Engaged with sustained machine gun fire, the two assault platoons withdrew back across the creek while elements of another company that was in support moved to the northern flank.
In the face of this determined attack many of the North Koreans left their pits in an attempt to move to safety, only to suffer heavy casualties after exposing themselves to the fire of the two assaulting platoons and the American tanks and flanking platoon in support.
The 3 RAR Assault Pioneer Platoon, the Anti-Tank Platoon and a platoon from C Company remained on Maryang San however, and during the evening of 8/9 October the Pioneers killed four Chinese during a probe on their position.
Fully expecting a Chinese counter-attack that evening, Hasset moved the Assault Pioneer Platoon to bolster the hasty defences.
Meanwhile, during the evening the 3 RAR Assault Pioneer Platoon had also discovered and destroyed a small North Korean arms dump on the eastern bank of the river.
The Assault Pioneer Platoon provided local defence, while the mortars laid down a continuous barrage in an attempt to counter the Chinese mortar fire in conjunction with the machine-guns and tanks which began to engage the hilltop.
At dawn the Chinese intensified their attack on the headquarters' perimeter, killing and wounding the bulk of the Medium Machine Gun section and the Assault Pioneer Platoon and driving them off the high ground they had been occupying.
Protected only by a section of Vickers medium machine-guns, two 17 pounder anti-tank guns, the Assault Pioneer Platoon and the Regimental Police under the Headquarters Company commander Captain Jack Gerke the fighting flared around 22 00 as the Chinese infiltrated the position among the retreating South Koreans.
Bennett kept his anti-tank and assault pioneer platoons inside the FSB to protect the battalion command post, while the mortar platoon would be particularly exposed, being located adjacent to the 102nd Field Battery gun position in an open area on the outer edge of the base facing to the north and east.
Assaulting 10 Platoon under the cover of machine-gun and mortar fire, the Chinese were soon effectively engaged by Vickers machine-guns from 12 Platoon firing in mutual support.
But for the men of Assault and Obstacle Platoon, it ran a poor second to their earlier sausage and cheese Thanksgiving feast in a cold tent, high in the mountains of Afghanistan.
