Operation Tomahawk was the other half of the plan. This operation was designed to drop the 187th RCT about 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of the then current front line. They did so, parachuting from over a 120 C-119 Flying Boxcar and C-46 transport aircraft. When they landed they linked up with Task Force Growdon, which was made up of armored elements from the US 24th Infantry Division (United States)'s 6th Medium Tank Battalion and infantry elements from the US 3rd Infantry Division. The forces advanced to their goal, meeting weak resistance—mostly minefields—because the PVA/KPA had retreated before they got there. 136 of the PVA/KPA forces were killed in action, and 149 were captured during the operation. The 187th RCT suffered 19 fatalities and dozens of wounded.[2][3]
One hundred twenty C-119s and C-46s dropped 3,437 paratroopers of the 187th RCT and 12 officers and men of the Indian Army60th Parachute Field Ambulance (PFA) near Munsan-ni in the second largest airborne operation of the war.[4] The 187th Regiment airborne were also known as "Rakkasans", a Japanese term translating to "falling parachute man".[5] This marked the first time 105 mm howitzers and other heavy equipment had been successfully dropped. One C-119, possibly hit by enemy bullets, caught fire and crashed on the way back.[6]
Operation Tomahawk was the second and last United States airborne operation during the Korean war.[3] The United States Army would not have another full scale combat jump until 1967 during the Vietnam War, known as Operation Junction City. [7]