Combat· Korean War
Hell Fire Valley
With Hagaru-ri under threat and short of troops, a hastily assembled column was ordered up the road from Koto-ri to reinforce the vital base.
Task Force Drysdale, a mixed force of Royal Marines, U.S. Marines, and Army troops with attached tanks, set out up the narrow defile and was caught in a devastating night ambush in the stretch of road that became known as Hell Fire Valley. Chinese fire raked the strung-out convoy, splitting it into isolated pockets and destroying vehicles, while the trapped men fought through the darkness in scattered groups. Part of the force broke through to Hagaru-ri and delivered the reinforcement the base badly needed; others were cut off, and one large group was overwhelmed after a night-long stand. The action kept Hagaru-ri manned at a critical moment, but the cost in men, vehicles, and the column's cohesion was severe.
Record no. 617