fortifications and concealed the fact that the 2nd Infantry Division was again faced with the task of breaching the KPA's main line of resistance. Within the 2nd Division there was considerable difference of opinion on the extent of the expected KPA reaction to an attack on Heartbreak Ridge. Col. Edwin Walker, the artillery commander, felt that the North Koreans would "fight like hell" for it, while some members of the staff contemplated that the response would be less vigorous. Brig. Gen. Thomas F. Deshazo, the acting division commander, evidently was among the latter group. He decided to use one regiment, the 23rd and its attached French Battalion, rather than two in the assault force. Approaching from the east across the Sat'ae-ri Valley, the 23rd, under Col. James Y. Adams, would cut Heartbreak between Hills 931 and 851. One battalion would then turn north to seize Hill 851 while a second would move south to capture Hills 931 and 894. As soon as Hill 894 came under the control of the 23rd, the 9th Infantry Regiment, under Col. John M. Lynch, would advance and take Hill 728, to the west and slightly south of Hill 894. Battle Initial assault (13–27 September) On 13 September the elements of the 2nd Division were in position and ready to attack. The French Battalion, under Lt. Col. Ralph Monclar, had taken over the positions of the 38th Infantry Regiment on Hill 868, a little over east of Hill 931, and the 38th had become the division reserve with responsibility for surveillance of the Kansas line. The 9th Regiment was poised to advance on Hill 728 when the 23rd Regiment gained Hill 894. Direct support for the 23d Regiment would come from the 37th Field Artillery Battalion, under Lt. Col. Linton S. Boatright, and its 105mm howitzers, while the 503rd Field Artillery Battalion (155mm howitzer), 96th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm howitzer), 38th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm howitzer) and Battery C of the 780th Field Artillery Battalion (8-inch howitzer) provided general support. The 37th and 38th Field Artillery Battalions were located about southeast of Heartbreak Ridge. The 96th and 503rd were approximately south and southeast of the objective respectively, while the battery from the 780th was near Yach'on-ni, about south of Heartbreak. At 05:30 the artillery preparation began and for thirty minutes the guns pounded KPA positions on or near Heartbreak Ridge. Then Colonel Adams gave the