Evening star., 1950-09-23
u. n. Marines Battle
Reinforced Reds in
Struggle for Seoul
U. S. Forces Driving
To Cut Off Further
Enemy Support
By Left Erickson
,ted Press Foreign CORRESPONDENT

Associated Press Foreign Correspondent
TOKYO. Sept. 23.-Allied
Marines battled for Seoul today
against Reds reinforced by divi-
sion rushed up from the old
Southeast Korea beachhead.
American forces drove hard to
cut off other Communist re-
Inducements for the besieged cap
ital. The United States 1st Cav
ally Division smashed 35 miles out
of the beachhead and occupied
Sangju, junction on one of the
two main routes to Seoul.
Allied fighters and bombers at
tackled retreating Reds all along
the bulging Pusan perimeter and
closely supported ground forces.
American planes in tragic mis-
take 'fire-bombed and strafed
British troops west of the Max
tong river.
At Seoul, American and South
Korean Marines clamped prongs
north and southwest of the
sprawling city of l million. The
Northern thrust carried into the
outskirts under heavy Red artil-
lery fire. The Marines were re-
ported within two miles of the
heart of Seoul.
A Marine intelligence officer told
Associated Press Correspondent
Relman NORM the Leathernecks
had captured Reds from the North
Korean 9th Division, which raced
more than 200 miles along the
twisting valley roads northward
from Haman to Seoul. The Red
9th Division previously was re-
ported opposing the United States
25th Division.
The intelligence officer said also
that Red regiment, the 10th, was
reported to have entered the capi-
tai from Sariwon, 80 miles north
west of Seoul. 1t evidently skirted
Marines who blocked the rail and
highway routes northwest of the
city after crossing the Han river.
SEOUL FRONT.
Thus bolstered, the Communists
appeared to have more than $4,000
troops at hand for the developing
battle for Seoul-a struggle ex-
pected to be the bloodiest and
most destructive of the war.
In Moscow the newspaper Prav-
da-in dispatch from its CORE.
spondent in Korea-said pillboxes,
barricades and tank points dot
the populous, infiammable city.
The correspondent reported every
home in Seoul must be defended
as a fortress"
Three thousand Reds were en-
trenched on 700-foot South Noun
tain inside the city. Artillery in
a public park on the summit roared
at Allied Marines pushing on and
into the city. Mr.. NORM described
the shelling as heavy and accu-
rate"
Marines in Outskirts.
Gen. Macarthur headquarters
confirmed that the Leathernecks
were in the outskirts of the city.
But there was no confirmation Of
a Pusan radio report that South
Korean Marines occupied Scouts
west gate prison of Sodaemun.
Sodaemun Is southeast of two
heights captured yesterday by
American Marines commanding
the northwest entry into Seoul.
The hills were designated as 2s6
and 388, because Of their metric
height.
The Marine spearhead on the
southwest pushed on from the
shell-shattered factories of Yong
dungpo, on Scouts surburbs, to-
ward ruined railway bridges
across the Han. Yongdungpo was
secured yesterday after bitter
bayonet fighting.
The Tokyo spokesman said the
eastward advance continued south
of the Han against minor re-
sistance" - indicating that the
(See KOREA, Page A-3.)