Evening star., 1950-07-09
Koreu
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NOF6O
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toward the Chonan sector "witf
important reinforcements."
First Simultaneous Action.
This was announced today afte]
American units fell back from
Chonan and it became known thai
Chonan was in Red hands. How.
ever, not until the communiuue
was issued, was it disclosed thai
in addition to the repulse al
Chonan one American battalion
had been cut off.
This was the first report OF
simultaneous action by more than
one United States battalion.
A lone North Korean plane flew
deep into Southern territory to
drop eight bombs on Taegu, he
said. Five of them were duds
Taegu is an important rail and
communication center 10 miles
southeast of Taejon.
1t was the first Red aircraft
reported in action in the past two
and one half days.
Invaders Building Strength.
Gen. MacArthur's Tokyo head
quarters communique, issued Just
before midnight Saturday. recorded
an ominous buildup of North
Korean invader troops and arnor
little farther back, paced by 80
to ITO tanks.
American troops along the front.
In light strength, about so miles
south of Seoul, were setting up
successive delaying positions" an
Army spokesman in South Korea
said.
The renewed push by the
Northerners forced Americans to
fall bcak rapidly from Chonan, a
highway town some IS air miles
north of Taejon, and As to so
miles by road from that import
ant jump-of point for defending
forces.
(Taejoff previously has been
Identified as American field head
quarters.)
Field headquarters reported II
more North Korean tanks had
been destroyed by South Korean
and American forces. Field dis
patches earlier Saturday had
placed Red tank losses at about
40. but there was no official basis
for the count.
Heavy Artillery Spotted.
Gen. MacArthur's communique
told of spotting 40 to so North
Korean tanks and truck drawn
heavy artillery which looked like
Long Tom" 155 millimeter rifles
north of Pyongtaek, which is IA
miles north of Chonan.
Another 40 to so enemy tanks
and more than 1000 men were
crossing the swollen Ansong River
and heading toward Songhwan,
village on the main highway
only eight miles north of Chonan.
Significantly. Gen. Macarthur
said that blown bridges and
swollen streams continued to be
the most serious obstacles to
North Korean armored units.
His communique said the North
Korean offensive was 'curtalled'
Saturday, while massing in for
ward areas for renewed often
sive.
Later field dispatches indicated
the Reds were pushing on South.
Headquarters in Tokyo appeared
most concerned about two big
drives by the enemy which appear
to be shaping up rapidly.
East Coast Push Seen.
First, the communique said, was
"a distinct possibility of wide
development attempting to cut
the main North-South communica-
tions line, possibly in the Taejor
area"
Second, a push down the isolated
East coast toward Pusan, mair
United States supply port.
Headquarters in Tokyo saio
troop and tank concentrations
in this area east coast) which
has been relatively quiet since the
outbreak of the Korean war, (June
25) suggest that preparations are
underway for drive in the direct
tion of Pusan. It may also NEAR
wide fanking development oi
the main battle area to sever the
important communications juno
tion at Taegu."
The possibility of these two en-.
veloping moves suggested con
tinued caution in committing ma
jor American ground and support
ing units-including tanks-abov'
the natural barrier of the Kun
River.
Air Force Units Active.
The Kun cuts about fnidwa.
between fallen Chonan and tn
southern strongpoint at Taejon.
American Air Force units wer
active throughout Saturday.
Fighters hammered at Russian
built tanks and trucks with vary
ing success The communion
said many tanks were destroyel
and damaged, but announced n
totals due to incomplete reports
A large volume of America
supplies continued to flow t
Pusan.