Task Force Smith - Korea, 1950

[Redleg]

July 5, 1950. South of Seoul, Korea.
The first combat of U.S. troops in the Korean War.

What was Task Force Smith? What was their mission?

[RockinHarry]

this appears to me a very interesting site concerning "The Korean War":

http://www.rt66.com/~korteng/SmallArms/history.htm

__________
Harry

[Redleg]

A very nice site, worth the visit. A link to "Diggers" there also.

Makes me wonder about a "Digger" fight scenario!

[Tankhead]

Hi RockinHarry!

Yes that is a great link

Hi Redleg!

Want more info check this one out

Worth the visit

Good info on Task Force Smith just look for Korea war

[Major Destruction]

The most interesting thing about TF Smith was that the bazookas would not destroy the t-34's.
Try that with SPWAW and I think you will find the contrary.

[G_X]

Depends a little on luck and where they get hit.

[Redleg]

Ah, the incredible "defective" bazookas! The heart of the Task Force Smith scenario. The problem was how to simulate the great difficulties in destroying the T34/85s.

This scenario was quite difficult to design. But after much trial and error, the North Korean T34s are difficult to destroy.

This scenario, after much testing and experimenting, will be appearing at the Arsenal site before long.

[BruceAZ_MatrixForum]

Originally posted by Redleg
July 5, 1950. South of Seoul, Korea.
The first combat of U.S. troops in the Korean War.

What was Task Force Smith? What was their mission?

Good subject! The best source of information on the KW, in my view, is Clay Blair's book "The Forgotten War." See pages 92-106.

TF Smith, I happened to remember as the CO fought on Guadalcanal with valor, was a barely trained short regiment (21st Infantry) made up of units from two battalions (1st and 3rd). TF Smith was made up of mix from both battalions and 1/21's commander Charles B. "Brad" Smith (WP-'39), commanded the TF initially as the 21st Regimental CO, Dick Stephens remained in Japan and organized the move of the rest of the regiment to Korea.

The TF was airlifted into Pusan with no clear cut orders other than be a defensive unit to hold a assemby area until the rest of the TF arrived by air. The command had very limited ammo and was short all their heavy weapons including the new 3.5" bazooka or 4.2" mortars. This was the first of a series of opening moves by the 24th Division (CO was Bill Dean) in movement to Korea. The movement was a complete mess and the delivery was spread over a few days with the bulk of the Division to arrive by ship. Thank God they were not in contact.

On 7-2, the TF was assembled and boarded trains that were headed towards the small village of Pyongtaek, south of Osan, to be the main unit in a "Dean rashly concieved new and far more elaborate blocking plan." Dean figured he could bottle up the NKPA in the narrow Pyongtaek corridor. TF Smith was now reinforced by a battery from 52nd FAB (six 105's). Dean gave Smith these orders: "Delay, but give him a **** good bloody nose."

Dean-ordered reinforcements were close behind as Jay Loveless's 34th Infantry was also sent to "hold" Pyongtaek. 1 and 3/34 would join Smith but according to Blair, the mission was "foolhardy at best." Three un-trained, ill-equipped, and understrength infantry battalions without armor or heavy weapons with little ammo and communication between units, were fed into a "NKPA meatgrinder." They were hit by regiments from the NKPA's 105th Armored Division and 4th Infantry Division (Mobile). These were some opf the best in the NKPA.

Needless to say, the TF was hard hit and the 34th was nearly wiped out within a few hours. This was, unfortunately, the first of many US Army "bugouts" during the early days of the KW. Some say the 34th was a "hardluck" regiment. I think they had lousy commanders.

Brad Smith was a good infantry commander in my opinion. If anyone was to blame for the mess it was Dean who was one lousy combat commander.

Bruce
Semper Fi

[Major Destruction]

Originally posted by Redleg
Ah, the incredible "defective" bazookas! The heart of the Task Force Smith scenario. The problem was how to simulate the great difficulties in destroying the T34/85s.

This scenario was quite difficult to design. But after much trial and error, the North Korean T34s are difficult to destroy.

If anyone can achieve this, you can.

Here is the description of the bazooka fire,
"Operating a bazooka from the ditch along the east side of the road, 2d Lt.
Ollie D. Connor, fired twenty-two rockets at approximately fifteen yards' range against the rear of the tanks where their armor was weakest. Whether they were
effective is doubtful. The two lead tanks, however, were stopped just through the pass when they came under direct fire of the single 105-mm. howitzer using HEAT
ammunition. Very likely these artillery shells stopped the two tanks, although the barrage of close-range bazooka rockets may have damaged their tracks.

but.......

Intervs, author with Smith, 7 Oct 51, and Perry, 13 Dec 51. Smith
told the author that the bazooka ammunition had deteriorated because of age.

see: http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/korea/20-2-1/Sn06.htm

See also Max Hastings account in his book, aptly named, "The Korean War" pp 1-10

[Redleg]

Good references, guys. You are quite the researchers.
I found essentially the same information from:
"This Kind of War", by Fehrenbach
"U.S. Army in the Korean War", Chief of Military History, U.S. Army

Task force Smith put B and C companies on line. A company was enroute. A company would get a good dose of bitter medicine the next day.

Another interesting aspect of this is the NKPA was armed with a mixture of captured U.S. (Nationalist Chinese), Japanese taken from surrendering forces in Manchuria, and Soviet. So the North Korea force makes for an interesting attack force.

The problem is to have the AI attack in a convincing manner and get some good from the T34s. The Human player will have to hold his positions and inflict enough damage to roll up a victory of sorts. In testing, I got a victory that didn't feel like a victory!
However, I never did get a T34 that could absorb 22 hits from my modified bazookas.

Thanks to Fred's SP: WAW scenario editor, I was able to put the 5 Jul 50 date in place.

I hope players will enjoy this somewhat different SPWAW battle. If nothing else, it shows that the old warhorse still has a few miles left to go!

[sami heimola]

Redleg, if I remember right, you or somebody else was made Korean scenario and said that he was able to change 194? to 1950 with some Chlanda's program? Can you tell me what name it' s called and where I could d/l it? Is it possible to change 19?? into 1861 (for example)? As you all maybe know, my team design SPCW mod for SPWAW and it would be cool to get right years into it:D...

Thanks in advance,

Sami

[Resisti]

Originally posted by sami heimola
Redleg, if I remember right, you or somebody else was made Korean scenario and said that he was able to change 194? to 1950 with some Chlanda's program? Can you tell me what name it' s called and where I could d/l it? Is it possible to change 19?? into 1861 (for example)? As you all maybe know, my team design SPCW mod for SPWAW and it would be cool to get right years into it:D...

Thanks in advance,

Sami

It is called WawEd, and it is included in the full Spwaw download.
Just check the folder " Chandla".

[sami heimola]

Originally posted by Resisti


It is called WawEd, and it is included in the full Spwaw download.
Just check the folder " Chandla".

Thanks about info Resisti:D. I didn't remembered that WawEd came with game...

[RockinHarry]

Originally posted by sami heimola
Redleg, if I remember right, you or somebody else was made Korean scenario and said that he was able to change 194? to 1950 with some Chlanda's program? Can you tell me what name it' s called and where I could d/l it? Is it possible to change 19?? into 1861 (for example)? As you all maybe know, my team design SPCW mod for SPWAW and it would be cool to get right years into it:D...

Thanks in advance,

Sami

Hi sami

only a one Byte value (0-255) is supported in SPWAW as scenario date! So your scenario can play from 1900 to 19255. The "19" can´t be changed to "18" (for 1861) in Freds Editor (Tools/Edit Game Data/Date), but I think you can possibly hex edit things to you liking. Try WaWEditors Hex Edit (Tools/Hex Editor) and check section 37. It might be possible that the "19" is hardcoded though.

How is SPCW progressing?

________
Harry

[Wild Bill]

For those with a historical itch that they wish to scratch, you might want to visit the articles section at the Military Gamer Online.

http://www.militarygameronline.com/insi ... es&secid=5

The latest article, a general overview on the war in Korea was just posted by the venerable Shaun Wallace. Thank you sir!

http://www.militarygameronline.com/insi ... e&artid=90

Wild Bill

[Redleg]

Task Force Smith. Research, trial-and-error, testing complete.

"Fire and Ice, Part 1" is the working title. This unique scenario will soon be posted at the Arsenal site.

Watch for the announcement.

Many thanks to the many ideas, research sources, and constructive criticism it took to work the bugs out of this one.

Part 2 will most likely feature Alpha company which was not on line for part 1.

Part 3 will most likely be near the "Frozen Chosen" but that will be a while in development.