S3: What warfighting functions contributed most to Americans’ continual defeat and withdrawal to the Pusan Perimeter in the summer of 1950? Answer generally or focus mainly on Task Force Smith for examples to support your analysis.

Intelligence. Had TF Smith’s S2 and its higher units conducted multi-echelon in depth mission analysis, TF Smith would have had better understanding of the enemy, i.e. its T-34 capabilities, enemy TTPs, enemy morale, etc. They would have understood that recoilless rifles, bazookas, 60mm and some 36-inch rocket launchers were insufficient against enemy tanks. Perhaps that infantry officer would not have arrogantly responded to FISTer’s question “what will happen to the guns if the North Korean tanks get through the infantry up there?”