support ceased. Then, as the Eighth Army soldiers labored up the last few yards of the steep slopes, they would move out into their firing positions and send a hail of bullets and grenades at the attackers. The steadily mounting casualty lists led to a decline in morale among the men of the ROK 36th Regiment. On 27 August some units of the regiment broke and ran, spreading panic among the elements of the U.S. 9th Regiment as well. The deterioration of the situation on Bloody Ridge led General Byers on 28 August to alter his approach and he decided upon a limited advance along the whole Corps' front, starting on 31 August. By applying pressure over a broad front, Byers hoped to force the KPA to disperse his firepower and to halt the flow of reinforcements to Bloody Ridge. Thus, Byers rearranged divisional objectives along the Corps' front. The seizure of the northwest rim of the Punchbowl was assigned to the ROK 5th Division and the northeast rim was given to the U.S. 1st Marine Division. While the 2nd Division renewed its efforts to take Bloody Ridge, the ROK 7th Infantry Division would attack and capture terrain west of the ridge. Although the 1st Marine Division and its attached Korean Marines met little opposition on 31 August as they began their advance, the KPA forces stiffened the following day. Yet despite the increasing resistance the marines were able to push forward and take several hills on the northern rim of the Punchbowl. The KPA III Corps was in the process of moving from the ROK I Corps front and of taking over the defense of this sector from the KPA II Corps. As the KPA 2nd Division began the relief of the 1st Division, the Marines hit the latter's positions. By the time the relief was completed, in the opening days of September, the Marines had won the northern lip of the Punchbowl. The 9th Infantry attacks on Bloody Ridge at the end of August and the opening days of September, on the other hand, failed to dislodge the KPA, whereupon Byers and Brig. Gen. Thomas E. Deshazo, who had temporarily taken command of the 2nd Division, laid out a double envelopment of Bloody Ridge using elements of the U.S. 23rd and 38th Infantry Regiments, while the 9th continued its assault on the ridge itself. On 4 and 5