Evening star., 1950-08-26
US. Planes Help South Koreans
Check Fresh Red Attack in East;
Enemy 'Cutin Half Near Toequ
Foes Divisions
Pull Back for
Regrouping
By Russell Brines
A,seeiafed Press Foreign Correspondent


TOKYO, Aug. 26.-Korean Reds
shifted their attack to the east
coast today after American de-
tenders "cut in half" Communist
forces trying to smash through the
Kumhwa death trap" to Taegu
American aircraft struck in
force this afternoon at a fresh Red
assault north of Kigye and Po-
hang, on the eastern end of the
120-mile United Nations defense
line.
Their rockets, bombs and ma
chine guns helped South Koreans
check a "heavy attack" Associated
Press Correspondent Jack Mac
Beth reported.
Airrnen reported the rest of the
front quiet. But Gen. MacAr-
thurs headquarters said the spear
head of at least 10000 Reds hit
South Korean forces for the Sec
ond consecutive day near Chong-
no. 80 miles northwest of Kigye
and 13 miles northeast of Kum-
hwa. The United States 9th Army
said the South Koreans were hold
ing fast after launching a sharp
counterattack which regained
mile of lost ground.
Reds Withdraw to Regroup.
This Is on a more roundabout
road to the American advance
base of Taegu than the Kumhwa
highway where Allied troops man
gled three Red divisions who tried
for week to smash through the
death trap corridor.
These Red divisions pulled back,
apparently to regroup. Associated
Press Correspondent Don White
head reported the pullback mo-
mentarily yeased the main threat
to Taegu., Field officers said the
badly mauled divisions couldn't
launch a new attack for at least
10 days.
In Taegu itself, American Am
bassador John j. Muccio said the
threat to that important Ameri-
ban base has passed.
American infantrymen on the
southern front blocking the gate
way to Pusan. key American base,
beat off two Red attacks. In one
Of these Americans fought in their |
own foxholes, hand to hand with |
the Reds, Associated Press Cor |
respondent Stan Swinton re-
ported. In the other, a company |
Of grenade throwing GIs stopped
1000 Reds trying to take Mount |
Sobuk.
New Pusan Drive Seen.
Intelligence reports said around
$4,000 Reds have assembled in
this southwest sector for what
may be another offensive toward
Pusan.
But in the north, American
troops around Kumhwa relaxed.
Associated Press Correspondent
Don Huth quoted an 9th Army
spokesman as saying these Ameri-
can troops took sun baths" after
seven days of bitter fighting.
Mr.. Huth said the Americans,
IN smashing the Red thrusts at
Kumhwa, has passed the, major
crisis since withdrawing to the
present defense perimeter.
Frontline officers told Mr..
Whitehead that most of the 30
600 Communists in this sector
were withdrawing beyond range of
American artillery. p.
These officers said the effec-
tiveness of these .divisions-the
Sd 18th and 15th-and the two
North Korean Division on the
nearby Chongno road had been
"cut in half"
Front "Well Stabilized"
"A. SPOKESMAN at zen. mac
Arthur's headquarters said this
force-the Reds largest concen-
tration-is still the main Com
munist threat.
The entire front is pretty well
stabilized" he said. But the Reds
still outnumber United Nations de-
tenders and still retain the Ca
pability of attacking at several
places simultaneously"
But, he added, during the past
few weeks we have been able to
meet those attacks on pretty even
terms"
Admiral Arthur w. Radford, Pa
(See KOREA, Page A-2)