WITH THE COLOMBIAN BATTALION — The terse phrases of the official communique said only that there had been a raid conducted somewhere on the central front and that the action had resulted in 30 enemy dead in the 25-minute encounter.

This is the story behind that message.

AT 4:10 A.M. one morning, six squads from the Colombian Battalion crossed a line of departure well in advance of Allied main lines. As the “Gauchos” moved through the positions of an American outpost someone was heard to exclaim, “I sure am glad I don’t have to go on that one!” The voices were referring to the hill that the South American fighters were to hit in one of the closest coordinated actions of recent months.

“X” hill is a high, completely bald, craggy knob about 400 meters in front of one of the northernmost Allied outposts on the central front. “X” is one of the Chinese foothill outposts of a high hill mass which commands a view of an entire valley of UN front areas. From the rear of “X,” runs a communication trench used by the enemy to supply and reinforce the hill. At the base of the hill the trench branches into two, one going to each side of the hill, giving the enemy a complete, protected circuit of the peak.

THE PLAN WAS for the Colombians to move onto the hill, kill or take prisoner all of the enemy, destroy the bunkers and gun positions and move back to friendly lines fast.

Not a shot was to be fired until the Reds had discovered the advancing party. Then a barrage of artillery was to fall on the objective and the surrounding Red held hills.

“Y” hill, a short distance to the west of “X,” was the main soft spot for the attack. Enemy dug in on “Y” had good fields of fire to pick off the Colombians. More than 60 pieces of heavy artillery, firing TOT (time on target — all shells reaching the objective at the same time) was laid on “Y” just after the Colombians were discovered.

FORTY TANKS moved out into no man’s land to give direct fire support and to harass and keep down the enemy on “Y.” Over three thousand rounds of smoke shells were fired into the area to the north of “X” to screen the action from the enemy located on the high hill mass overlooking “X.” Light morning breezes blew the smoke just where it was supposed to, making a perfect cover for the action.

By 5:37 a.m. the fast moving Colombians were at the base of the hill. Then first shots were fired. A Chinese, sitting boldly atop the peak of “X,” opened up with a burp gun.

As green smoke spiraled upward from a signal grenade, all hell broke loose. Machineguns from the American outpost, quad 50-calibers from the halftracks of an AA battalion, mortars of all calibers, heavy artillery and tanks opened fire on the objective and surrounding hills. Not a inch of ground that might hide an enemy gunner was left uncovered.

AT THE BASE of the hill the six squads split up into two groups. Three squads advanced north to a ridge connecting “X” and “Y” to cut off any possibility of help from that quarter, and three squads launched the assault. The enemy were so taken by surprise that they evidently forgot they had artillery as few rounds fell on the attackers. Enemy mortars did little damage due to the smoke screen.

In less than ten minutes the attackers were atop the objective, fighting hand to hand with what remained of the enemy. By the time they had reached the hilltop only about eight of the Reds were left alive. Racing through the trenches, the Colombians blew up bunkers and destroyed positions, at the same time picking up any enemy equipment they could grab.

One of the Latin fighters ran through a trench throwing grenades into bunkers. He came to two Reds, apparently dead and partially covered with dirt. As he started to step over them, one jumped him from behind and began stabbing at his chest with a dagger. The Red was dumbfounded when the knife failed to enter.

Not knowing that all the Colombians wore nylon body armor, he continued with his stab attempts while holding him from behind. When the Red saw another UN fighter running to the scene he made one last stab, hitting just below the armor and severing the artery in the thigh, before he was cut down by slugs from an automatic weapon.

BY THE TIME the attackers reached the hilltop, firing from support weapons had shifted to other targets. Activity on the objective was feverish. Since taking a prisoner was important to the mission, each body was closely inspected for signs of life. One defender was alive, though seriously wounded. He was placed on a stretcher and evacuated, but died before reaching an aid station.

After about 20 minutes on the hill, the small force began to withdraw. As the last man left he detonated a lavender smokepot, indicating to supporting units that the way was clear for them to fire on the primary objective again. Once more artillery and other weapons concentrated on “X” to prevent the Reds from firing at the withdrawing troops.

Because of terrain features it proved more advantageous to pull back right through American outpost positions. Less than an hour and 13 minutes since they had crossed the line of departure, the first man, wounded in the arm by shrapnel but saved from other injury by his armor vest, fell panting over the barricade of a forward machinegun position. A steady stream of tired wounded men followed.

WOUNDED WERE TAKEN by jeep and armored personnel carrier to aid stations. Of the 68 men who had moved out, only 12 were wounded.

The leader of the raid, 2d Lt. Mario Bernal, Sogamoso, Columbia, came stumbling down the friendly hill, the last of his men to reach safety, covered with the blood of those he had helped to evacuate. Tired, disheveled and almost sick because no prisoners had been brought in, Bernal was proud of his men. He went from one man to the another offering praise and encouragement. The young Colombian Military academy graduate, with only six months in actual combat, was the last to leave the aid station where his men were given emergency treatment before being sent to the rear.

MAJ. LUIS A. LEYVA, Bogota, was effusive in his praise of Bernal and the men who accompanied him. Col. Moses, of S.D. Wood, commander of the regiment to which the Colombian Battalion is assigned, was also happy with the entire effort.

The killing of 30 enemy soldiers with light UN casualties, the total destruction of a Red strong point, and the complete demoralization of the Chinese in that area made up for the failure to take a prisoner.