Evening star., 1950-10-12
Korea
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Spearhead rolling across the
peninsula to seal off the Reds
from Soviet supplies.
Far south and southwest of
Chongjin, Allied ground troops
pushed steadily ahead on three
fronts toward Pyongyang. Tank
led columns above Parallel 38 were
moving toward the Red capital
from the south, southwest and
east.
Fight Fiercely in Some Spots.
Those approaches to the nest
of defiant Premier Kim II Sung's
regime are flercely defended by
the Reds in some spots. In other
sectors they were reported with
drawing.
The Reds were tasting the bitter
medicine they forced on U. N.
forces early in the war. Outnum-
bered and outgunned. the back
pedaling Communist troops strove
in vain to stem the three-pronged
offensive stabbing at the capital.
Far ahead of the 1875 mile front,
stretching slant-wise across the
peninsula north of Parallel 38,
Allied planes extended their
strikes in Red Korea close to the
Manchurian and Siberian borders.
A spokesman at Gen. MacAr-
thurs headquarters said general
withdrawal of from 5000 to 1O,00O
Reds from the central sector may
have begun. But die-hards were
fighting stubbornly on the western
end, at Kumchon, and in the
northeast, near captured Wonsan
port on the Sea of Japan.
Allied gains were reported in
field dispatches from the central
sector, bat no wholesale with
drawals were indicated. South
Korean 9Th Division troops over
whelmed Red resistance at the
rail-highway hubs of Kumwha,
Chorwon and Pyonggang.
Those captured cities form a
triangle. with Pyonggang at the
apex % miles north of SO. Roads
from them lead northwestward to-
ward Pyongyang. An 9th Army
spokesman said there was Stub
born and fierce fighting in each
town before they were taken.
Smash at Kumchon.
West of the triangle, United
States 1st Cavalry troopers were
Joined by British and Australian
troops in their smash on Kun
chon, supposed defense bastion
for Pyongyang, which lies 81 miles
to the northwest.
Associated Press CORRESPONDENT
William j. Waugh, with United
States 1st Cavalry troopers, said
two tank-led columns were driv-
ing on Kumchon from the south
and east, with third making q
wide end run to high ground
northwest of the city.
From that high ground, the
Cavalry's artillery dominated the
road leading northwest from
Kumchon toward Pyongyang. Mr..
Waugh said it was estimated some
10000 Reds might be trapped in
and south of Kumchon.
Maj. Gen. Hobart r. Gay, 1st
Cavalry Division commander, esti-
mated yesterday that total
force of $4,000 might be defend
ing the southeastern approaches
to Pyongyang.
Gen. Gay said today that the
Reds lacked the men for a solid
defense line, and added: There
are soft spots and we will find
them"
Cavalry IL Miles Above Line.
The Cavalry division had ad-
vanced IL miles above Parallel
38 up to noon today.
On the northeast sector. ele-
ments of the South Korean Sd and
Capital Divisions battled Reds on
high ground about a mile west of
Wonsan.
The South Koreans advance
was aimed at Pyongyang, 95 air
miles directly west across the
peninsula. Allied fighters and
bombers were expected soon to
operate from Wonsan's large air
field in closer support of the Re-
publican troops.
At 9th Army headquarters, AS
sociated Press Correspondent Hal
Boyle said the Communists re-
sistance did not-in any of the
three Sectors-compare with the
organization or strength of their
defense of Seoul, liberated capital
Of the republic.
Intelligence officers at Gen.
MacArthur's headquarters said
there still was no reliable esti-