Evening star., 1950-12-09
Korea
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NOTeO
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time the Koto airstrip. still need
ed for evacuation of wounded,
was closed by fire. But it was
reopened later.
At daylight today CATS began
landing and taking off from the
field.
Planes Pound Chinese.
Waves of Allied warplanes-
grounded by weather yesterday
pounded the Chinese positions
along the escape route. From the
south could be heard the booming
of United States artillery blasting
approaches to the breakout road.
Mr.. Macbeth said the chances
were good for smashing through
the Chinese wall. But isolated at
Koto, he presumably was unaware
of the new threat mounted by the
four or more fanking Red Chinese
divisions.
THE roads leading out of here
(Koto) are narrow and slippery" "
Mr.. Macbeth reported. They
wind down off the plateau into the
valley but we will make it all right.
The losses will be very costly but
we will make it"
Third Division staff officers
withheld the location of the Chi
nese Red divisions sweeping be-
hind the Allied retreat column.
But one said:
ut looks like they are trying a
double development movement
aimed at blocking the road in
force well south of the breakout
column"
Reds Close on Flanks.
The Chinese 58th and 68th Di-
visions and possibly the 18th Di-
vision were reported moving south
well to the east of the gorge road.
The Chinese 89th and possibly one
more division were reported
threatening from the west.
1--WE are ready for them," the
staff officer said. I'VE are conf
dent we can hold the road OPEN"
Other Chinese fired on Allied
patrols this afternoon at Sudong,
8 miles south of Koto on the es-
cape road.
A Chinese prisoner from the
89th Division said American ar
tillery fire killed or wounded 40
men of his company last night
He said 80 men of his unit had
been evacuated with frozen feet.
The prisoner was wearing rub
ber- -soled tennis sneakers.
Maj. Gen. Robert H. Soule, Sd
Division commander. visited for
ward areas up the road from
Hamhung this afternoon. Puerto
Rican troops were aiding in the
fight to keep the road open.
Silent on Evacuation.
Gen. Almond said concentra-
tions of 10th Corps troops in the
Hamhung- -Hungnam sector would
put U. N. forces "in a much pet
ter position to kill off these birds. !"
"As the enemy discloses his
widening avenues of approaches,
we will meet those threats" the
10th Corps commander added.
There was no mention of any
plan to evacuate troops. Gen. AL
mond said Wonsan to the south
had been abandoned because the
10th Corps mo longer needed two
ports" He said Hungnam was
the better of the two ports.
Key U. N. commanders arrived
in Hungnam in an hour of grave
peril.
Vice Admiral C. Turner Joy
said his U. N. fleet was in North
east Korea waters Ito assist in
gunfre support, air support and
bringing in of supplies and equip
ment :"
Secret Conference Held.
Marine 1t. Gen. Lemuel C..
Shepherd, commanding Fleet
Marine Fores in the Far East,
said he was sent out ito offer
any help I can give to help
them out of their present diff
culties."
Gen. Almond, Admiral G. w.
Shepherd, Vice Admiral Arthur
D. Struble, 7th Fleet commander,
and Rear Admiral James Doyle,
amphibious group commander, at
tended a secret conference aboard
ship at Hungnam.
The surrounded force coming
out of Koto included the 1st Ma
rine Division and elements of the
Army's 7th Division.
The location of the 7th Divi-
sion, retreating from the Man
churian border, was kept secret.
Also undisclosed were the posi-
tionS of the South Korea Capital
and Sd Divisions.
Some South Koreans of the
Capital Division, who had thrust
to within 40 miles of Soviet Siberia
on the east coast, were evacuated
by water. Others were reported
retreating south toward Hungnam.
Ground action in the western
sector was limited mostly to patrol
encounters.
Allied planes rocketed and
bombed large conveys of troops
moving south toward the Red cup
ital, Pyongyang.
Tho To;ooea x,arn I,y,ildiS,o 1,y1