 At 22 : 30 the fog lifted and Kouma saw that a North Korean pontoon bridge was being laid across the river directly in front of his position . Kouma 's four vehicles attacked this structure , with Kouma manning the M2 Browning .50 @-@ caliber machine gun atop the tank . As the gunner fired the tank 's main cannon , Kouma sank many of the boats attempting to cross the river with his machine gun . At 23 : 00 a small arms fight flared around the left side of A Company north of the tanks . This gunfire had lasted only two or three minutes when the A Company roadblock squads near the tanks heard over the field telephone that the company was withdrawing and that they should do likewise . Kouma instead opted to act as a rearguard to cover the infantry . He was wounded shortly thereafter in the foot reloading the tank 's ammunition . He quickly fought off another North Korean attack across the river with his machine gun . 
