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What happened to Task Force MacLean during the Chinese attacks?

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Battle of the Chosin Reservior — Battle of the Chosin Reservoir Men and armor of the U.S. 1st Marine Division during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, December 1950.

Task Force MacLean, a regimental combat team of the 31st Infantry Regiment, was deployed east of the Chosin Reservoir on November 25, 1950, where it was positioned along the shoreline road in seven separate locations.12

When the Ninth Army Group launched its massive offensive on the night of November 27–28, the task force faced intense night battles and daylight probes. Unlike the Marine positions, which held their ground, Task Force MacLean was overwhelmed. During the retreat, the unit’s commanding officer, Colonel Allan D. MacLean, went missing in action and was never recovered.21

The survivors were forced to struggle on foot in small, disorganized groups, either moving around the frozen reservoir or crossing directly over the ice to reach Hagaru-ri. By the time they arrived, the force had been decimated; of the original 3,200 soldiers, only 670 remained, with only half of those fit for duty.21