Evening star., 1950-09-10
Reds Pressure
Increasing on
Northern Front
Line Is Relatively
Quiet After Allies
Close Smile Cop
By Milton Mormor

Assoeioted Press Foreign Correspondent
TOKYO, Sunday, Sept. To-
The Korean Communists today
applied new pressure on the
northern front where American
and South Korean forces yester-
day closed a five-mile gap opened
by Red tanks.
Despite the pressure the north.
ern front defending the strategic
base of Taegu was described as
relatively quiet" by Associated
Press Correspondent Left Erick-
son at United States Eighth Army
headquarters.
Some of the Red heat on Taegu
was cooled by the closing of the
breach in the line between Yong
chon and Kyongju east of Taegu.
But the Reds still were a con-
tlnulng threat to the South Ko-
rean provisional capital from the
north. Powerful forces there have
been hammering incessantly at
American ridge positions seven
miles above Taegu. The Red Ko-
keans have massed $4,000 men
for new major drive against that
important Allied base.
Reds Win Battle Mountain.
In another main action yester-
day flercely attacking Communists
paid dearly in lives and won Bat
tie Mountain at the southern end
of the line, two miles from fire.
Quilted Haman and 81 air miles
west of the main supply port of
Pusan.
The Allied Air Force swarmed
back to the battlefront at dawn
today with only a medium over
cast to hinder the harassment Of
Red troops and supply lines.
The general quiet that had
fallen over the entire Korean bat
tleground since yesterdays blazing
actions on the north and south
was reflected in the absence Of
headquarters summaries. Both
Gen. MacArthur's and 9th Army
headquarters skipped their Sat-
urday night and Sunday morning
announcements.
The gap in the United Nations
northern defense wall was
snapped shut by South Korean
troops driving east from ongchon
and American and South Korean
forces moving west from Kyongju.
Communist tank columns had
opened the hole earlier in the
week.
Yongchon, gateway city to
Taegu 20 miles westward, was re-
captured by South Koreans Fri
day from the armor-led Reds who
had held it briefly. The ousted
Reds poured artillery and mortar
fire on the city. The North Ko-
rean radio has claimed possession
of Yongchon for two days.
Several groups of Reds were
pocketed by the forces that closed
the Yongchon-Kyongju opening.
Situation Much Improved
A United States Army spokes-
man said the situation along the
newly restored northern U. N.
defense line late yesterday was
much improved"
Correspondent Erickson reported
yesterday that the main force of
the most recent Red offensive
against the northern wall had
been spent. He warned that the
Reds were keeping up their pres
sure there. however.
1t. Gen. Walton H. Walker,
9th Army commander, said earlier
that the Red offensive which be-
gan September / was the largest
since the North Koreans invaded
the South June 25.
Gen Walker said last Sunday,
September 3. was his darkest day.
The Reds aimed savage blows at
both ends of the battle front on
that day. Both finally were stopped
cold.
SOUTHERN FRONT.
Correspondent Erickson also re-
ported Sunday morning quiet
over the southern front with the
Reds still holding Battle Noun
tain. The bitterly contested heights
(See KOREA, Page A-3)