Now, a u. S. Army film from september 1950 when u. S. Led forces in south korea were in retreat. The film shows the arrival of British Forces and the subsequent drive to retake the south korean capital of seoul. This is war. War and its masses. War and its men. War and its machines. Together, they form the big picture. Welcome to the big picture. Im captain Carl Zimmerman. The big picture is a report to you from your army, an army committed to the people of the United States to stop communist aggression wherever it may strike. The Big Picture Campaign through firsttime reports of our combat veterans and through film taken by combat cameramen of the army signal corp. These are the men who daily record on film the big picture as it happens where it happens. Today, our big picture brings into focus the turning of the tide. Youll see our fight to hold on to the pusan perimeter. Youll see air support from our carriers, the invasion of wally, and the march on seoul. And youll hear a firsttime report from platoon leader with the armys 24th Infantry Division. Now, lets go back to august 1950. On 10 august after 47 days of fighting in korea, the tide of battle in the the pusan beachhead is ebbing and flowing for both sides. United nations forces are dug in along the 120 mile perimeter. Communist troops still outnumbering ours 2 to 1 have failed in their objective to drive un forces into the sea or destroy them before we can take the offensive. At the southern end of our beachhead, task force keen consisting of units of the 25th Infantry Division, the fifth combat team and the first marine brigade are driving towards chinju in the first offensive in the war. 35 miles from pusan, key port of the entire beachhead. Southwest of taegu, u. S. Troops are reducing a communist bridge head. South of waegwan, u. S. Troops are containing another bridge head. North of waegwan, a counter attack by south korean troops pushes communists back across the river. Along the northern perimeter, west of uisong, communists convince South Koreans to withdraw. To the north, South Koreans have recaptured yongdok. In the air, air force, navy and marine planes are giving support to Ground Troops along the perimeter. They also blast communications and military industrial targets from taegu to the north koreans northern border. Guns of United Nations ships also help. The struggle to defend the beachhead is a furious one, but we are holding. On 24 august on the central sector which is concerned with the defense of taegu and the river line, engineers have built a bridge across the tributary of the river. This serves for the use of lighter vehicles and foot soldiers. With increasing supplies moving in, there is need for a heavy equipment bridge. South korean civilian labor is deployed. Although in many sections, primitive native tools are used and although u. S. Engineers depend on korean manpower theres a change now since the early days of the war. Heavy Construction Equipment is becoming a familiar sight. An accumulation of this type of equipment, necessarily second in priority to arms and ammunition, is an indication of the vast bulk of supplies that are now being received. On 29 august, the british Aircraft Carrier unicorn moved into pusan harbor. On deck are british troops bound for the korean battle front. Within a week, they are rushed to fight along side first cavalry troops east of waegwan to stop a break through along the river. These troops are the first infantrymen in the foreign nation to join in the United Nations police action. They are members of the argo and sutherland highlanders most of whom hail from the london area. Almost all of these britters have served in hong kong for six months where they underwent rigorous training in hilly country similar to that of korea. Except for the 3. 5 bazooka, u. S. Supplied rations, these brit herbers will use their own weapons and supplies. Their uniforms are jungle green with only the pipers wearing the kilts which won the scotts the nickname the ladies from hell. A c47 transport plane is loaded with leaflets. These drops are made to counter enemy propaganda. The c47 transports carry heavy loads of leaflets for long trips into north korea. For shorter trips, t6s are used. Safe conduct passes. If the leaflet is found on a north korean soldier by his own officers, the penalty is death. Overenemy territory, the packets are thrown out and the wind takes care of sorting and delivery. Enemy captives report that these messages are often memorized to avoid the danger of having the leaflet found on the person. On 30 august, the reds are gaining in the south and in the central sector. But in the northeast near pohang, United States and south korean units are holding their ground against heavy opposition. In this fight near pohang is the country of the 24th Infantry Division supported by a platoon of tanks. These units are moving forward to attack a position called hill 148, a ridge about one mile west of pohang. The communist drive in this area is a threeprong thrust along the tenmile front. At this time, pohang is in allied hands. The enemy is infiltrating here, one group of unknown size having set up a road block south of pohang three miles behind the allied lines. Infantry and tanks coordinate activity as they approach the jumping off point. Intelligence has revealed that the communist attack on pohang is an attempt to fulfill orders given the local red commander to take the city at all costs in the next 24 hours. And for the reds it is a costly operation. An estimated 2,000 north koreans have been killed in the last two days. Although u. S. Elements are here in some strength, the weight of the attack is against the south korean armys third and capital divisions and their 17th regiment. This is the 10th week of the korean war and the fighting on all fronts has reached furry. The present situation does not appear optimistic. Enemy fire is encountered. Information goes back to the company commander. The c. O. s orders come forward. The attack on hill 148 is about to begin. The attack gets underway slowly at first and then with increasing fire fight. This is one small action in the big fight that is raging along the entire 150mile front in korea. A few miles of territory changes hands again and again. If the allied line cracks at any point, the whole pusan beachhead can be lost. The those were trying times for all of us. Our troops jammed into the small area of pusan perimeter defending against great odds and at the same time building strength for the eventual offensive. Lieutenant tom was there. Tom served as a platoon leader. Tell us what the defense around the perimeter was like. The defense around the pusan perimeter consisted mostly of a plugging action, in other words moving division into the perimeter to fill up a gap penetrated by the enemy. We did not have enough men to completely fill up a complete rectangle or a perimeter. So, therefore we had to plug up the gaps by moving men around. When trouble started, you moved men right in there. Thats right. What are these attacks like, tom . These attacks were constituted mostly by a preparation of mortar fire by the enemy. They were very good at this mortar fire. They outnumbered us i would say approximately 5 to 1. They had a mass of men and also they infiltrated in between our lines, stressed to civilians and altogether harassed us by that type of movement. Tell us about the breakout, tom. What are the preparations for it like . Well, the preparations consisted of getting ready, getting our ammunition ready, getting our men ready and briefings. The higher powers around there said that they believe that the north korean perimeter around our defense was made up of a thin crust. And once we penetrated that and broke through, we would be able to continue up north without too much trouble. Thats about the way it worked too, isnt it . Yes, thats the way it did work. Well, what about the teamwork as you moved north . How about our air support . Was it good . Did you have it when you wanted it . The air support was very good. You called for an air strike and get it almost immediately. One time i was taking, with my platoon taking a village, and we received firing from a hill to our left front. Called back and asked for air attack, and within five minutes we had planes coming over giving us attack within about 50 yards to our front which is pretty close. It certainly is. Thats really getting it in there when you need it. It is. Tom, how about the artillery at that time . The artillery also was very good. The coordination was close. They gave us very good fire, accurate fire, and the north koreans were scared to death of the White Phosphorous which they fired. It seemed to have a very bad effect on them and naturally it was good for us. The artillery was excellent. We heard a lot of talk about the fanaticism of the north koreans. Can you give us any examples of that . Yes, i can. My platoon was taking a house one time which housed several members of the communist party. We surrounded the house and had an interpreter ask them to come out and surrender and they refused to do it. We had to fire on the house. As many of them went out, they shot themselves and the others pulled pins on grenades and blew themselves up. They just did not want to be captured at all. Well, tom, tell us about the weapons we used over there. How did our weapons compare with those used by the north koreans . Our weapons were far superior to those in the north korean. They were more dependable. Our men knew better use of them. And all in all they gave out better fire power. The automatic rifle is my favorite and the north koreans were deathly afraid of it. It was a very good weapon and there was no comparison between it and the north korean burke gun, as they called. Pretty much respect for that b. A. R. Of ours. They really did. They were scared of it. When youre moving ahead for a long time, you get to know them pretty well. Yes, you do. You eat with them, sleep with them, and every once in a while one of them gets shot and you feel bad. You get to know them really well. My platoon sergeant was an old soldier. Hes the type of man who really knows his business. I owe a lot of credit to him for helping me in the platoon. We had younger men. Squad leaders, freddy, smoky, and those boys you get to know them well. Around the pusan perimeter before we broke out because of the fact that we were shifting around an awful lot, it was very hard to try and size up your men. But regardless of this fact, i believe that we did fairly good. And i got a good chance to more or less size up my men. We were moving around quite a bit at that time though. Well, tom, it was men like you and men of your platoon that held back the enemy in the pusan perimeter against very great odds. You kept that enemy from throwing us back into the sea. Lets watch now as some of our troops throw off a red attack. On 2 september in the South Central sector, the first marine brigade is rushed to the battle lines near yong song. Communist strategy at this time is an attempt to achieve Second Division southern plank and the 25th divisions northern plank. These marines have been rushed here after a brief rest during which they regrouped. The marines move up the high ground they must retake to secure their sector of the counterattack. The enemy is holding his fire momentarily. The marine counteroffensive has been coordinated with the Second Division, the entire action being five prong. One tank supported marine unit has moved up the main road leading west from yong song while diagonally on the righthand left other marines flank the enemy. Farther to the right and left, tanksupported Second Division troops advance in wide and circling movements. Marines run forward as the enemy opens fire. A wounded marine runs back for aid. Other marines resume the attack moving slowly waiting for the enemy to reveal his flanks and main position. Despite north korean tanks, mortars, and other automatic weapons, the fight continues. This is almost a repeat of an assault these same marines launched two weeks previously. The high ground in this sector has changed hands at least five times in two weeks. The marines form a base of fire to drive the enemy off. The line builds up and so does the fire power. Meanwhile, overhead, air force and marine corp. Planes support the Ground Troops. Carrier planes are ready for another strike on inland targets. Rockets are of particular interest at this time. Three different types are being used. One of the first superexplosive types to see service in korea was the fiveinch holy moses. Later the 11. 75 inch tiny tim proved highly effective on bridges and similar large targets. The most recent arrival is the navy 6. 5 inch bran. Constant activity on these carriers has not dampened the crew mens sense of humor. It is noteworthy that the ram rocket set a speed record for production. From its Conference Room conception to its appearance in combat, it took only 24 days. Aerial missions of the navy and marines often include strategic and tactical action in the same strike. In the small area of korea, targets of opportunity count heavily. Gun cameras record targets of the carrier planes. Japan, a b26 raid is in preparation during the week of 6 september. The b26 is armed with 16 50 caliber machine guns. These guns are electrically operated and a single gunner can bring many of them to bear on the same target at once. The b26 can carry a 5,000 pound bomb load or five of these 1,000 pounders. With these bombs plus nay palm, its a formidable attacking unit. Their targets ranging from strategic Industrial Areas in the north to tactical areas along the battle lines in the south. The b26 is classified as a light bomber with a speed of more than 350milesanhour. After their final briefing, crew members head for the field. This has become a familiar scene in United States air bases in japan from which b26s are thrown on an aroundtheclock schedule. These b26 douglas invaders were formerly called a26 bombers. The present b26 is a very adaptable plane that is revamped for different purposes. Canyon may be adjusted for the nose gun. A plane can be adapted to carry a variety of substances. It is designed primarily for low level bombing. It is seldom used for the High Altitude work of the b29. These targets are in the area of seoul during the first week of september. The lights on the ground are tracers from the machine guns. Occasionally enemy flak comes up with the planes. On 7 september, the u. S. Air force flew 625 sorties in 24 hours. On 15 september, dawn breaks off the island of wolmi. Ships fire point blank at the island. Rockets join the softening up process. General macarthur watches from the bridge of the flagship. This landing is a calculated risk. General macarthur is using many of his reinforcements from the south. The first wave hits the beach. Because of the 30foot tide poll, landing must be run assure in a period of one hour before high tide and two hours after. The first groups landing here will have to stick it out alone until the next tide, 11 hours later. A bulldozer smothers a red dugout. A fire fight begins. All the reds havent been driven off by the bombardment. Captives are stripped to prevent concealment of weapons. Others are a little more formal. On 16 september, the First Marine Division moves through incheon. This city is captured against light resilience. Allied casualties are few. As they move through inchon, their target is seoul. Sweeping across the north of the han river. The han is crossed, a River Village is taken, and the marines move on. But there is bitter fighting ahead. Seoul is heavily defended. As these vehicles move on toward seoul, the marines have a message for the reds. Enjoy yourself. Its later than you think. During the six weeks between 10 august and 20 september, the period covered by this combat bulletin, there were three main phases in the korean fighting. On 10 august, reinforced United Nations forces were dug in to defend at all costs at a beachhead perimeter bounded ri the river. If we were to hold our beachhead and the vital supply port of pusan. Communist forces were threatening bow hang, taegu and pusan. The most dangerous communist drive. On 1 september, the communist launched their biggest drive of the war, all along our beachhead perimeter. It was an allout effort to take pusan, eliminate our beachhead in korea, and destroy United Nations forces. We were being pushed back again toward masan, taegu was in danger from the north and south, pohang was being taken and retaken. By 20 september, the tide of battle had changed completely. Five days previously, u. S. Marines had made an amphibious land at inchon, 150 miles behind the enemy lines. The enemy, still pressing allout drive for pusan, was suddenly cut off from his supplies. On 20 september, u. S. Marines were entering the outskirts of seoul as u. S. 7th division infantrymen fanned southward to head off communist retreating from the southern front. On our southern beachhead, United Nations forces were crossing the nag tong river. They were advancing north of taegu and at waegwan, west of changnyong and west of pusan. We had held our beachhead. Now we were on the offensive, and it was the beginning of the end for the communist invasion of south korea. Those were the events that comprised the big picture from august 20th to september 20th, 1950. Our thanks to lieutenant for being with us today. Next week our big picture will show the United Nations forces on the offensive. Youll see our recapture of the city of seoul, the fall of north korean capital of pyongyang, an air drop by the 187th regimental combat team, and youll see the missouri, the mg mo giving support to our Ground Troops. And a combat veteran who saw as it happened a part of the big picture. This is capital Carl Zimmerman inviting you to be with us then. Tonight on American History tv beginning at 8 00 p. M. Eastern, a night of programs on espionage. We begin with paul kicx talking about his book the saboteur which chronicles the world war ii exploits. Watch American History tv tonight and over the weekend on cspan3. American history tv on cspan3, exploring the people and events that tell the american story every weekend. Coming up this weekend, 60 years ago, four africanamerican students protested segregation at a woolworth lunch counter in greensboro, north carolina, which began the lunch counter sitins of the civil rights movement. Live on washington journal, well discuss the sitins and desegregation with amherst professor tracy parker, author of Department Stores and the black freedom movement. Then at 4 00 p. M. Eastern on real america, two films on the civil rights movement, february one the story of the greensboro four and American Revolution of 63. And an interview with esther terry and her role in the 1960 lunch counter sitin protest in greensboro. Exploring the american story. Watch American History tv this weekend on cspan3. This u. S. Army film from the National Archives describes how psychological warfare was used during the korean war. The film shows radio programming, leaflet distribution, and roving loud speakers that broadcast across enemy lines