William B. Kean

The 27th Infantry was on its left, and the 35th Infantry on its right, astride the east-west Masan-Sinju Road.

To counter the NKPA's offensive, the 25th Division's commander, Major General William B. Kean, assembled a composite battalion-sized task force to attack the enemy-held heights of Battle Mountain and Pilbong.

Heavily supported by fire from the 8th and 90th Field Artillery Battalions and by numerous airstrikes, the task force attacked these heights repeatedly on the 17th and 18th.

However, automatic weapons fire from well-prepared enemy positions drove back the Americans, who sustained heavy casualties.