Ambush Patrol on New Year’s Eve—Marine Raid in Company Strength—Major General John T. Selden Assumes Command—Boot, Combat, Rubber, Insulated—500 Armored Vests Flown to Korea—Helicopter Operations MULETRAIN and CHANGIE-CHANGIE—The Fire Days of Operation CLAM-UP
As the New Year began, the 1st Marine Division occupied practically the same front it had held along Line MINNESOTA for the last three months ([Map 20]) and would continue to hold for the next two and a half. The major units were disposed from left to right on 1 January 1952 as follows:
1st KMC Regiment (Colonel Kim Dong Ha commanding, LtCol Alfred H. Marks, senior advisor);
1st Marines (Colonel Sidney S. Wade);
5th Marines (Colonel Frank P. Hager, Jr.);
11th Marines (Colonel Bruce T. Hemphill) in artillery support.
The 7th Marines (Colonel John J. Wermuth) was in reserve until 10 January, when it relieved the 5th Marines on line. That regiment then went into reserve and could not be committed to action without the approval of X Corps.[338]
[338] 1stMarDiv HD, Jan 52, 1–2.
Tactical units not organic to the 1st Marine Division but attached at this time were, in addition to the 1st KMC Regiment, the 1st Korean Artillery Battalion, the 1st Platoon, 92d U.S. Army Searchlight Company, and Battery C, 1st 4.5″ Rocket Battalion.
The new Korean artillery battalion consisted of two medium (155mm) and two light (105mm) howitzer batteries. Major General Gerald C. Thomas, commanding general of the 1st Marine Division, approved a plan for placing this unit in the Punchbowl on 9 January to reinforce Lieutenant Colonel Sherman W. Parry’s 1st Battalion, 11th Marines.