Page "Battle of Kapyong" Paragraph 18

The brigade was by now reduced to three battalions, as the Argylls had been withdrawn to Pusan just prior to the battle, in preparation for their embarkation.

The Middlesex were also on stand-by for embarkation, and were kept in reserve.

As such, with the width of the valley precluding the establishment of continuous linear defensive, Burke was forced to place his two available battalions on the high points on either side of it, with 3 RAR occupying Hill 504 to the east of the river and 2 PPCLI occupying Hill 677 to the west.

Meanwhile, Sudok San ( Hill 794 ) to the north-west — a massive hill nearly high — was left undefended by necessity.

Together these three hills formed a naturally strong defensive position, well suited to blocking a major advance.

Regardless, the brigade position suffered from a number of deficiencies, being exposed without flank protection, while the central sector was not occupied because the Middlesex were away to the north with the guns.

Likewise, until the return of the New Zealanders the brigade would have little artillery support ; as such if large Chinese forces arrived before these two units returned the forward companies would be without support and would have to accept the probability that they would be cut-off.

3 RAR — whose line of communications ran through the exposed central sector of the valley — would be particularly exposed.