1ST MARINE DIVISION - SPECIAL ACTION REPORT - ANNEX OO 1ST TANK BN - OCTOBER 1950 - DECEMBER 1950 Korean War Korean War Project Record: USMC-40 CD: 01 United States Marine Corps History Division Quantico, Virginia Records: United States Marine Corps Unit Name: 1st Marine Division 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 DECLASSIFIED Korean War Project USMC-00101468 DE~S~ 1~1r' ,r,m;Ell. 0:30E OOOE ~'0 lS'£ ~Ji?INE DIVISION SPECIAL ACTION !'\lil'ORT 1at Tank Battalion . In .~rbo · Fiol.cl. lo ·Jan\IIU'Y .l95l., From1 Commano1ng Otf1oor . To: Commanding GGn0ra1, =,l~•t· Marine D1y1·~1.on. ' ' . Sub.J:· Special ~ot1on·Rop~rt. tor l'Or1ocl'.• ;.· ... 8 october·liHiO - lb DGcembar 1960;. both. 1.• dates 1no1us1 VCl :. .... ~ · Ref: (a) D1 vision. Gonc'ral .. Or-der No·, '16. at ... '.~ , ·,. 20 Oct 1950 . .. (b) i>ddendum No. 1 .to Divicion G;,n·oro1 Order No. 16 of· 24 Oct .1950. .·· ::·· ( 0) Paragr.~ph:l140l, ~inrino Co.rpe /o!llnUaJ. ::. ( cl) D1 vision l!omorandum No.- 246-60 Qf ·'. ,, 26 Dec 1950 · . .. : : : · . .- ... (c) Jlppondix 1 1 l\Gport of Sor-v1oo Co.'!'.-· ... , .. pany, lot Tank 3attc~ion (f) Appendix 2 1 Ropor.t. of Commun1o~.t1,Qn • · Section, let Tank ·aattaJ.lon · ,.. .. (g) Appendix 3 1 let ·.Tank !JattaJ.ion Opl)() : l-60 of 10 Oct 1950 · · · · ... (h) Appandi¥ 4 1 let '£ant i3attRl~.o.P .. fi.Pn.. O: 2-50 Of 1? Oat 1950 .. ' (i) App(l)1dlX 0 1 1St ·~&nk .Battalion Oplj!O 3-50 of 23 Nov 1-900 . l. DlTRODUCTION ; '!he purpPe~ o! thie r~p.ort is to record ··the activities of tho 1st Tank Batta~ion in the WNbAN ., !IJOOIUNG - C!JO~IN l\oservo1r Operation. RGoommon¢lations .b.~<sad qn tho oxpor-ieJ:loos ot ! . t..~1e operat"~~ ,h:n·e· been made on. the fH.. ~poe!­ tion ~!>at th~so rocommendations may. ·bonotl t. ~.arine. Tank BattR11ona on futuro opcrationsi . 'I'hG 1st 'i'Rilk Batt_Allon 1i&S a.asign.l!i4 the · dual mission of furniabing tanlt.support to in­ fantry rGgimonta and·,prov1ding tank!' for tno ant1-mcchan1Zed dof~neo at tno division zono. llio let Tank Butt1:.U.o~ 1q r...n organie sepa­ rate battr~ion ot tho 1st ~.ar1ne Division, Re­ inforced. It is orge.Q.i:Z.od in fl.ooorda.noq with Tlo K~-·1238 -·,.lar and consists oi' a Headquarters Company 1 a sorviou company 1 apd ,four Uno tank corupan1 oa - ,,, :a, C, and D. It 1 s pr1 ncipal equipment 1e 70. l••-26 tanks, 12 loi4h3 >"al)lt .D:lzors 1 9 ~.4.it3 Tanka W/POA Fl~mo ~rowora, .1 M4A3 ComfD­ unicatlon Tank, .Rnd 5 M32D3 tank RoJocov\!:iry .. Ve­ hicles. In lldd1 ti~n to this nggrogato of 97 tr"ok-lll.Y1ng vohlolcB tho lmttP.lion has 74_salt­ pr0pollod whoolod vchiolcS and 52 trAilers of . vurloua typos. 'lhl3 batt~ion oommandor of tllc ~st THnk Batt&lion 1s a mcmbor·or the SpaciP~ Stnff of tlH:r 1 at Marino D1 vi eion wh'lt'G' he servos ns D1 viSion Tank Ott1cGr, l DECLASSIFIED DECLASSIFIED Korean War Project USMC-00101469 . ' D~~i!i'~ • .AN!<EX OBOE ,050E '1'0 1ST MARINE DIVISION SP ECIJ\L ACTION REFV.R:r (Con t 1 d} As this ropcirt porlod openod tho let Tank . Eatt1111on ,had just moved from aoro,se tho HP.n ru. vor and was jrunmod intq_: ~it~ rf.n~-~~-ifl l'allr-oad yard, just bacJ< of Rod s~'a~:,whtG;i1o>•1t was 1ndua­ tr1ouny preparing for thb ·forthcoming epo1•at1on. Two of, tho tMl<: ccmptmios !'!ad j1ist •u•rivo<i :the previous nigb,_t__ .h_~virig bean utill zod in ipf~n try support roles until th'air r,oloasc. Util1z~ng borrowed flood\ig;hts and organic gonet'rttors _the WG1d~rs 1 . tu_nk anddcotor trRnBpJr~; munhan1cs 1 • ordnance repairmen, B.nd tF:nk c!'(,'JWB worl~ WJ!'k1ng 11 around the r.loC~f. 11 welding deep we.t0t' forU~r.g cquipa:cntJ pGl"';t.".Ol'lning th,b. muc..'I-J. nc;-13dod mc.invcnRnco on- tanks ood whcolcd·vQ].lioloF.i, ··wintc::·~~.ing tMkB r.md- whool-ed .vehiolG_s, Watarproo:fing ·wh0oJ..c::(L... ve­ hiclGB, ohcclting all 't10r1Jt H!'flllllllcnt ><nd completing the propiU'·at1ons.· for the forthcoo;ing landing at ~onsr.tn~ ' · 2. 't'ASK ORGAN I Z!JTION Strength let TB.nk Bn , 45 Off ·8B'7 cnl'US!!IC.H. l'. 'MILNE, 2 Off :14 a~l UbN LtCo;L 1 USMC HqCo 15 Off: :t.l9 · Cfll: US.\10 E~ W. CL~bl1.KE;; 2 Off 6 mil USN Capt, UBi-lOR Burco 9 Uf£ 197 onl WMC P. C. MORELL, , Capt,, USMCR, :eoA 5' O.t·t 153 ~nl USMC G. M. ENGLI'BH, . 2 cnl US!I :·Capt; USMC , 6 Si'f 142, anl USMC B'.F. W!1.LI.IlMS, , 2 onl USN ·.Capt, USMC,, ·CoG· 5 art 13.:3 Gnl iJ.Sl·10 ·It.. }1,. TA~~9R, .. ' . 2 ool USN: Cep t, USMC CoD 5 Off 143 onl USMO L. T. CHASE, 2 anl USN Oap t, US!< OR 3,. PRELil1INll!lY PLJ\NNING· . :'Tho. swrttness of thG.. cOurse .of avoilts _prior to cmbP.,rkat1 on for t.n.t s :f.:JrthcOming operati"on precluded t;ho issuMco of battalion ,planning sohcdulcs oX"" d1ro·cti1vos, How(!yor, .durlqg· thiS plann!ng phase tho S-3 ostaqu·sqcd Linl.so)'l w1 th "the- -ass nUl. t _regiments. · The :tm.t.t'r.llo·n comwflnder­ nnd the 8-<i. m111ntall\9d d>llly persoriP.l li.l!lison w1 th the division stAff •. , · .. 1st MF>rinc, DiviSion Dpcri.tion ,o'rdcr 16-50,· · iss !led on 10 oct 1950,, ord,er9d "e<o:mpiu-.1"s C, and D to land on boact.cs dcsignnt'od· in support of F.Cr:i'B 1 an.d "! rcspGctiv13l,Y 11- rmd ..f.urth.ar ordered 11 la.nd -romFtindcr En on. beaphiJS 'to be dasignntod and 0p0ratc flS directed. II On 10 .O·CtObOr 1950 rcfor,oncc (g), 1st J:Hnlt 3attall.on Operation Or­ der :L-50. wns issued-.. _Af'! !m:p.ori;;Mt appondix to this order_ dealt. with 'TM~ t,ia.iecn T~r.ma 1 their assignment tc the· yt;rious .infantry bnttalioile~ thoir ,ombarl<e.tlon orders, an<J: their 1nst.ruct1ons C.:)VCrlng the ma.l'ly var! able !'tlcto.re c0ncom!!li t1:<..r'!t With the Rctuel l>md1ng•. Moobors of thcso ~·ank Liaison Tonms wc1•e s;;Uloo.'.l.ed in t;heir :functions nnd briefed on tho land1ng. DECLASSIFIED DECLASSIFIED Korean War Project USMC-00101470 J>1U<EX OBOE· OOOE 'I'O 1ST ;,,,?.INE ·DIVISION bP EO !ilL · ' · · ;.C~'ION H::PO:!T ( Cont 1 d) 1·,hoo it>' was losrncd that the hArbor ·Md tho surrounding watc>r o:t tho landing boacl1.os ..wor.o· ,., hoP.v1ly mined it. was fCl. t that tho be~oh;;e.nd ·. - routes of 'egross :trom the. boaoh m1gb.t .f\l:so· ·bo·, hcavny lllinod •. ·Thoro:!' oro, l. t WAS ,pl.annod .to l.:nd the tanks on oall rather than 1n a·ohedUl.Gd wl;vcs. :iho tank· battalion commander planned to ·ti'MSfor from 'tlio LSD' to the Central control voascl prior to the. landing; an LCVP was arran­ ged to aocompl1sh th1a trr.no:tor. Jlo would bo. nocompMlod by two :rRdio ·operators with SCR 510 ra.d1o sets. 'i"'ha l'mllt l,1f:ison .l£0!-llllG were · to l>>nd r..nd determine thQ str.tus of tho beaoh rclf<.tiva to minc::s ~·' mEirk olartred lMGS: f\nd radio all information to the tank bat:tHl.1on • o~mmnnder· wh:i would !Wt~·ry tho Centr,.U. Cont:rol V~sol·to ·land ·th~·two.assault tank o:>mpanios on :the ·beaches ·llo designntod•. He woUJ..d~·thOI\ r~66mmond to Ed viSiOn a· timo Of lc.nding and a l6nding boaoh tor th<> romr,J.nlng t1:.rtks 'lllld when directed by Dl.ViSiOil would oxoouto this plllll. During thiS plllllning phase tho lS~ .Tank Be.ttr.Uon was again plaguoll by tho!' moll'-ciXis­ tenc·o or M-25 tnnk spi\N parts.· 'l't.nJ!:. meohl'llll.os worked around tho oloalt rop,iring t>mlts and overhauling onll. rebuilding accossori.:.s nnd units for which no rcplnoomcnts could boob­ tained•. ibrough those m.eJ.nt.onP.noe ~!forts,·. 2. M-26 tanks wore round to bo inoperative nnd boyond. our ropRir .capabilities. · CO!Ilbat Servio<> Group furnl.shed.·rop·lRoomcnt te.nks fQr thos.o two and further :t'urn1ah0d 1. M-26 tMk, it ·M4J,3 ·tank · dozer to crq,sa existing tank ehort;-~gos., · 'lhc 3 1<-26 ropl&oo!llont tMKS DGodod considerable muinten~oe wor~ and added t~ tha ~oGmingly impossible tnsk. at'· roi\dying ull ,t1\!Jks to:r an amphibious asS{lUlt. Working up,;to ·t.\le vory mo!llent th><t tho ct~nks rolled up ·the r>wp, ·tho mechanics oompl:ot>od .their workr.flnd· 11Stod all tnnks as bcl.ngi. ~perat1 vo, · ;,nothcr project wRs r.ooo!llplishod during · ·. this period, thnt of applying d~ep .wnter :ford­ ing kits to tnnl!:s, Cotll'cnt Service Group .de­ liv erod the kl ts and .B<lrv1 oo Comp f,I'\Y · o! tho 1St 1&ni< iJi:,tklion borrowed and &ot ·up flood llglit's·.