jeremy, no I don't mind sharing, I just don't want to be the only one... But as campaign leader I will make a start. I'll stir up a little text and post it later. Sharing the history of this forgotten war should be part of this campaign me thinks!

Gary, welcome to the Campaign and Armorama. To join the Campaign go to this page and click "ENLIST" (while you're logged in of course...). If you have any questions on how campaigns work check out this thread or ask any time (here in the forum or via PM).

Cheers!
Stefan

That's great Stefan, I would love to learn and hear about as much as I can. My great uncle is the only one in my family that I know of who was in active service during the Korean War. He flew some odd looking jets like the Cougars while in the US Navy. I only ever had a chance to meet him once though and he spent the majority of our time together talking about all the different planes he and his friend flew, which was a great experience to say the least.

So here’s the story of my Grandfather in Korea. It’s quite basic because he (understandably) didn’t want to go into all the details and there isn’t enough room here for all the (sometimes funny) stories he told me. But if you follow the history of his unit (23rd Inf Rgt) during the time he was there, you’ll get a pretty good picture of what he went through. For probably anything you ever wanted to know about the 2nd Infantry Division's combat in Korea I recommend http://www.2id.org/koreanwar.htm.

My Grandfather joined the US Army in 1948 and had some quite pleasant peace time duties after basic training (such as life guard at an officer club pool) before the start of the Korean War. Right after the start of the war he was ordered to Seattle (his home town) to join the 2nd Infantry Division headed for Korea. Without any further training he was shipped out with the HQ&HQ Company of the 1st Bttn of the 23rd Inf Rgt. He arrived in Pusan in early August 1950 where they spent the first night at a fish net factory.

They were then put into the line in the Pusan Perimeter. He learned his new duties as a combat engineer on the job and soon was promoted to corporal in charge of a squad. He advanced to the Yalu river (the northern border of (North-)Korea) with his unit where he peed in the river.

He vividly remembered the Chinese attackswith bugles blaring and the battle of KunurI in November 1950. There were so many they had to fire their MG constantly until the barrel was so hot it started to melt and jam. But the Chinese came in such great numbers they didn’t even have time to change the barrels. He then walked back to the Han River north of Seoul with crackers and corn flakes for Christmas dinner. His team destroyed the last bridge over the Han River and was then pulled back to a supposedly calmer rear area.

This is where on January 18th 1951 his team came upon an abandoned turned over US truck on a road. Since they supposedly were in a rear area they just suspected an accident and were fooling around on the way in. Nevertheless my Grandfather took point and walked ahead of the column. The North Koreans or Chinese (no one knows who they were) let him pass and then killed the whole team and severely wounded my Grandfather. He managed to take cover and had to play dead all night while they were looking for survivors. He managed to survive the night even though the enemy got so close he could have spit on their boots. When they left, they put a fire to the truck which luckily helped to keep him a bit warm during the night. Next morning he was found by friendly troops and evacuated.

Although he was told he could probably never walk again, he spent another 6 years in the army and retired as a Master Sergeant in 1957.

So, I hope to read more veteran’s histories. We should keep their memories alive!

Cheers!
Stefan

Stefan, thanks for sharing.

Your story reminds me that the battle lines weren’t rigidly drawn in Korea, and a ‘safe’ area might not be. All that my wife's family knows is that their dad was a mechanic in Korea. They assumed that as a mechanic he didn’t see much action. He never talked about it, period, no tall tales, no nothing. If you asked him, he’d say yes, I was in Korea, and change the subject. Most vets, when asked will tell stories about the ‘good times’, leave, practical jokes, how good/bad the chow was, finding a stash of hooch, but rarely will they talk about the ugly business of war. So, I’ve often wondered if he got caught in something that mechanic’s school hadn’t prepared him for.

He was sick with an undiagnosed illness for at least the last 40 years of his life. The VA poked and probed, operated, X-rayed, counseled, put him in morphine comas for weeks at a time. Found and treated several problems, colo-rectal cancer, but nothing ‘cured’ him. He was a master electrician, but from his 40’s on he was too physically unstable to really hold a job. Now that he’s gone, I’m convinced that he suffered from PTSD.

My father also didn't talk much about Korea. I just remember bits and pieces of it.

He served with two units, one in-country and one in Japan. At first he was with the Intelligence & Reconnaissance platoon, HQ company, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. Each squad had 2 jeeps: one with a .50 cal in the back and one with a .30 on the passenger side. The .30 jeep was the point jeep with the .50 jeep providing overwatch. He remembers the very steep hills and gorges of Korea and the smell of Kim-Chee.

I remember him telling me about how the I&R platoon were the first ones in when advancing and the last to leave when retreating. He remembered manning a rear guard post where they were told to stay until midnight. It wasn't midnight yet when they heard the sound of squeaking, which was was then accompanied with the sound of engines - tanks. They had no anti-tank weapons. The Lieutenant looked at his watch and said "Close enough" and they left. My father was very grateful for that. I don't know if this was a Korean or Chinese attack.

I remember he had to recon some village full of the enemy. They, of course, took fire and got out. He remembers the debriefing where some Intel guy asked "Were they wearing new boots?" (I guess to find out if they were being supplied) and my father thinking what a ridiculous question that was.

I also remember him telling me about some enemy making a Banzai charge out of a surrounded village. The Americans had quad .50 half-tracks and he recalled seeing limbs getting torn off when they hit people.

There was a lieutenant who wanted to make them Rangers (going in as a group behind enemy lines, hitting the target, then splitting up into small teams to infiltrate back). He didn't like that idea and was not unhappy when the lieutenant was later KIA. As you can tell, my father wasn't the bravest of men.

The rest of his service was spent attached to General Headquarters of 8th Army in Japan. He liked that duty much better. This was when he met and married my mother.

My father built models when I was a kid then stopped for some reason. I had bought him kits so he could make the jeeps of his unit but he never did.

I would think that those who don't want to talk about such an experience most likely saw a lot of things that they don't ever want to remember. Very understandable.

Again one finds themselves wondering how someone would justify calling this a policing action.

Thanks for sharing these stories of our former servicemen. They add a lot to the campaign for certain, and they also bring some reality of past events back to our lives. I wish I new more about my great uncle's service time during this conflict, but I'm not sure he would have much to tell as he was a Navy pilot operating off of a Carrier.

Thanks guys for your stories. Yes, it is hard for these veterans to talk about it. My interview was in fact the first time he talked about it in detail. But he kept it mostly to the funny stories, or things that made good stories. Like the time they were encamped on a ridge and got bracketed by mortar fire. Suddenly the sergeant, who was a WWII veteran, picked up his rifle and shot an old woman who was sitting on the porch of a house near by. The mortar fire stopped immediately. When the young lieutenant chewed him out he just said: "Sir, if you take a look with your field glasses, you will notice she had a radio on her back." It shows how much the troops profited from the veterans.

Cheers and keep the stories coming folks!
Stefan

i'm thinking of joining this campaign and modelling the m36 jackson, there a two companys that i know of make them AFV club and academy, witch ones better?

Stanley,

The answer is complicated. Academy has a much better hull with nearly full interior (AFV Club really stuffed up the driver's hatch shapes, and left out lots of interior details), but the AFV Club turret has a much more complete interior. You could cross-kit the two, but if buying only one I'd personally plump for the Academy kit. Plus, it has the armoured turret roof included (developed in 1945 but mostly seen in Korea), which hides the missing turret interior details anyway...

That's my 2 cents! Hope they help.

Tom

Stanley, I would also go with the Academy kit, it has the roof and (IIRC) also Korean markings. During the Korean War the M36 was only used by the ROK-army, not the US.

Don't forget to sign up for the campaign!

Cheers!
Stefan

thanks for telling me, i'll probably get the academy m36 or maybe get an m26 pershing, i don't know; desicions desicions.

signed up for it now