Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-07-30
Missing Marines Being Hunted
After Chinese Ambush Kills 4
Prompt Defense Saved Convoy From Attackers
Dressed as Reds, Army Officer Declares

my OIiICeT hectares
Communists have been provoked
by Marine intrusions into their
areas.)
CFrom Shanghai, Associated
Press Correspondent Spencer
tMoosa radioed that informed OBJ
servers were specializing that the
battle may have been provoked
by the Communists in an attempt
to create public sentiment & in
America for immediate with
drawal of all American forces
from China
Maj. Fred j. Frees. of Sioux Falls.
S. Oak, who was with the CONVOY
OF requirements bound for Peiping
from Tientsin, said the attack
erupted like an explosion"
They threw everything at us dur
ing the first hour of attack except
the kitchen sink chimed in Sergt
James West, Of Cincinnati.
Maj. Frees and West, both Army
men. were conveyed passengers.
Maj. Frees, special service off,
Ger for Peiping headquarters. told
the Associated Press:
IF the Marines had not reacted
as efficiently and swiftly as they
did the convoy would have been
taken in the first rush.
He refused to identify the at
tackers as Communists, but said he
saw two dead Chinese on the road
who wore blush green uniforms, =
the color of those worn by Com
munists.
Some Attackers in Uniform.
Some of the attackers were in
uniform, others in farmer clothing
and some wore only shorts.
I'VE could see them running
| through the corn rows and they
| looked like Indians on the war
path" Maj Frees said.
we had been told by the Marines
we were in danger area. When
we heard shooting we leaped from
our vehicle and dove into the fields.
Three or four hand grenades ex-
ploded less than 20 feet from us.
We scrambled into a depression in
the sand and all the time we were
there bullets plowed into the bank
or whistled over our heads"
Firing from both sides was heav-
lest during the first hour. After a
few minutes fighting, the Marine
defenders drove of assaults and the
attackers never again approached
within hand grenade range, al
though the Chinese several times
attempted to close in.
There is no doubt the attackers
were really out to get the convoy, j
Maj. Frees said.
The ambush was very we'll timed
very we'll prepared" and was made
from both sides of the highway
under cover of cornfelds res aching
to the road.
Marine Sent for Aid,
The ambush occurred at noon
Yesterday. About 100 pm. Ma
rlne was sent through the encircle-
! Hicilt W ODCdln dlQ.
mo help came" Mai. Frees said
but we planned our escape.
Trucks pulled out of the fight
ing area at full speed. Drivers held
their gas pedals down to the floor
boards"
Sergt. West said the trucks left
the area at 5 to 10 second intervals
then regrouped after getting out of
the danger area.
The attackers kept firing as we
pulled out" Frees said.
During the ride to Peiping
everybody kept busy giving first
aid to the wounded. A jeep was
sent ahead for an ambulance which
met the convoy outside the CITY
wall. Several OF the men suffered
from heat prostration. That was
the worst part of the fight-intense
heat"
Aid Reported Sent.
The Marines said 300 Leather
necks from Tientsin, equipped with
at least a dozen 105-mm. howitzers
and supported by planes, were
rushed to the aid of the ambushed
convoy. But other sources said the
Communists had retreated before
the patrol arrived.
The Marine Corps refused to state
officially the number of casualties
1t merely stated in a press release
that 1--WE had casualties and there
were some casualties among the
force that attacked u.s." The re-
lease described the assailants as
uniformed armed Chinese esti-
mated to be about 300 men,"
Marine sources said the dead have
not been identified. Names of the
men who succeeded in reaching Pei
ping were being checked with the
list of those scheduled to go out on
the convoy from Tientsin.
A Marine patrol which left Ten
tsin last night was unable to make
thorough search of the battle area
but planned to do so before re-
turning to Tientsin this morning.
The two Army men acknowledged
they took an active part in the
fighting. The attackers also sui.
fered losses.