2:   Why did the US not know or understand the armor threat in Korea already?  Where was the national level intelligence apparatus to collect such information?  Why didn’t the US not equip the US Forces to deal with one of the biggest threats (armor) of the war?  Are we not doing the same thing today with respect to the CBRN threat (decon, limited equipment on Penn, training aides, actual atropine and associated lotions)?

The US underestimated the armor threat in Korean.  Colonel Smith  commanding 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry had sufficient amount of young soldiers that never witness death or heard gun fire in their life.  The US didn’t think NK was a threat and thought they weren’t staying long. The US did invent some weapon systems (3.5 inch rocket launcher) that would penetrate the T-34 tanks but didn’t think to let the US Forces to utilize them.   The weapons that Task Force Smith had included: 2 x 75mm recoilless rifles, 2 x 4.5 inch mortars, 6 x 2.36in rocket launchers, and 4 x 60 mm mortars.  The ammo supply was low and wouldn’t effect the monster tanks. When tanks were heading to Smith position he told his soldiers to hold fire until 750 yards to use the 75mm recoilless rifles. It had little effect on the T-34. Smith sent artillery HE rounds to destroy the tanks but it didn’t phase them. The only thing that would help Colonel Smith were air assets but the weather condition wouldn’t let the aircraft to fly.  The T-34 changed their route and start heading to the artillery fighting position. 105 rounds were bouncing off the tank like bouncing balls. The only artillery rounds that were effective were the HEAT (anti-armor) rounds but had a limited supply of them.  LT Connor grabbed a rocket launcher and engaged one of the T-34. He wasn’t successful on destroying the tank due to rounds not exploding properly.  His soldiers didn’t have any training and right ammunition to take out the tanks. They also didn’t understand the strength and weakness that tanks have.

Today’s Army, we have a basic understand how CBRN missions work. We train with our CBRN equipment in different scenarios which helps us learn how to adapt and overcome. In the 1950s they didn’t train their soldiers because they didn’t think it was necessary. They treated the army if it was a civilian job and didn’t think it would be life threatening.