There still existed on 29 December a requirement for clothing and individual equipment, and the spare parts problem remained acute. Ironically, the fact that the 1st Marine Division had brought most of its motor transport out from the Chosin Reservoir was a handicap at Masan. Eighth Army units which had lost their vehicles were given priority for receiving new ones. This meant that the Marines must make the best of war-worn trucks.
| Items of equipment | T/E allowance | Shortages 23 Dec 50 | Shortages 31 Dec 50 |
| Bags, sleeping | 23,000 | 3,585 | 0 |
| Machine gun, Browning, Cal. 30, M1919A4 | 1,398 | 338 | 0 |
| BAR, 30 cal. | 904 | 441 | 0 |
| Carbine, 30 cal., M2 | 11,084 | 2,075 | 0 |
| Launcher, rocket, 3.5″, M20 | 396 | 105 | 0 |
| Howitzer, 105mm | 54 | 8 | 0 |
| Howitzer, 155mm | 18 | 9 | 0 |
| Glasses, field, 7×50 | 1,740 | 1,305 | 1,006 |
| Tank, Med., M4A3, dozer, 105 mm | 12 | 7 | 7 |
| Tank, med., M-26, 90mm | 85 | 16 | 12 |
| Truck, 1/4 T., 4×4 | 641 | 105 | 58 |
| Truck, 1½ T., 6×6, cargo | 54 | 3 | 0 |
| Truck, 2½ T., 6×6, cargo | 737 | 124 | 33 |
| Radio set, SCR 536 | 474 | 211 | 211 |
| Radio set, SCR 619 | 137 | 74 | 49 |
| Telephone, EE8 | 1,162 | 58 | 58 |
Marine Air Squadrons in Action
While the ground forces trained in the Masan area, the Corsair squadrons and the jet squadron flew combat missions. Support of the Hungnam redeployment had top priority until 24 December, when the last of the 105,000 troops were evacuated by Rear Admiral James H. Doyle’s Task Force 90. Such totals as 91,000 Korean refugees, 17,500 vehicles, and 350,000 measurement tons of cargo were also recorded by the U.S. Navy’s largest operation of the Korean conflict.[15]
[15] ComPhibGruOne Action Rpt, Hungnam, 5–10, 25.
No serious trouble was experienced from enemy action during the two weeks of the redeployment, although G-2 reports warned that several Chinese divisions were believed to be in the general area. Air strikes and naval gunfire shared the credit for this result. Nearly 34,000 shells and 12,800 rockets were fired by the support ships, and UN planes were on station or carrying out missions every moment that weather permitted. Marine fighters of VMF-212, VMF-214, and VMF-323, flying from carriers after the closing of Yonpo Airfield, made a noteworthy contribution to the success of the Hungnam redeployment.[16]
[16] For a derailed account of the “amphibious operation in reverse,” see the last chapter of Volume III of this series.
VMF-212, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Richard W. Wyczawski, was assigned the task of gathering the helicopters of VMO-6 from various ships of the Seventh Fleet and returning them to the operational control of the 1st Marine Division at Masan. There the OYs of the observation squadron were waiting after an overland flight, and Major Vincent J. Gottschalk’s unit was complete.
With the Hungnam redeployment ended, the Navy offered to make its primary carrier-borne air effort in support of the Eighth Army. There was no single over-all commander of Navy and Air Force aviation in Korea (other than General MacArthur himself) and the two services were working under a system of mutual agreement and coordination.[17]
[17] CinCPacFlt Interim Evaluation Report (PacFlt Interim Rpt) No. 2, II, 621–758.