Monument at Mt. Dosol to Commemorate 623 fallen Marines

The Punchbowl

Researched by Raymond T. Fitzhugh (Sergeant Major USMC Retired)

MAY

16 -18 Chinese attacked the 7^th Regt. On Morae-Kang Pass. Enemy had 112 killed and 82 captured. Marines lost 2 tanks

18 7^th Regt. Pulled back to “No Name Line” and took 1^st Regt. Position. 1^st Regt shifted right and took 9^th Infantry position. 5^th Regt moved two Bn’s east behind “No Name Line” at Hongchon to protect Division’s right Flank. 7^th Regt and 1^st KMC moved left to take 5^th Regt area.

24 -31 1^st Regt and 1^st KMC crossed Soyang River on 28 May to a position above Hwachon Reservoir which they completed on 31 May. 5^th Regt took Hill 1051 at Kari-san. They shifted right and came abreast of 7^th Regt. 7^th Regt was at the town of Yabggu.

29 C-1-5 made contact with hand to hand combat where C.O. was killed

Casualties for May

DAY – 2 3 5 6 8 11 12 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 27 28 29 30 31

KIA – 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 4 1 7 5 3 8 1 1 2 5 11 21 5 12

Marine KIA 94

Navy KIA 4

TOTAL 98

JUNE

2 1^st and 5^th attacked abreast, each with two Bn’s. 7^th Regt and 1st KMC in reserve. 1^st Regt took a small hill called XRAY

2-10 5^th Regt attacked toward Taeam-San (Hill 1316) 1-5 had to take 7 peaks. It took two days to move 2,000 yards to take Hills 610, 680 and 692. 2-5 advanced 5,000 yards.

1^st and 7^th Regt put into a fight. 1^st KMC moved into 5th Regt area below Hills 1122, 1216 and 1316 (Taean-san). 5^th Regt with 1-5 in reserve moved to southern tip of Punchbowl.

5-10 1^st KMC attacked Taeam-San with no success then made a night attack at 0200 and took Hill 1216.

6-14 1^st Regt took Brown Line. Was more defensive than Kansas.

9-19 7^th Regt and 1^st KMC took hills between Taeam-Sa and Taeu-San above the Punchbowl. 10 to 17 tanks out of action from mines in Sochon River Valley. 7^th Regt stopped 5 attacks. 5^th Regt which started on 6 June took the ridge line overlooking the Punchbowl. They ran into numerous bunkers.

1^st Division settled down to patrolling only.

Casualties for JUNE

DAY – 1 2 3 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 22 25 29 30

KIA – 6 17 13 9 5 8 15 21 11 8 9 5 5 9 9 21 2 3 2 1

Marine KIA 179

Navy KIA 4

TOTAL 183

JULY

8-12 1^st KMC attacked Taeu-San and took heavy casualties losing all company officers and all but five Sergeants.

The 1^st Marine Division went into Corps Reserve with 1^st Regt at Hongchon, 5^th Regt near Inji and 7^th Regt near Yanggu. The Division went through live fire training in preparation for the Punchbowl Offense.

Casualties for July

DAY – 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 14 15 22 23 24 27 30 31

KIA – 2 5 1 2 1 1 4 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 1

Marine KIA 94

Navy KIA 4

TOTAL 98

AUGUST

Hayes Line was named between the Kansas and Wyoming Line.

26 1^st Division called out of reserve. 7^th Regt then 5^th Regt moved to Kansas Line 1^st Regt and 1^st KMC stayed in reserve.

31 7^th Regt began the attack in the Punchbowl. They attached Yoke (Hills 602, 702, 924, 930 and 1026).

Casualties for August

DAY – 7 8 10 12 15 16 17 24 29 30 31

KIA – 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 4

Marine KIA 17

Navy KIA 0

TOTAL 17

SEPTEMBER

Final Marine offense of the Korean War

1-4 7^th Regt on right, 1^st KMC on left Kansas Line and attacked and seized Yoke on the Hayes Line.

4-10 Had to wait one week to attack Kanmubong Ridge because of supplies. 1^st and 5th Regt’s prepare for attack.

11-12 1-7 to attack Hill 673 and 3-7 Hill 749 (which was reinforced by the enemy) Hill 680 became a major obstacle for 2-7 attack between Hills 749 and 812 which was suppose to turn and attack Hill 673. 1-7 thought they had taken Hill 749 but actually they were 1,000 yards away.

12 1^st Regt moved to relieve 7^th Regt. 1-1 to relieve 1-7 on Hill 673, 2-1 relieve 2-7 on Hill 749 and to attack Hill 812. They did not know the enemy still held Hill 749 because of 2-7 error on reporting. 3-1 to relieve 3-7 on Hill 680 and to attack Hill 751. 7^th Regt to Division Reserve.

12-14 2-1 could not find 2-7 or take Hill 749 and only advanced 300 yards, 3-1 took Hill 751.

16 5^th Regt relieved 3-1 on Hill 751. 2-1 under heavy counterattack. 3-1 to Hill 673 to relieve 1-1 who joined 2-1 on Hill 749. 2-5 to Hill 812 with cover fire from 3-5.

17 2-5 took Hill 812 and started towards Hill 980. MajGen Thomas gave 5^th Regt order to stop the advance.

18-19 2-5 fought at “The Rock” 700 yards from Hill 812 which later was called “Luke the Gook Castle”

20 Division was ordered to stop the offense and take up defense positions. The month ended doing patrols from their defensive positions.

Casualties for September

DAY – 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 30

KIA – 6 4 1 1 1 1 3 3 7 23 38 8 20 10 15 18 5 6 6 11 12 1 2 5 5 3 4 6

Marine KIA 225

Navy KIA 6

TOTAL 231

OCTOBER

1^st Marine Division was in defensive position on the hills of the Punchbowl where they ran patrols.

Casualties for October