50 years ago today

[Ed Evanhoe <ede@oio.net>]

August 4, 1950

By the morning of August 4, the U.S. 25th Infantry Division occupied 
positions from Korea’s south coast at Chindong-ni, northwest to “The Notch” 
overlooking the Nam River at Chungam-ni
  and then northeast to where the Nam River flowed into the Naktong 
River.  To the north of the 25th, the 24th Infantry Division augmented by 
17th ROK Army Regiment, occupied positions on the east bank of the Naktong 
from the junction of Nam-Naktong Rivers to the Koryong-Taegu road while the 
1st Cavalry Division defended the east bank of the Naktong River from the 
Koryong-Taegu road to just north of Waegwan some northwest of Taegu, a 
distance of approximately 80 miles.  The newly arrived (July 31) 9th 
Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, was in Army Reserve at Kyongsan, 
10 miles southeast of Taegu.  From Waegwan north the front became the 
responsibility of the ROK Army.  It continued north to Naktong-ni where it 
turned east and continued in a rough arc to Yongdok on the east coast, also 
a distance of approximately 80 miles.  ROKA units defending this line were, 
1st ROK Infantry Division, 6th ROK Infantry Division, 8th ROK Infantry 
Division, Capital ROK Division and 3rd ROK Infantry Division.  All bridges 
across the Naktong had been destroyed.

Breaking American forces down even more: The 25th Division had, south to 
north, 27th, 24th and 35th Infantry Regiments on the line with the newly 
arrived and attached 5th Infantry Regimental Combat Team —  consisting of 
the 555th (Triple Nickel) Field Artillery Battalion, and the 72nd Combat 
Engineer Company —  in division reserve.  Also in reserve were the 89th 
Medium Tank (M4E8 tanks) Battalion and the just arrived (August 2) 1st 
Provisional Marine Brigade.  Division headquarters was at Masan.  The 24th 
Division, south to north, had the 34th and 21st Infantry Regiments plus the 
17th ROK Army Regiment on the line and the 19th Infantry Regiment in 
division reserve.  Division headquarters was at Miryang.  Above this the 
1st Cavalry Division, south to north, had the 7th Cavalry Regiment (less 
its 1st Battalion which was division reserve), the 8th Cavalry Regiment and 
the 5th Cavalry Regiment on the line.

For the most part it was a quiet day in the American sector.
Ed Evanhoe, PO Box 916, Antlers, OK, 74523
Author: DARKMOON: Eighth Army Special Operations in the Korean War
Member: American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA)
Life Member:  Special Forces & Special Operations Associations
Co-list owner: KOREAN-WAR-L   Web site:  http://www.korean-war.com
PGP public key available on request