The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1950-08-05
DESPERATE
MOVE MADE,
RED FORCES
Fresh Masses Of Men Are
damned Against Posi-
tions Of Americans
BY DON HUH


Moving desperately by daylight. the
Red invaders of South Korea made
an unopposed crossing of the Max
tong river in the northern sector
Saturday and damned fresh masses
of men against American positions
in the center and south.
A Korean release by General Mac
Arthur's Tokyo headquarters at
1850 am. Sunday (6:50 am. Satur-
day. PST) said limited counterat-
lacks and patrol actions by US. and
South Korean troops throughout
the entire defense areas Saturday
night kept the enemy "off balance"
However. the release said. the
enemy has continued to shuttle
troops and materiel during the day
light hours. thereby providing ex-
cellent targets for artillery and air.
craft.
This indicates that the Reds are
desperately striving for a main eff
fort and an about attempt to
break through the new defense
lines"
Heavy Losses by Invaders
The release also reported heavy
losses by the North Korean invaders
in repeated assaults In the Chinju
sector near the southern tip of the
line. Field dispatches and briefing
officers said these occurred Friday
and Friday pight-
| Field dispatches declared that
Saturday the enemy in sundisclosed
numbers had crossed the upper
northern reaches Of the Naktong in
the rain without opposition.
This was in sector where South
Korean defense forces made PLAN
ned withdrawal to a prearranged
ridge and mountain pass line. u
was east and southeast of Sangju,
in the northwest corner of the Ko-
rean defense box.
No Threat, Claim
A dispatch from Eighth Army
| Headquarters in Korea said this
crossing was not considered an i'm
mediate material threat. If buildup
continued there, however, it could
develop into a threat to the Ameri-
can right and South Korean left
| flanks.
MacArthur's release and all front
reports pointed to an imminent
double barreled drive by the Reds
in the south and central sectors.
MacArthur's headquarters specu-
lated that the main Red effort
might come in the south, in an ef-
fort to slash the Pusan-Taegu COM
munications lines of the defenders.
The crossing posed third major
threat to Allied defense forces. The
Korean Reds were reported to have
three divisions massed for q strike
across the Naktong near Waegwan.
south Of Sangju and only is miles
from the US. Central Communica-
tons center of Taegu.
Reds Are Massing
Far to the south, the Reds were
massing four crack divisions east of
Chinju for the drive on Pusan. US.
supply port only IS miles away.
In the central sector American
planes blasted large enemy
armored force one-half mile west
Of the Naktong. Associated Press
Correspondent Left Erickson said
the us. planes knocked out four
or five tanks moving northeast to-
ward Waegwan and pounded Red
artillery, trucks and troops.
American artillery also hurled
shells into the convoy.
For the past few days the North
Koreans had concealed their move
ments. Now they are coming into
the open.
General MacArthur's headquarters
reported the sinking Friday Of a
10,000-ton North Korean transport
at Inchon, the port of Seoul.
B-29's dashed Seoul for the second
straight day, leaving the railroad
yards flaming and shrouded in
smoke. The medium bombers plast-
cred the rail center with 100 tons
of bombs, 20 tons more than were
dropped Friday.