Out of the 30 men in the reconnaissance Platoon, 19 have sustained injuries in combat.
After killing dozens of militia fighters, the platoon — 35 soldiers in all — established a foothold in a southern swath of the neighborhood.
What King didn't realise was that the short "contact" had killed two soldiers from another Irish Guards platoon: 28-year-old Ian Malone and 20-year-old Christopher Muzvuru Malonee was from Dublin, Muzvuru Zimbabwean).
At 08 30 the lead platoon, 9 Platoon, came under fire and was pinned down by rocket-propelled grenades and 7.62 mm RPD light machine-guns.
Only one American, forward artillery observer Billy Queen, was killed; in Bouck's platoon, 14 out of 18 men were wounded.
By 18 00, Poovey had only 12 effective troops left in the platoon, 17 of the 29 men still living were wounded.
Late in the afternoon, a third platoon, 11 Platoon, under the command of Sergeant (later Lieutenant) Tom Derrick, attempted another attack from further to the right of the position but it too was checked by machine-gun fire and lobbed grenades.
Fire Support Base Giraffe was subsequently established with the new 105 mm M2A2 Howitzers of 106th Field Battery and 81 mm mortars from Mortar Platoon, 7 RAR providing indirect fire support, while elements of the Australian Reinforcement Holding Unit provided protection.
After a North Korean grenade knocked out the only other remaining heavy weapons specialist, Thompson manned the last heavy weapon in the platoon: his.30 caliber M1917 Browning machine gun.
A second assault was mounted on 6 Platoon at 03 30, following a feint against 5 Platoon.
