Evening star., 1950-07-14
Nv .ha Assaeiafsd Press

TOKYO. July 14.-The tert
OF communique No. rs. issued
at $40 p.m.,, Japan daylight
time (1:1O G.m., EDIT today
United States Air Force and
Royal Australian Air Force air.
craft staged over 220 combat
strikes in the Korean war zone on
Thursday, July 13. Results OF
both fighter and bomber attacks
on North Korean military objec-
tives were considered excellent in
view Of increasingly bad weather
conditions. B-29s Of the Far East
Air Forces bomber command
(provisionaD launched their first
full-scale assault on targets at
Wonsan on Korea's northeastern
coast. Heavy clouds made bomb
ing by radar necessary and pre-
vented evaluation Of the effect OF
the raid. Approximately SO air
craft took part, unloading some
500 tons of bombs on the target
area. One B-29 was abandoned
by its crew over the Japan Sea.
Early reports said six Of the crew
members had been picked up by
fishing boats and are being re-
turned to a Southern Japanese
port. Intensive air-sea rescue
efforts are under way to recover
the remaining personnel.
Second B-29 Lost.
Loss Of another B-29 on July
IL has been confirmed. The
bomber was attacked by two North
Korean fighters in the course OF
a raid over South Korea. Crew
members bailed out and while ef-
forts to find them have not yet
been successful search is contin-
uing.
Fifth Air Force F-80s few ap-
proximately 1875 strafing and
ground attack sorties in the course
of the day. Troop concentrations,
vehicles, artillery positions, tanks
and other targets close to the
battlefront were hit with rocket
and machine-gun fire. Low alti-
tude attacks were again centered
primarily along the lines OF ap-
proach to the Western battle sec
tor, particularly in the Chonan
and Suwon areas, but an increased
number Of missions were directed
at targets near Chungju in Cen
trail Korea.
Bad flying weather hampered
both F-80 and RAAF Mustang OPP
erations. However, fighter air.
craft destroyed nine tanks, As
trucks, four jeeps, one half track
and one other vehicle and dam
aged IL tanks and So trucks.
F-80s also knocked out a rail-
road bridge at Ichon with rocket
fire. Four artillery pieces, includ-
ing two 20-mm. antiaircraft guns,
were hit and several other items
of North Korean materiel or
ground installations were damaged
or destroyed.
B-26s Hit Rail Bridge.
B-26s few medium altitude sor-
ties aimed at a triple track rail-
road bridge near Seoul, scoring
direct hits. Tanks and motorized
equipment concentrations were
bombed in the Chungju area and
a building and four or five trucks
were set on fire in an attack at
Yongi, about 5 miles south Of
Chochiwon.
Antiaircraft and ground fire was
reported in several locations but
only one plane. an F-80. was dam
aged. The F-S0, hit by fax in
the right wing, returned safely to
base.
No North Korean aircraft were
sighted or engaged by our aircraft
on IS July.
TOKYO, July II (P.-The
tert OF communique No. "a.
issued By Gen. MacArthur's
headquarters at 2::30 pm.
1880 G.m.. EDT) today:
In front of the 34th Infantry.
which is in the vicinity Of
Kongju, the 9Th North Korean
Division replaced the 1st Division
which has spearheaded the North
Korean attack.
This division, which was the
first to be pulled out of the line
since the unprovoked Communist
attack against South Korea, indi-
Gates the damage inflicted by the
United States 34th Infantry bat
talions, assisted by a battalion of
the 21st Infantry as well as the