The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1950-08-17
Three Enemy
Divisions Hif
South Koreans
'Saturation" BIG Raid
Either Sidestepped or
They Snap Back
(By Associated Press

(By Associated Press
Between $4,000 and 10000 North
Koreans-three divisions-drove TO
within Is miles of Taegu. South
Korean provisional capital, with
surprise show of power today, front
line dispatches reported.
The enemy either had sidestepped
the massive B-29 "saturation" raid
on his rs mile concentration area
west Of the Naktong River We'd
nesday. or had snapped back from
| it.
The center of the attack was be-
tween Waegwan and Kunwi. north
east of the bombed area, and
poured through two South Korean
divisions holding mountain passes.
The Red push BET an as the Am
orleans attempted a surprise of
their own-a renewed offensive ag-
ainst the bullying Changnyong
bridgehead southwest of Taegu with
the aid of Marines drawn up from
the southern front
The Devil Dogs. beginning their
attack at dawn, stormed and held
part of 'slaughterhouse HILL" 20
miles southwest of Taegu. 1t was
their bloodiest battle Of the war.
The Marines. with U. s. Oath
Infantry Division on their right
flank, charged to the steep rocky
crest with the support Of heavy
artillery, tanks and rocket firing
planes in bid for ground COM
manding 4 good part Of the six
and seven mile bridgehead held by
$4,000 Communists.
Worst Threat
But the new Red thrust from the
north replaced the Changnyong
bridgehead as the most serious"
threat to the United Nations in
Korea, Eighth Army headquarters
said.
No river barrier stood in the way
Of the three divisions bearing down.
However. there was a high ridge
of mountains.
The North Koreans snapped back
from the terrific pounding they
received from SO superfortresses
Wednesday when their 25-square
mile concentration area west of
Waegwan was hit with more than
$50 tons Of bombs.
The Reds dashed out and cap
tured hill, two miles !, northeast
of Wkegwan In the early morning,
but U. s. First Cavalry Division
troopers fought halfway back up
the, ridge, about. IA miles north
west Of Taegu. emergency, capital
of South Korea.
/ Thirty two more American pris-
oners, presumably from the U. s.
First Cavalry Division, were found
shot dead by Red Koreans In the
Waegwan front. Their hands had
been tied behind their backs.
u S. Eighth Army headquarters
in Korea said the Communists
were massing anew to the north
and northeast OF the bombed area
and might be shifting their main
thrust to between Waegwan and
Kunwi where they would meet
South Korean divisions. Kunwi is
Is miles north OF Taegu.
Allies Lose "a Miles
Swinging the Marines into tho
renewed offensive against the
Changnyong bridgehead involved
27-mile fallback from hard-won
territory east of Chinju on the
south coast. The U. S. 25th In
fantry Division, left to hold that
sector, set up shop behind a deep
new defense line of barbed wire
and mines and awaited a men,
acing Red concentration.
On the east coast the allies also
shortened their line. The bat
tered South Korean Third Division
was evacuated by U. S. landing
craft from below Yongdok. The
division had been fighting an al
most isolated battle since the Reds
staged surprise push behind it
and captured Pohang, So miles
north of Pusan.
The British destroyer Concord
and Chinese Communist shore bat
teries fought 30-minute duel on
the approaches to Hong Kong.
This was disclosed to have been
the second such exchange OF fire
in the tense Far East. The British
frigate Whitesand Bay shot at
| ~, tt L. H.