Combat Support in Korea by Cpt. John G. Westover

Author:Cpt. John G. Westover [Westover, Cpt. John G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, Korean War, Asia, India & South Asia, Korea, Central Asia
ISBN: 9781787208759
Google: oS5BDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Published: 2017-01-12T15:55:04+00:00

3. The Van Fleet Rate of Fire

Capt. David L. Mathews, 69th Ordnance Ammunition Company. (Condensed from an interview by Lt. John Mewha, 8th Historical Detachment.)

During the defensive Battle of the Soyang River (10 May to 7 June 1951), X Corps exceeded all previous ammunition expenditures. The fighting was close and the divisions used “walls of steel” to halt the Communist drive.

The artillery made the greatest demand on ammunition because of the weight and bulk of their rounds. In this engagement the artillery often fired for long periods at five times the normal rate. On 22 May the artillery fired 49,986 rounds on the corps front. Artillerymen, firing at a rate of 250 rounds per gun per day, came to speak of “the Van Fleet rate of fire.”

A normal build-up of ammunition in the forward areas had taken place before the attack. Units carried their basic loads, and the ammunition supply points at Hongchon and Wonju were well stocked. But in 28 days the corps expended 25,000 tons of ammunition, and fired more than 1,800 tons in one day. The supply level became low at Hongchon and trucks often had to make the longer drive to the supply point at Wonju. Airlift was used to bring hand grenades and ammunition to Hoengsong, but this never exceeded 300 tons a day.

During the entire battle, the 2nd Magazine Platoon, 69th Ordnance Ammunition Company, remained in position at Hongchon—even though many other division and corps supply units had been withdrawn. At one point in the battle the enemy approached to within eight miles of the ammunition dump, so an infantry company was sent to guard that installation.

The ammunition platoon continued to supply ammunition without interruption. While a 500-ton capacity is its rated maximum, the platoon maintained a 1,163-tons-per-day level at the height of the battle. During a six-hour period in the middle of the night of 20-21 May, the platoon loaded 540 trucks with 4 tons of ammunition each.

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