UNITED STATES MARINE FORCES KOREA

Korean War Order of Battle
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When the Korean War began, the U.S. Marine Corps, like all services, was understrength and still equipped with World War Two equipment so when ordered to Korea, all that could be provided initially was a provisional brigade, designated the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade. The Brigade was formed from assets of the 1st Marine Division and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing at Camp Pendleton, CA. The Brigade was activated on 7 July 1950 and built around two units, the 5th Marines as a regimental combat team and Marine Aircraft Group 33 (MAG-33). The air component was consolidated under Forward Echelon, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing who's commander was double billeted as the deputy brigade commander. Troops were hurriedly reassigned to the Brigade from 1st Marine Division units as supplies and mothballed equipment were arriving. Some 6,800 troops were sent from the 2d Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, NC for both the Brigade and to begin the rebuilding of the 1st Marine Division. Much of the equipment and vehicles came from Marine Supply Depot, Barstow, CA and were recovered from Pacific islands and refurbish during Operation ROLL-UP in the late 1940s. Regardless, many units were still short men and equipment. The 5th Marines' three battalions had only two rifle companies apiece. While third rifle platoons were hastily formed for these six companies, they were still short some 50 men each. The three artillery batteries had only four 105mm howitzers instead of the normal six and the regimental Antitank Company lacked its organic tank platoon.

Load out of Task Group 53.7 at San Diego began soon after the Brigade was activated. The 266 officers and 4,503 enlisted men of the ground component sailed between 12-14 July on three troop transports, two attack cargo transports, and three landing ships dock. MAG-33 was embarked aboard two troop transports and an escort carrier. A total of 6,534 Brigade troops departed for Japan. The Brigade Advance Party with the commander, deputy commander, and part of their staffs departed by air on 16 July and arrived in Tokyo on the 19th. On 25 July, while en route to Japan, the Brigade's ground component was ordered to sail directly to Korea due to the deteriorating situation on the Pusan Perimeter. The Advance Party went on to Korea on the same day and situated itself at Taegu near the center of the Pusan Perimeter.

A significant combat capability exists within the Marine Corps that was not possessed by the Army. Marine ground combat units could have Marine aviation units placed in direct support to provide close air support, resupply, and medical evacuation. For the 1st Provisional Marine brigade this support was in the form of MAG-33. MAG-33 arrived at Kobe, Japan on 31 July. Marine Tactical Air Control Squadron 2 (MTACS-2) and the ground echelon of VMO-6 departed that same day by landing ship tank for Pusan arriving the next day. The 70 aircraft of the three fighting squadrons launched from the CVE and landed at Itami where they prepared for action. By 5 August VMF-214 and 323 were stationed aboard the USS Sicily(CVT-118) and USS Badoeng Strait (CVF-116), respectively, and VMF(N)-513 was split between them. The Brigade's ground component arrived at Pusan on 2 August and was attached to EUSAK, arriving just in time to blunt the North Korean offensive in the area along and west of the Naktong River. Although suffering heavy casualties in the fighting, the Brigade continued to stop North Korean attacks in its area until it was pulled from the Pusan Perimeter to join the 1st Marine Division at the Inchon Landings. It was deactivated as an independent brigade on 13 September 1950.

  • H&S Battalion, 1st Provisional Marine Brigade
        * HQ Company, 1st Provisional Marine Brigade
        * Detachment, Military Police Company, 1st Marine Division
        * Detachment, Reconnaissance Company, 1st Marine Division
        * Counter Intelligence Corps and Military Intelligence Special Detachment (USA)
  • Company A, 1st Engineer Battalion (Reinforced)
  • Company C, 1st Medical Battalion
  • Company A, 1st Motor Transport Battalion
  • Detachment, 1st Ordnance Battalion
  • Detachment, 1st Service Battalion
  • Company A, 1st Shore Party Battalion
  • Detachment, 1st Signal Battalion
  • Company A, 1st Tank Battalion
  • 1st Amphibian Tractor Company
  • Detachment, 1st Combat Service Group
  • 1st Platoon, 1st Amphibian Truck Company, FMF
  • 5th Marines
        * H&S Company
        * 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (- Company C)
        * 2d Battalion, 5th Marines (- Company F)
        * 3d Battalion, 5th Marines (- Company I)
        * 4.2-inch Mortar Company, 5th Marines
        * Antitank Company, 5th Marines (-Tank Platoon) 1st Battalion, 11th Marines (-) (Reinforced)

Forward Echelon, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing Marine Aircraft Group 33

  • HQ Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 33
  • Service Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 33
  • Marine Fighter Squadron 214
  • Marine Fighter Squadron 323
  • Marine Fighter Squadron (Night) 513
  • Marine Observation Squadron 6* Marine Tactical Air Control Squadron 2
    *(Under operational control of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade.)

1st Marine Division (Reinforced)

This division was stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA having previously served as an occupation force in North China from September 1945 to June 1947. It was brought up to war strength mainly with reservists. The Division departed for Korea between 10-22 August 1950, minus 7th Marines, which departed on 3 September 1950. Lead elements of the 1st Marines and support units arrived in Japan in early September 1950. The bulk of the Division landed in Korea on 15 September and regained control of the former 1st Provisional Marine Brigade elements, which rejoined the Division by sailing directly from Pusan. It was joined by 7th Marines on 21 September 1950. The Division was relieved by 25th Infantry Division and returned to Camp Pendleton in April 1955. The associated 1st Marine Aircraft Wing redeployed to Japan at the same time.

Following the successful amphibious invasion at Inchon, the division fought its way in Seoul, South Korea’s capital. It was withdrawn and again loaded aboard ship to make another landing, this time at Wonsan on North Korea’s east coast. However, by the time the combat assault landing was scheduled to take place, North Korean forces had collapsed and Wonsan was already in the hands of South Korean forces advancing up the east coast highway so the division was landed and then trucked northward to the Hamhung-Hungnam area of North Korea. From there, the division advance up a narrow road leading to the Chinese-North Korean border via the towns of Koto-ri and Haga-ri. The division was north of Yudam-ni at the far north end of the Choshin Reservoir when Chinese Communist Forces attacked in November 1950, blocking the road to safety. What followed was days of hell as the division fought its way out the trap in sub-zero temperatures and down the narrow road to Hungnam. This battle is a classic the proud history of the United States Marine Corps.

The 1st Marine Division consisted of:

  • Division HQ and HQ Battalion
  • 1st Marine Regiment
  • 5th Marine Regiment
  • 7th Marine Regiment
  • 11th Marines (artillery)
  • 1st Tank Battalion
  • 1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion
  • 1st Armored Amphibian Battalion
  • 1st Engineer Battalion
  • 1st Shore Party Battalion
  • 1st Signal Battalion
  • 1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Company
  • 1st Military Police Company
  • 1st Service Support Group *
  • 1st Motor Transport Battalion
  • 7th Motor Transport Battalion
  • 1st Ordnance Battalion
  • 1st Service Battalion
  • 1st Medical Battalion
  • Battery C, 1st 4.5-inch Rocket Battalion
  • 1st Air Delivery Platoon
  • 1st Fumigation and Bath Platoon
  • Carrier Platoon, FMF

Attached units

  • 1st Korean Marine Corps Regiment (initially 1st 63rd Battalions, later 5th Battalion)
  • 1st Korean Marine Corps Artillery Battalion
  • 1st Naval Construction Battalion ("Seabees")

Provisional Marine Units in Korea
The 1st Marine Division and FMF, Pacific formed several provisional units in 1952-53 to fulfill special requirements.

Kimpo Provisional Regiment
The Kimpo Provisional Regiment (KPR) was formed by the 1st Marine Division on 31 March 1952 to defend the Kimpo Peninsula, west of Seoul, on the Division's west flank. It was disbanded after the cease fire.

HHSC, Kimpo Provisional Regiment

  • 1st Armored Amphibian Tractor Battalion (serving as supporting artillery)
  • 2d Battalion, 7th Marines (this initial and subsequent battalions were rotated from the Division's reserve regiment)
  • 5th Korean Marine Corps Battalion
  • 13th ROK Security Battalion (-)
  • Company A, 1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion
  • Company B, 1st Shore Party Battalion (serving as engineers)
  • Company D, 1st Medical Battalion
  • Reconnaissance Company, 1st Marine Division
  • Detachment, Air and Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, 1st Signal Battalion
  • 163d Military Intelligence Service Detachment (USA)
  • Detachment, 61st Engineer Searchlight Company (USA)
  • Detachment, 18 1st Counterintelligence Corps Unit (USA)

Other Provisional Marine Units

  • 1st Provisional Casual Company, FMF Pac
  • 1st Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battery (Apr 53)
  • 1st Provisional Demilitarized Zone Military Police Company (Sep 53)

Non-Brigade/Division Marine and Navy Units

  • 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (Sep 51)
            * Marine Aircraft Groups 12 and 33
            * 1st Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion
  • Detachment, Navy Underwater Demolition Team 1 (Jul 50)
  • Detachment, Navy Underwater Demolition Team 3 (Sep 50)
  • Navy Underwater Demolition Team 5 (1951)
  • Marine Security Guard Detachment, US Embassy, Seoul

 

U.S. MARINE UNITS IN THE KOREAN WAR

Amphibian Tractor

1st Armored Amphibian Bn
1st Amphibious Tractor Bn

ANGLICO Detachment

1st Air & Naval Gunfire Liaison Company

Artillery

1st 90mm Antiaircraft Gun Bn
11th Marines (Artillery)

Divisions

1st Marine Division
HQ Bn, 1st Marine Division

Engineers

1st Engineer Bn
1st Shore Party Bn

Infantry Units

1st Marine Regiment
5th Marine Regiment
7th Marine Regiment
1st Mortar Bn

Marine Aviation

1st Air Delivery Sq
1st Air Wing
6511 Air Observation
DEV Charlie -- Marine Air Support Radar Team
FMAW
HMR 161 Marine Helicopter Transport Sqdn
HMR 163 Helicopter Transport Sqdn
MABS 33 Air Base Sqdn
MACG 2 Air Control Ground Sqdn
MACS 3 Tactical Air Control Sqdn
MAG 12 Air Group
MAG 33 Air Group
MAS 312 Attack Sqdn
MAS 332 Attack Sqdn
MGCIS 1 Ground Control Intercept Sqdn
MTACS 2 Air Control Sqdn
MTS 152 Transport Sqdn
VMA 121 Attack Sqdn
VMA 212 Attack Sqdn
VMA 214 Attack Sqdn
VMA 251Attack Sqdn
VMA 311 Attack Sqdn
VMA 312 Attack Sqdn
VMA 323 Attack Sqdn
VMA 332 Attack Sqdn
VMC 1 Composite Sqdn
VMF 115 (J) Fighter Sqdn
VMF 121 Fighter Sqdn
VMF 212 Fighter Sqdn
VMF 214 Fighter Sqdn
VMF 232 Fighter Sqdn
VMF 311 Fighter Sqdn
VMF 312 Fighter Sqdn
VMF 323 Fighter Sqdn
VMF 513 (N) Night Fighter Sqdn
VMF 542 All Weather Fighter Sqdn
VMJ 1- Photographic Sqdn
VMO 6 Observation Sqdn
VMR 253 Sqdn

Medical

1st Medical Bn

Military Police

1st Military Police Company

Ordinance

1st Ordinance Bn

Provisional Brigades

1st Marine Provisional Brigade

Reconnaissance Units

1st Reconnaissance Company

Service Units

1st Combat Service Group
1st Graves Registration Platoon
1st Service Bn
Postal Units - combined

Signal

1st Signal Bn

Tank Units

1st Tank Bn

Transportation Units

1st Motor Transport Bn
7th Motor Transport Bn
9th Motor Transport Bn