5TH MARINE REGIMENT - 3RD BATTALION - HISTORICAL DIARY -DECEMBER 1950

Korean War

Korean War Project Record: USMC-2182

CD: 22

United States Marine Corps History Division

Quantico, Virginia

Records: United States Marine Corps

Unit Name: 1st Marine Division

Records Group: RG 127

Depository: National Archives and Records Administration

Location: College Park, Maryland

Editor: Hal Barker

Korean War Project

P.O. Box 180190

Dallas, TX 75218-0190

http://www.koreanwar.org

Korean War Project USMC-08000083DECLASSIFIED

.. 1/aJ. A6-6

18 Har 1951

FlHS'~ l..:i:::JCHSEi·:l::NT on CO, 3rdEin, 5thl1ar conf 1 tr of 15 Feb 1951

From: To: Via.:

Subj:

Co:nman<iing Officer, 5 t::1 1-!arines CO,li"land.<?J1t ot the Har·ine Corps (::.) Corru:nanCting General., lat Marine Division, Fl·~F

(~2) Com:nanding General., Fleet Marine Force, Pacific

::istorical Diary for December, 1950

DECLASSIFIED

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2 6 MAR 1951

SECOND ENDORSEMENT on 3rC!Bn, 5thMar, Historical. Diary tor

December 1950, ltr ser 02 of 15 Feb 1951

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Subj:

Commanding Gener$1~ 1st Marine Division, FMF Conunand.ant ot tl'l..e __ ar1ne Corps Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific

Hie torioa.l Diary for Dec.ember 1950

1. ForwaPded.

2. The security clasa1f1cation of this endorsement is down­graded to unclassified when detached from the basic letter.

~aldJ~······ B. ·s. WJ.LSE'!H Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration

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From: Comman41n~ General. Fleet Marine Force, Paoit1o

To: Commandant of the Marine Corps

SubJ: Historical Diary tor December 1950

l. Forwarded..

Copy to: CG, latMarD1v.

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COLONEL, U. S. MARINE CORPS, CHIEF OF STAfF

DECLASSIFIED

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From: The Com;~mnding Officer The Com:nnndant of the Harine Corps (ll comraanding Officer, Fifth Marines .

To: Via.:

2245 1/LVdiL

3d Bn, 5tbJ.larines In the Field 15 February 1951

(2\ commanding General, First }!arine Division (3) Comnand.ing General, Fleet Harine Force., ;Pacific

subj: Third. 3attalion, Fifth Me.rines, Historical l)iary for December, 1950

Ref:

1. StJJa.:ARY

At tl1e beginning or the period, the Third. B*ttalion was operat­ing as an ore;anic un1 t of the Fifth Uarine Regiment, First Marine Division, Fleet l•iarine F'o:;r)::;e., engaged. ·.tn Korean operati.ons.

As the period opened, this Battalion was the leading unit att­acking south along the l-!Slt, taking the high grou:~d to the left and. rie;h t Bnd acraening the advance of the regimental columns along the road. The Third Battalion, Seventh 14arines, was passed through on 1 December to com:nence this action and. the Battalion closed. in ass­embly area at HAGARU-RI on the early morning of 4 · December.

The Battalion remained in HAGARU-RI through 6 December estab­lishing local security' and preparing· to continue ithe attack to KOTO-RI and HAMHUNG, Shor'l;ly after midnight on ? December, the Batt­alion be[)an movement south whep. ordered to clear a roadblock just sou til or HAGARU-RI. Thereafter, the Battalion lead the regimental colu<nn to KOTO-RI, breaking two. critical roadblocks enrou te. The RR-t1".a.l.ton nloaed ~OTO-RI &t m1d.,.afternoon of the 7th and. occupied ;-p~~tion of the defense perimeter and an assembly area, Elements remainad in this location until early morning of 9 December.

On the 9th, the Battalion moved to MAJON-DONG as the lead element of the Regiment. One roadblock at BUDONG was eliminated enroute. At HAJON-DONG, all troops were entruoked, and.. transported to HA!o!HUNG >Jhere ~'le unit rested and rehab111 tated until 12 Decem-

On 12 December, the Battalion embarked aboard the U, S. S, G·ENERAL RANDALL at HUNGNAM Harbor and sailed thereon to PUSAN.

Fron; PUSAN, this un1 t disembarked and moved. to MASAN via LST on 15 December and immediately occupied. an assigned. bivouac area north of UASAN, ;he Battalion remained. in this bivouac tor the remainder of the period. engaging in reequipping, rehabili tat!l..on and retrr"i ning. ·

2. CHRONOLOGICAL NARRATIVE

December

1-15 See: ANNEX CHARLIE TO FIFTH MARINE REGIHENT SPECIAL ACTION REPORT for the period 8 october 1950 to 15 December 1950, dated 10 J anuery 1951,

16 The Third Enttal1on. spent t..i-le night of 15-16 December aboe_rd LST c~o ?6, doclted at l4ASA!'I. Commencing at 160900I, the Batt­alion diserobarlted e,nd began moving by motor ·convoy to the assigned bivouac ar!la approximately five and. one-half miles

. north of MASA!l, The Battalion closed its assigned portion of the DiVision assembly area at 161830I, Ten~etwere erected by each aerial as they completed the move by Shuttle from the l·iASA:\! d.ock. All uer or -,e .. were under tentage by darkness.

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oomncencing immediately after breakte.st, the Battalion began 1 ts as sighed mission of rehsb1li tation and re­equip1ng of personnel. The en~re day was ~pent in set­ting up and improving the Battalion area to make it more comfortable. _Plans were instituted for organized athletics, showers and firing of weapons and general entertainment features. "I" company, heretofore integ­ra ted t·t1 t..~ NGII and. RHII Companies, was reconsti't?..l ted. awaiting replacements.

During thi a period, the Ba ttal1on continued to rehab­ilitate and reequip personnel and to improve the biv­ounc area. Voluntary athletics were organized and routine inspec~ione, drills and guard were conducted.

A SII!all Arms school for all personnel or the Ba tte.lion was organized with instructions on the four (4) basic wenpons~ Crew-served weaponS personnel of' the rifle companies s.nd Weapons Company, received specialized training and supervised gun drills. Regular drills and inspections t<ere obnducted.

The Battalion continued to retrain, rehabilitate and reeouip personnel and to improve the bivouac area. Pl?rie were made to~ Christmas. ~~e Small Arme School continued and drills were held for all crew-served weapons teams.

The routine of drills, athletics and instructions was eupplimented 'oy physical conditioning hikes all cond­ucted along the NSR in t.he direction. of M.ASAN and ,....,.~,. ""•'·'"'u vn.t'1l\>JiVV.L1 •

The first replacements arrived. at 240900 and were in­te;;rnted rapidly into the organized sllbordinate uni ta. The Battalion observed Holiday routine with D1V1ne Services being conducted throughout 'ooth days and a special ~:idnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Christmas dinner in the traditional manner was greatly enjoyed

'by ell hanC.s.

The Tr~r-d Battalion in!ens1t1~d retr-a1nir~ so as to integrate the replacements into the organization. At 261800! orders t<ere received to send a motorized nAtrol of' ulR.toon st:remrth to r!R'Tl\.'T-l'AF. t:n t'\.hAt'.k !"'n p,n-emy ~.ct1Vi he a in that ares •. The-patrol- departed--at--270800!. At 271300, field tiring of mortars and rocket launch­ers t<as conducted. The motorized pa.trol returned by 271410, t<i th a negative r8port.

Retraining, reequipping, integration of replacements and imp~oving the bivou8c area continued. A platoon strength outpost relieved a platoon from 2d Battalion, 5th i·!arines, at 2814.30, on the high ground to the west of the bivouac area to act as an outpost and report Any enemy mov em en t in the. t area.

Routine drills, schools, athletics, rehabilitation, reeouipping and retrainicJg continued. At ::!91430. the ~latoon strength outPost was relieved by o platoon from the 1st Battalion~ 5th Marines. At 291500, a plato on was dispatched to the 7th J.lotor Transport Battalion area in the vicinity of CHANGWON to serve as aecuri ty outpost for thn t unit.

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At 300800, the previously assigned motorized patrol departed the Battalion area, Dl.lring the period, the Battalion oontinl.led _on its· mi s s1on of integrating replacements, ;rehao111'tating e.nd retraining, At 301420, the motorized patrol re~~t-ned w1~~ a· neg­ative report, At 301500, the Seventh Motor Transport Battalion ou. tpost returned on schedule.

' 31 At 311500, one (1) platoon from "G" company relieved

elements of the Second Battalion, Fif'_t)l Marines, at the Regimental outpost. " , At the end of the period, the Third Battalion remain­ed in its assigned portion of the assembly area north of }1ASAN' and conducted 1 ts e~.esigned mission ..

3 ADDITIONAL DATA

a. Rehaoilitatl.on and retraining, followed by integrat­ion of replacements, were the major accomplishments achiev­ed during this period.

b, During the bivol.lao period oondi tioning of the men and the vastly improvement of morale was prominent and· increased constantly by the indivi~al comfort_ and recreation program instituted. Nightly movies, available showers, large quant­ities Of post Exchange supplies, laundry facilities, good food, especially during ·the HOliday period when Christmas dinner was served, rapid. mail delivery and an opporturd t"i for liberty in MASAN all contributed materially in this re­spect.

c. combat efficiency was markedly improved by reorgan­ization, replacements, r8supply of ordne.nce and the opport­unity to conduct field firing exercises,

d. During the bivouac period, provisions were made for air raid dispersal, 'lhese plans were never executed but nconCii ti0n Redn drills were conducted. with noteworthy eff­iciency by all subordinate units,

e. Resupply of eouipment and clothing during the WONSAN­HAi,iHUliG-CHOSIN RESERilOIFI campaign wae conducted throughout the bivoue.c period, alsib}contributing materially to combat efficiency and improved 'morale. ·'

APPE}!DIOES

9-ftt:;;;l J, L, STEWART LtCol USMC

Commanding

Directives received.: See FIFTH MARINE RE.GTioiENT HIST-ORICAL DIARY fo~ December, 1950

b, Directives Issued:

(1) All orders issued by CO 3/6 (Reinf) during the attack from YUDAL-NI south to H»IHUNG were either verbal orders or messpge o:-ders amplifying those from 00 5th i1ar1n6e.: ·-Theiie or-dar-a were not recordwd in all instances, those which were recorded were destroyed enroute and are not 1nclu.ded. A record of the ac tionG are included. in t..J.te Special ~~c-tion Report~ '

(2) Orders issued by CO 3/6 during bivouac period at }!ASA~, were delivered verbally in accordance with Regimental orders for patrols, outposts 8nd training,

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