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Henry J. Sobieski (continued)

The following is an email from Sam Buck:

I remember when we were on OP Dick, I got a call from FDC that they wanted me to pick a target of opportunity and call in the coordinates so that they could try out the 240mm gun. I had just spotted a machine gun emplacement that had been harassing us for days, but could never spot him until I received that call.  He opened up at the wrong time and I put my BC scope on the mouth of the cave and called in the coordinates. Must have gotten lucky as the first round hit right where I had my scope. Never heard from him again.

The Chinese would set up their machine guns and mortars in the mouth of their caves, fire a few rounds, and then pull back inside out of sight.

I even took a picture through my BC Scope of the shell hitting. They gave me a "splash" and I was ready for it.
I have brought this photo to our meetings if anyone can recall.

There is a Chinese trench coming over the top of the hill just above where the machine gun was. I'm almost sure it was Dick but I could be wrong.

FDC said they just wanted to register the 240 in our vicinity.

I think that is Charlie with the trench coming towards us. 

I'm almost sure it was a 240 round impacting in the cross hairs.  I didn't get to fire many of them as they were trying to register in an area in front of us. (You can click on this photo for a larger view. ed)

Smoke from the 240mm howitzer rises above the hills behind Chorwon as it fired one of its three hundred and sixty pound shells. The view is looking west over the 15th Infantry's supply area.  The Chorwon valley can be seen beyond the near hills at the right of the picture. (photo by Freeman Bradford, 1953)

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©Copyright 2004, Henry J. Sobieski, Sam Buck, Freeman Bradford.  All rights reserved