Evening star., 1950-12-07
Korea
Continued From First Page.)

Korea
Continued From First Page.)
the Changjin reservoir. 1t took
them Is hours to batter their way
8 miles from Hagaru.
Still Arriving in KOtO.
The first elements of two Ma
rine and two infantry regiments
made their way into Koto at 7:25
am. Is pm. EST Wednesday,.
Associated Press Correspondent
Jack Macbeth, the only CORE
spondent in Koto, said eight hours
later they "are still coming into
Koto today"
| A headquarters spokesman said
''The pressure is heavy at Hagarl
and the enemy is trying to capture
as many of our men as they can -
The Americans still were faced
with fighting their way out of
Koto through heavy Communist
concentrations to cover the 40
miles of winding mountain road
southeast to Hamhung.
Seven Chinese divisions were re-
ported deployed along the road
the only escape route south from
Koto. The spokesman said he
may be able tomorrow to identify
| two other Chinese divisions fight
ing to hold the Americans in the
| trap.
Smile Trek Rugged.
The 8-mile trek into Koto was
rugged enough. Elements of the
5th and 7th Marine Regiments
and the 31st and 32d Regiments
of the 7th Division fought through
zero weather, a binding snow
storm and one Chinese roadblock
after another.
The Communists threw mortar
and small arms fire, 'Molotov
cocktails"-gasoline- filled bottles
and sticks of explosives at the
Americans.
Allied aircraft countered with
strikes that left the surrounding
hills ablaze.
Col, Lewis Puller, commander of
the Marine 1st Regiment. said the
Chinese have blown bridges and
blocked the roads, but will make
fight out of it,
Infantrymen from the United
States Sd Division moved up from
the Hamhung area to try to clear
the road for the trapped Ameri-
cans. They were forced to halt
near Majon, Is road miles south
of Koto, and engage Chinese
troops in heavy fighting.
Reports Blacked Out.
A security blackout held up re-
ports from the other northeast
sectors.
U. N. troops face three Red
armies and elements of a fourth
on the far-flung front.
/ American troops have evacuated
the Hyesanjin area on the north
Korean -Manchurian border. The
headquarters spokesman refused
to give the location of the troops
or of the Republic of Korea Cap
ital Division. The South Koreans
were pulling back from Chongjin
within 40 air miles of the Siberian
border.
The spokesman said only that
the South Koreans were still in
business"
New Flank Threat Faced.
The 9th Army, completing 9
120-mile retreat before the Chi
nese Communist counteroffensive
in the northwest, faced a new
f1anking threat.
i Gen. MacArthur's headquarters
said the Chinese were paying
much attention" to the Koksar
area, on the extreme east flank
of the new defense line. There
were signs the Reds were building
up large concentration of troops
for a push down to the road te
Seoul.
United States First Cavalry di.
vision patrols probed into Koksar
yesterday afternoon and ran intt
light opposition. They returned te
defensive position after capturing
four enemy Howitzers.
U. N. planes strafed Red troops
crossing the Nam River in small
boats above the city.
Pyongyang Occupied.
A headquarters spokesman woult
not say what Allied troops wer'
; entrenched along the northwest.
erns front. A British spokesman
said the 9th and 29th Common
wealth Brigades were adjusting
into new positions in their zones
but refused to say where the zone!
: were located.
/ The Red China radio at Peipins
said Pyongyang. abandoned by thu
9th Army in it's withdrawal south
/. was occupiedf by Chinese and Rec
Korean troops Wednesday. Al
9th Army spokesman confirmed
i the announcement.
The Far East Air Command pu
. all types of planes out on wide
spread attacks against Red troop
and supply centers.
B-29 Super Forts dropped 73'
demolition bombs-500-pounder
; on Red supply installations il
the Changjin Reservoir sector.
Changjin Bombed.
Another flight unloaded 80 ton
. north of the reservoir on tn