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The attack on Hill 520 began at 1300 and ended at 1600. Company G's advance two hundred yards from its line of departure to its objective required three hours and over thirty casualties. Could Hill 520 have been taken quicker and at a lower cost? The answer is: Yes, with one hundred per cent effective support.

There is no doubt that fire support was planned. Private Schmidt wore a yellow panel to indicate the position of the advance elements. Companies E and F were in positions to aid Company G. The artillery and mortars fired on call as requested. The assault platoons provided their own supporting fire.

But still: "The platoon halted, pinned down by hostile fire." "Supporting machine-gun fire was too high to be effective." "In the meantime regimental headquarters had sent three flame throwers to the 2d Battalion, two of them designated for Company G." "The flame thrower failed to work." "The second flame thrower failed to work."

An attack on a fortified position such as Hill s20 calls for very detailed planning. It is not enough to give machine guns a mission of firing on an objective in front of an assaulting force. A supporting machine gun should be assigned to neutralize a definite bunker embrasure. Inadequate fire-support planning and careless techniques in employment of weapons will not provide continuous fire superiority.

It was not enough to send flame-thrower operators from regiment after the attack had begun. Before Company G moved to the line of departure, the flame-thrower operators should have participated in drills and rehearsals. Forethought can, to a large extent, eliminate improvisation. Thorough training and diligent maintenance can minimize breakdowns.

It is interesting to note that immediately after Lieutenant Gano was killed his platoon halted "pinned down by hostile fire." Probably it was not a coincidence. Although Gano had told High to continue to run the platoon, to the members of the platoon Lieutenant Gano was an officer and their platoon leader. When he stopped, the platoon stopped. Soldiers in battle look first to their appointed commanders for leadership and direction.

Lieutenant Riddle, Corporal Lamb, Private High, and the men of Company G must be commended for their courage, their determination, and their aggressive action. They accomplished their mission after they built up fire superiority with their own weapons. But they probably would have had an easier assignment had the preparations been more detailed.

Additional Sources:

www.army.mil/cmh-pg/brochures
www.usachcs.army.mil
1-14th.com
www.terracom.net

The 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division and a French Battalion attached to the 23rd fought from bunker to bunker on Hill 851. Hill 851 was the last objective on Heartbreak Ridge still held by the enemy. In the bitter fighting, only a few enemy survive to be taken prisoner.

The end to the 33-day battle came on Oct. 13. French troops charged the crest of the hill at daybreak wiping out the last surviving North Koreans.

Winning Heartbreak Ridge and surrounding ridges and peaks resulted in 3,700 casualties in the 2nd ID. About half of the casualties were in the 23rd IR and the French Battalion.

The 2nd ID leadership estimates the enemy, mostly North Korean units, lost about 25,000 men.

The infantry received a tremendous amount of artillery and air support. In the artillery support, 62,000 rounds were fired by 76mm guns; 401,000 rounds by 105mm howitzers; 84,000 by 105mm and 13,000 by 8-inch howitzers. Crews of 60mm, 81mm and 4.2-inch mortars fired 119,000 rounds. In addition 57mm and 75mm recoilless rifle teams fired 18,000 rounds.

The U.S. Fifth Air Force tactical fighters flew 842 sorties in support and dropped 250 tons of bombs on the enemy on Heartbreak Ridge and the surrounding area.

GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY!

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR PRAYER FOR A POW AND A SINGLE MOM BEING HELD BY THE IRAQIS.

IT WAS SENT TRO ME BY A COWORKER. PLEASE KEEP RASHONDA JONHSON AND HER FAMILY IN YOUR PRAYERS

Subject: SISTERS TAKING ACTION FOR ANOTHER SISTER PRAYER IS NEEDED.

We have to stay in prayer for this sister and her family!!! This was forwarded to me and I was compelled to send it to you. If this is all I can do I do it willingly. Share this with everyone you know and get your churches to lift all our POW's in prayer. LADIES, This morning on the Tom Joyner Show, they discussed the young, black, single mom that is now a POW (name...RASHONDA JOHNSON).This is the first time in many years that a woman has been captured and held as POW.....Iraq is known for extreme measures when it comes to torture and especially rape chambers.............I am sure that the males WILL do all that they can, but I am also sure that they will separate her for that reason. THEY WILL BEAT, RAPE AND TORTURE HER FOR PUNISHMENT OR JUST GENERAL PURPOSES. It is reported that her mother is not taking this well (can you imagine?), she is not allowed to speak of what the US Government tells her, and she has Rashonda's two year old...... We may not be able to do anything for our Sister that has been held captive in Iraq, but we know that God has already dispatched a host of angels to aid and watch over her. The key is that through prayer, we empower those angels to fight the demonic forces that desire to take our Sister's life and dignity through rape and abuse. We come against the acts of Satan and his demons and we shall bind them. "No weapon formed against Rashonda will succeed...Angels will guard and protect her, and if some ugly demon should approach her, he will see mighty warrior Angels surrounding her, protecting her and giving her peace and comfort. This we will rejoice in, for it is done ...in the Name of Jesus. Thank God for all that He has already done and is doing for Rashonda. Give Him the Glory. P.S. Pass it on...Leviticus 26:7-8 - And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword (God's word/prayer). And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. There is power is numbers...