"The attack on the Warsaw Caves, during the Battle of the Hook"

Ref: DR044

by David Rowlands

Giclee Print 58 x 38 cm

4th/5th June 1953: For six weeks the Chinese had been trying to dislodge the 1st Commonwealth Division from 'the Hook' position. Army intelligence had found that the enemy were digging tunnels at the foot of a hill known as 'Warsaw', about 250 yards to the North. C Company of 1st Bn The King's Regiment was given the task of blowing up these caves in a night raid, accompanied by some Royal Engineers.

It was decided to attack them from the rear by first making a long detour to the East. Every man carried only a Sten-gun and grenades. The sappers were carrying ready-made satchel charges consisting of 20lb. of explosive, contained in a haversack with a strap. At 2230 hrs the patrol left the battalion lines and moved into no-man's-land, having a difficult journey as they encountered wire obstacles. Three men were killed and 12 wounded as they crossed a minefield, but the rest reached the re-entrant where some of the caves were located. All the while the Divisional artillery and tanks kept up a barrage to distract the Chinese.

The tanks were firing on fixed lines with their tracer shells, which served as an indicator of the direction in which to move. The moon had risen, as they proceeded up the re-entrant, but there was considerable smoke due to the continuous shelling. As soon as the guns stopped firing, the attack went in. Grenades were thrown into the first cave, but from above the mouth of the second cave the Chinese appeared in force using 'burp guns' and stick grenades, and some close-quarter fighting took place. 2nd Lt Williams crawled on top of this cave and dropped grenades into the entrance from above. Sapper Smythe successfully destroyed the first cave with his satchel charge. As the casualties mounted, the officer in charge of the assault party was forced to order a withdrawal. Now surrounded by the enemy and carrying the wounded, they had a difficult time of it getting back to their own lines, which they reached at 0600 hrs.

I decided to show the attack going in, (rather than the withdrawal), with the soldiers wearing cap comforters, grenades clipped to their waist-belts and firing their Sten-guns at the second cave. In the background is the first cave, smoking after it had been grenaded. I have depicted Captain George L Cooper RE, wearing his beret, springing forward to throw his satchel of explosives. George gave me many details of the raid and equipment.

Colonel Edward Newport TD was very helpful in making the arrangements over several of my paintings for the Regiment, and came to my studio to see various stages of the work.