Outpost Kelly
A Tanker's Story
By Jack R. Siewert; Foreword by Paul M Edwards
University of Alabama Press, Fire Ant Books
In July 1952, Jack Siewert commanded a platoon of five M-46 tanks in Korea. In four days of battle against Chinese forces, Siewart was tasked with providing fire support for advancing infantry attempting to retake Outpost Kelly. Outpost Kelly: A Tanker's Story his a harrowing account of the success of that mission in the face of catastrophic obstacles.
Heavy rains turned the mountainous terrain around Outpost Kelly into shin-deep mud and muck. At the height of the fighting, Siewert was able to bring to bear the guns of only one of his five tanks against the enemy. Forced to abandon traditional tank warfare doctrine, he improvised. Allowing members of the 15th Infantry to retake Outpost Kelly, Siewert offers an excellent analysis of how theory and experience come together in a point-of-the-spear military situation.
Outpost Kelly also paints a fascinating picture of the type of fighting, often overlooked, that characterized the second and third years of the Korean War. With truce talks proceeding in Panmunjom, both sides fought to claim incremental pieces of real estate along the demarcation line between North and South.
Heavy rains turned the mountainous terrain around Outpost Kelly into shin-deep mud and muck. At the height of the fighting, Siewert was able to bring to bear the guns of only one of his five tanks against the enemy. Forced to abandon traditional tank warfare doctrine, he improvised. Allowing members of the 15th Infantry to retake Outpost Kelly, Siewert offers an excellent analysis of how theory and experience come together in a point-of-the-spear military situation.
Outpost Kelly also paints a fascinating picture of the type of fighting, often overlooked, that characterized the second and third years of the Korean War. With truce talks proceeding in Panmunjom, both sides fought to claim incremental pieces of real estate along the demarcation line between North and South.
In Outpost Kelly: A Tanker’s Story, Jack Siewert provides a gripping tale of three weeks in July 1952 when his tank platoon finds itself performing an uncharacteristic task. While frequently undergoing enemy mortar attack, they are plagued by monsoon conditions and play a crucial role in the struggle against the Chinese for control of an important outpost.’—M. K. Barbier, author of Kursk: The Greatest Tank Battle 1943
1st Lt. Jack Siewert, a tank platoon leader, 64th Tank Battalion, 1951–1952, brings the outpost war in Korea to life in personal and professional terms. He shows in stark terms a war of position and deception that only the strong could fight, but not win.’—Allan R. Millett, Director, Eisenhower Center, The University of New Orleans, and author of Their War for Korea
Jack R. Siewert, LTC USA (Ret.) is a retired career U.S. Army officer.
