The third day , September 3 , the situation worsened . The weather was hot and ammunition , food and supplies were nearly completely exhausted . Since the previous afternoon , North Korean mortar barrages had alternated with infantry assaults against the perimeter . Survivors later estimated there were about twenty separate infantry attacks repulsed . Two North Korean machine guns still swept the perimeter whenever anyone showed himself . Dead and dying US troops were in almost every foxhole . Mortar fragments destroyed the radio and this ended all communication with other US units . Artillery fire and air strikes requested by Schmitt never came . Some North Koreans worked their way close to the perimeter and threw grenades into it . Six times Ouellette leaped from his foxhole to escape grenades thrown into it . In this close action Ouellette was killed . Most of the foxholes of the perimeter received one or more direct mortar hits in the course of the continuing mortar fire . One of these killed Schmitt on September 3 . The command passed now to First Lieutenant Raymond J. McDoniel of D Company , senior surviving officer .