5th Marines

…reinforced regiments, the 7th and 5th Marines, in column and moving cautiously. Each regiment was a regimental combat team with attached artillery battalions, a tank company, engineers, and headquarters and service units. On November 15 lead elements of the 7th Marines reached Hagaru-ri. From there the regiment prepared for its…

…(14 miles) away, while the 5th Marines moved cautiously up the reservoir’s right bank.

The 5th Marines walked the road to protect the vehicle train, while the 7th Marines plodded through the hills to break up Chinese “fire sacks” and relieve the Tŏktong Pass defenders. Their two artillery battalions, meanwhile, moved by bounds to ensure continuous fire support, and Marine…

The 7th and 5th Marines, having met major Chinese forces in a daylight attack on November 27, quickly prepared a perimeter defense for night action. The enclaves at Hagaru-ri and Kot’o-ri were even better prepared, though the Hagaru-ri perimeter had too much critical hill terrain to defend with…