|
|
The
Move Into North Korea |
|
|
|
The 24th itself soldiered on despite those difficulties. Over the preceding
months, casualties had taken a heavy toll of the unit's problem soldiers.
Still, a core of brave, capable enlisted men remained.
To that group was
added a whole new shift of soldiers, untrained and inexperienced but unencumbered
by feelings of mistrust, racial alienation, and drug dependency that had
afflicted a number of their predecessors.
These men learned their jobs and drew together under the strain of combat.
A new group of white officer replacements also arrived. Some were also
green, but many were capable, combat-seasoned veterans of World War II.
If they had their prejudices, they kept them to themselves to gain the
confidence of their subordinates.
The 24th, to all intents, was a new unit peopled by new men. The regiment
took long strides toward recovery during the attack north that followed
the U.S. landing at Inchon and the breakout from Pusan. The troops had
time to train, and, in the process of fighting their way back to Seoul,
they gained in confidence.
|
|
|
|
The test for them came during the offensive
into North Korea following the recapture of Seoul, when United Nations
forces crossed the Ch'ongch'on River and neared North Korea's border with
China. Advancing in late November through rugged terrain north of the town
of Kunu-ri while flanking units moved to either side along valley floors,
the body of the regiment played only a minor defensive role when the Chinese
counterattacked, but the unit still incurred heavy damage in the fighting
that ensued.
Each portion of
the regiment faced its own unique challenge.
Located on a ridge overlooking a valley where
part of the enemy's main assault occurred,
Companies E and G held off strong attacks for
most of a day before escaping overnight into the
lines of the 9th Infantry. Assisting the 9th
until they could make their way back to the
24th, they fought on with distinction.
Meanwhile, to the
west, most of the 1st Battalion was able to pull
back with only minor difficulty, but Company C,
fighting as part of Task Force Wilson in another
valley, was less fortunate. Because of
communications failures and confused command
arrangements, the unit found itself abandoned
and eventually surrendered. The 3d Battalion, for its part, occupied the center of the 24th's line.
Withdrawing without major difficulty and in relatively good order, it nonetheless
suffered from breakdowns in control at its own command post as well as
at corps and division levels.
Holding in an exposed position and unaware
that the rest of the regiment had received orders to retreat, the unit
suffered a massive enemy attack and collapsed in what became a major debacle.
In that case, as with Company C, what happened received heavy play in the
press. For white commanders already resolved to disband the 24th, it became
just one more example of black ineptitude and the inability of all-black
units to carry their load in combat. |
|
|