Evening star., 1950-08-14
Enemv Uses Underwater Bndqes
To Cross Naktong for Big Push;
els Gain Mile in Counter-BIoW
$4,000 of Foe
Ready to Launch
Drive on Tsequ
BY the Assoeioted Press

TOKYO (Tuesday), Aug. 15.-
Thrusting underwater bridges
across the Naktong River, the
North Korean Reds probed today
for an imminent drive on Taegue
by an estimated $4,000 men on this
NTH anniversary of Korea'S lib
Grafton from Japan.
A summary issued early today
by Gen. MacArthur's Tokyo head
e quarters placed the threat near
Waegwan, IL miles northwest of
Taegu, main forward American
base on the central front of South
Korea.
There, it said, the Reds were
believed to have completed a Sec
ond underwater bridge. Such
stone and log crossings are sunk
about q foot below the surface to
escape detection from the air.
Twenty-three miles south of
Taegu, the American Oath Infan-
try Division counter r-attacked and
showed the Red 4th Division back
1000 yards to mile.
More Red Troops Cross.
Gen. MacArthur's summary,
however, said the enemy still was
moving reinforcements to the
rivers east bank in that sector
southwest of Changnyong.
The greatest threat, however,
was around Wagewan, where the
Reds were assembling their larg-
est force
1t Is believed to be the most
effective mass drawn from is
divisions-150,000 men-the Reds
had showed up to the long, curling
battleline. And it greatly out
numbers anything the Allies have
to oppose them.
A Red attack down the Taejon-
Taegu mountain valley corridor
was expected momentarily.
Slopes Recaptured.
AS the Red thousands assem-
bled west Of the Naktong River,
American troops recaptured mud
dy slopes on the Allied eastern
side Of the stream from some of
the $4,000 Reds who crossed the
river at Changnyong, % miles
south Of Taegu.
The Communists have been try
ing to break out from their Max
tong bulge for eight days. Their
objective is Pusan, No. l Korean
port in the southeast SIS miles
from Taegu.
The United States oath Division,
moving up behind Aston Pershing
tanks, attacked the Reds at dawn
yesterday. They showed the North
Koreans back along a flaming six
mile-long sector on the Allied
eastern bank Of the river.
Point-b blank, high velocity fire
met the attacking Americans. In
telligence officers said the Com
munistS had managed to get artil-
lery and possibly some tanks over
the river.
Marines Advance.
At the deep south anchor of the
battleline, United States Marines
took hills just outside rubbed
Chinju. United States 25th In
fantry Division troops poked
through the hinterland looking
for q battalion of Reds cut off by
the smashing American offensive
of last week that practically de-
stroyed the Red 9Th Infantry Divi-
sion around Chinju.
At the other end of the 140-
mile battleline, American infantry
and tanks still held the American
airstrip six miles south of Po-
hang, No. 2 East Coast port on
the Sea of Japan. Planes no
longer used the field, however.
Pohang port was in the hands
Of Red battalion but South Ko-
reans were challenging them
there; at Kigye, nine miles north
west, and at other points in the
Pohang area.
Intelligence officers at Gen.
MacArthur's headquarters said
both the Pohang onslaught and
the Changnyong River crossing
were designed to drain off as much
Allied strength from the central
front as possible.
The Reds have put four elite
divisions on the Waegwan line.
(See KOREA, Page A-4D