HISTORICAL
EXAMPLE
Author's Note: Providing C3 while performing defensive operations is a major challenge for logisticians. The following historical example illustrates that it can be done. This example consists of interviews from soldiers of the Medical Company, taken by 1LT Martin Bllumenson, 3d Military History Detachment, shortly after the action.
During the counterattack in the spring of 1951 against Chinese forces in Korea, the rapid advance of United nations forces cut off many enemy units behind our lines. This posed a constant hazard to soldiers, expecially those who were not used to taking protective measures.
The Medical Company of the 21st Regiment, 24th Infantry Division (68 men), set up its tents near a rice paddy on the night of 26 May, not 300 yards from the Regimental Command Post near Sinpori. It chose the higher ground running north to south and parallel to the paddy retaining wall. To its west was high ground and to its southeast was a small draw which emptied out at its position. 1LT John Atkins, the company administrative assistant, ordered that the guard be doubled that evening from four to eight personnel due to the rumors of enemy troops. It was a wise precaution.
At 0200 on 27 May, 1LT Atkins was awakened by the sound of Chinese concussion grenades going off nearby. It was raining, and a small arms fire was going off intermittently. The company set up a hasty defensive line on the west side of the small retaining wall to take the Chinese on the high ground. Three U.S. soldiers, including one chaplain, were killed almost immediately during the 15-minute assault. 1LT Atkins noticed several shadowy figures coming toward him. The guards saw them too and challenged them. The shadows answered that they were "ROK soldiers," but almost immediatelly opened up with burp-gun fire.
The soldiers, only 20 of whom had ever fired a weapon before, held their own until daylight. So inexperiened were the men that a few did not even know how to throw grenades. One individual pulled the pin on a grenade, dropped the pin, but could not get up the courage to release the grenade. He clutched it in his hand and began hunting for some twines or wire to hold the handle on the grenade.
A message for help to the nearby regimental command post was to no avail since the Chinese were attacking at the location as well. Finally, PVT Chisolm, who had been reduced from Sergeant two weeks earlier, put together a small team to advance on the enemy positions. He almost immediately captured 30 Chinese soldiers. After dawn, the Medical Company captured 28 more. Finally, the arrival of two companies of the 5th Regimental Combat Team put an end to all enemy action.
During this surprise night attack, the Medical Company continued to treat the three U.S. and nine enemy wounded soldiers in its care. It held together, continued its mission and killed 23 Chinese soldiers in the process. As one soldier commented, "Who in the hell says the medics can't fight?" The historian who captured this story commented, "The determiniation of the Medical Company to resist the enemy assault was responsible to a great extent in preventing him from making good his escape from the area."
Lessons Learned: Any unit, CS or CSS, can find itself under attack in the "rear" areas no matter how secure it thinks it is. Sensible guard measures and quick reaction teams to cope with varying levels of threat are critical. If appropriate plans are taken, the mission can continue even during such an attack.
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