The Daily Alaska empire., 1950-08-15
(By the Associated Press)

agely today against the American southern flank on the NaKtong river bridgehead southwest of Taegu, main US. forward base in South Korea. This Red drive rolled ahead to a point six or seven miles east of the river in the Changnyong area. 23 miles southwest of Taegu, in some of the severest fighting of the war.
 A breakthrough in the Chang nyong sector not. only would imperil Taegu, but probably would signal the beginning of what the Com munists hoped would be the final push to Pusan to throw the defend- CTS into the sea. But US. officer expressed confidence the Reds could be pushed back. Headquarters said the battle was 'indecisive.7
 WNile the US. 24th Division bat tied the Red push on the southern flank under a blistering sun, with both sides suffering heavy casual ties, United Nations forces were holding just to the north in the area where the Reds already have swol- len their bridgehead to 12,000 troops. The Changnyong front has been almost semi-circular.
 The Reds rammed another bridge head across the river on the north ern end of the Naktong river front near Waegwan, where the kickoff of a Communist general offensive has been awaited, but severe Allied air punishment of the Communist concentrations may have thrown the Red timetable out of kilter.
 Other Sectors Flame
 There was heavy fighting on other fronts. On the northeast rim of the mile-long battlefront. Allied forces moved to within half mile of Red-held Pohang, formerly the No. 2 US. east coast supply base.
 On the southern end of the curl ing front-behind the advance of Marines and Infantry-U.S. Negro troops with the 25th Division cap tured a rocky hill in fierce fighting, freeing the remainder of force of 200 American artillerymen who had been encircled by the Reds.
 American pilots reported a Con- munist mechanized column of more than 100 vehicles moving toward Chinju, Communist southern base being threatened by the American leathernecks and doughboys in their southern drive.
 A Russian-made North Korean Yak plane dropped two 500-pound bombs on Masan, communications center near the southern battlefront area in the first reported Red air activity in some days, and strafed US. installations.
 The Communist radio at Pyong- nyang said the Reds had seized Kosong in the area where the US. Marines have been advancing on the extreme southern front. It is 20 miles southwest of Mesan and the same distance southeast of Chinju. Marines seized the town in their sweep through the south last week.
 Red Tanks Move
 On the northern end of the Nak- tong river front, where 6000O Reds are poised across the river for the expected push, the Communists slammed about 5000 men - with tanks-across the river against South Korean defenders. The enemy moved over bridges which. were sub merged a foot under water to hide them from air attack. Between 7OO and 1000 Reds were killed by US. First Cavalry Division troops in one engagement near Waegwan, l2 miles northwest of Taegu.
 On the northeast rim of the l40- mile South Korean front, American forces captured the town of Yuk- tong, nine miles west of the Pohane air strip on the Sea of Japan coast At the same time South Korean troops retook the nearby town o. Imam. Allied forces moved bacl within a half mile of Pohank, sec ond most important US. supply base on the east coast until 1t was captured last week by the Reds.
 Allied planes gave heavy support to ground forces. Warships aided the ground forces on the east coast sector. US. and Australian fliers smashed at the Wagwan Red con- centrations in more than 400 flights.
 A Navy plane reported sinking a 200-ton Red vessel off the Korean west coast and another damaged Communist ship off the east coast.
 Oil Refinery Done
 Long range bombers have so damaged the Reds huge oil refin- cry at Wonsan in North Korea