The two platoons of Company D tanks, reinforced by the tank platoon of the AT Company, RCT-5, reached Koto-ri at noon after moving out that morning from Majon-dong. Company B, 1st Tank Battalion, departed Tongjong-ni, just south of Majon-dong, but did not arrive at Koto-ri until 1500. The 2d Platoon being attached to Sutter’s battalion, the remainder of the company was directed to bring up the rear of the Task Force Drysdale, which by that time had renewed its attack. Thus the convoy was made up of the following components, including the elements which joined in the late afternoon of 29 November:
| Unit | Estimated Strength | Estimated vehicles | Estimated Tanks |
| 41 Ind. Commando, RM | 235 | ||
| Co. G, 3/1 | 205 | ||
| Co. B, 31st Infantry, USA | 190 | 22 | |
| Det. Div. Hq. Bn. | 62 | 17 | |
| Det. 1st Sig. Bn. | 8 | 4 | |
| Det. 7th MT Bn.[469] | 12 | 22 | |
| Det. Serv. Co., 1st Tank Bn. | 18 | 31 | |
| Co. B(-), 1st Tank Bn. | 86 | 23 | 12 |
| Co. D(-), 1st Tank Bn. | 77 | 22 | 12 |
| Tank Plat., AT Co., RCT-5 | 29 | 5 | |
| Total | 922 | 141 | 29 |
[469] Trailers are included among the vehicles. George Company, 3/1 lacked organic transport and was mounted in the vehicles of 7thMTBn. For similar reasons ServCo, 1stTkBn, supplied the transportation for the 41st Commando and 377th Transportation Truck Company, USA, for B/31stInf.
At 1350 the head of the column had resumed the advance, with the order of march as shown below:
| D/TKs & AT/5 | — | G/1 | — | 41 Cmdo | — | B/31 | — | HqBn | — | B/TKs |
| 17 tks | 22 veh | 31 veh | 22 veh | 66 veh | 12 tks |
Shortly after moving out, Sitter’s men were hit by heavy small-arms fire from houses on the right of the road. The company commander went forward and requested the tanks to open up with their 90mm guns, and the Chinese flushed out of the houses were destroyed by machine-gun fire.
Progress was slow because of the necessity of further halts while the tanks blasted out pockets of CCF resistance. Enemy mortar as well as small-arms fire was encountered, and a round scored a direct hit on one of the trucks carrying personnel of 3d Platoon of George Company, wounding every man in the vehicle.
Further delays resulted while the tanks made their way over roadblocks or around craters. For the three infantry companies, the advance consisted of brief periods of movement alternated with interludes in which the troops scrambled out of the trucks to engage in fire fights. Finally, about 1615, the column ground to a complete halt about four miles north of Koto-ri. At that time the tanks of Company B were just leaving the 2/1 perimeter to join the convoy.
The Fight in Hell Fire Valley
Drysdale and Sitter were informed by the tank officers that they thought the armor could get through, but that further movement for the trucks was inadvisable in view of road conditions and increasing enemy resistance. The task force commander requested a decision from Division Headquarters as to whether he should resume an advance which threatened to prove costly. It was a difficult choice for General Smith to make, but in view of the urgent necessity for reinforcements at Hagaru he directed Drysdale to continue.[470]