It was hardly "conventional fighting" ; a contour map of the area will show that if the entire force were lined up on the ridges we had to defend, there would have been over 100 yards between each man. We were extremely well-fitted for this job, having done mountain campaigning in Africa and Sicily, and I doubt any outfit could have performed it better. It would have been idiotic to have pulled us out after a few days and turned the job over to others