The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1950-07-14
EN- { N Y HITS
FROM REAR
IN YANk GARB
Bridgehedd Being Formed
Posketing Americans
India Offers Truce
(By the Associated Press


North Korean Communist forces
opened full scale offensive today
against the Americans do-or-die
Kun river line in South Korea, al
ready crossed by small advance
shock force of Reds.
The opening of the offensive was
heralded by the Reds deadly in
filtration tactic, front line dis
patch said. Communist guerrillas
who sneaked behind US. lines,
wearing uniforms possibly taken
| from American dead, struck at the
US. forces in the rear while the
Reds threw an artillery barrage
| across the river.
An advance headquarters spokes-
/ man said the Reds brought up two
or three divisions to the Kun river
to face the greatly outnumbered
Americans on the south bank
The front dispatch said intense
fighting began by night (Korean
time) on the Kun river front after
the Communists dared heavy Amer
lean artillery and fighter plane fire
to send a small jabbing shock force
across the stream. 1t was the first
breach OF the. Kun river line, last
bastion before Taejon, emergency
capital. The South Korea govern
ment was reported to have fled
Taejon and curfew and alert were
ordered in the city.
Attack .srorn Rear
Associated Press reporter Left
Erickson. in dispatch from Ameri-
can advance headquarters, quoted a
headquarters spokesman as saying
| the Red guerrillas attacked sud-
denly from the rear. clad in green
twill fatigue uniforms such as
Americans wear. He said presum-
ably these were taken from, Ameri- 4
can dead or war prisoners.
The advance Communist force
which reached the south bank of
the Kun numbered possibly 100
men but posed serious nighttime
threat to the doubly exposed
Americans fighting to prevent a
Red bridgehead buildup.
Despite heavy American artillery
and fighter plane fire, the Com
munist force waded across the river
in what looked like an attempt to
hold bridgehead for a thanking
movement against American posi-
tons guarding Taejon.
To the east. the outnumbered de-
tenders worried over another Com
munist thanking movement which
threatened to cut off the Kun river
positions and Taejon from their
supply port, Pusan. The Reds drove
toward Hamchong and Andong, AZ
and rs miles east of Taejon and
about 60 miles north of Taegu on
the Pusan-Taejon highway
Big Guns Duel
An artillery duel preceded the
Communist river crossing west of
Konju. on the rivers south bank,
held by the U.S. 34th Infantry regi-
ment. Red guns covering the cross
ing were silenced for a time by the
American counter barrage.
Moscow radio. quoting front dis
patches, reported North Korean
armies advancing on all fronts. and
said North Korean air strength was
growing The Moscow press ridi-
culed the United Nations action in
Korea as a cloak for American
aggression. Gen. Macarthur &C
cepted the U.N flag for his COM
mand today and promised his forces
would do all possible Ito uphold
this noble IDEAL"
The United States, said Washing
ton dispatches, is quietly informing
other interested UN members that
it would welcome their ground
| forces in Korea. although there is
no official expectation that any but
the Americans would carry the
IN
members have sent sea and air
help, but Britain and France. the
two most likely prospects for
ground force help. have their own
Communist troubles in Asia.
Might be Lure
The feeling was growing in WASH
ington that Russia might be trying
to lure the Western Allies into such
great military efforts in Korea that
there would be no challenge to ag-
erosion elsewhere.
With fears Of a broadened con-
flict rising. the Senate-House
Atomic Energy Committee indicated