The Brigade commander voiced his concurrence, and the plan was put in motion.[296]
Obong-ni Ridge sprawled across the Marine front like some huge prehistoric reptile. Its blunt head overlooked the MSR below Tugok, and the elongated body stretched to the southeast more than 2,000 yards before losing its identity in a complex of swamps and irregular hill formations. The high, narrow spine was marked by a series of peaks, beginning with Hill 102 at the neck, followed by 109, 117, 143, 147, and 153. There were still other peaks to the southeast, but so small and irregular as to be almost indistinguishable.
A procession of steep spurs, separated from one another by pronounced gullies, ran down from the numbered peaks to the rice paddies far below. At the top of a gully extending down from the saddle between Hills 109 and 117 was a fault caused by erosion of the red clay and shale. Gaping like an ugly wound, the raw blemish inspired one of the ridge’s first names--“Red Slash Hill.” It was also dubbed “No Name Ridge” by some of the newspaper correspondents.
[Illustration: 1st NAKTONG COUNTEROFFENSIVE
1st PROVISIONAL MARINE BRIGADE ATTACHED TO 24th INF DIV.
SHOWING MARINE & ARMY ATTACKS & N.K. POSITIONS, COUNTERATTACK, & WITHDRAWALS]
Marine air and artillery were to pound the ridge on 17 August from 0725 to H-hour, 0800, after which MAG-33 would strafe the hill to cover the advancing infantrymen.[297] Brigade artillery fired its preparation as planned; but due either to the hasty registration of the previous day or to error on the part of observers, the shelling was not effective against the enemy on Objective One. It was so inacurrate, in fact, that many officers of 2/5 thought there had been no preparation at all.[298] To make matters worse, air attacks scheduled to begin at 0725 did not materialize until 0740; and the 18 Corsairs assigned to the job had time for only one strike before H-hour.[299]
[298] Annexes How and Item to Brig SAR; Maj A. M. Zimmer, ltr to author, 6 May 54 (Zimmer, 6 May 54); and W. E. Sweeney, ltr to author, 22 May 54 (Sweeney, 22 May 54).
[299] Annexes Easy and How to Brig SAR; and Brig Op Plan 13-50.
The two rifle companies of the 2d Battalion jumped off abreast at 0800. On the right was Captain Zimmer’s Company D, emerging into the open from the road cut between Hill 125 and Observation Hill.[300]