Evening star., 1950-07-10
$50 American Planes
Blast Red Columns
As They Jam Roads
tcontinued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page.0
ported among Red ground troops
caught in the storm of rockets
bombs, machine gun bullets and
for the first announced time-the
jelly-like explosive liquid called
napalm.
This incendiary liquid, COM
posed of gasoline mixed in a Sc
cret soaplike substance, is car
ried in special belly tanks. The
tanks are dropped and explode on
contact. spraying flaming gaso-
line in all directions.
B-29s Bomb Bridges.
The concerted attack was
pushed all yesterday morning and
part of the afternoon in spite of
bad weather.
B-29s roamed closer to the
front than before. They bombed
bridges along a line from Seoul
east to Pyongchang, about 40
miles west of Samchok on the
east coast. They knocked out the
last bridge across the Han River.
just south of Seoul.
They hit rail bridge north of
Pyongtaek, % miles south of
Seoul, on the main Red offensive
route. Pilots reported one span
was down and both approaches
blocked by wrecked trains.
No North Korean planes were
met. Anti-aircraft fire was light
or unreported in all sectors, the
communique said.
One F-80 jet fighter was dam
aged by ground fire and an F-82
was damaged by a ground explo-
sion, but both returned to their
base. Two homeward- bound fight
ers went down at sea but their
pilots were saved.
Aussies Hit Chongju.
Australian planes hit Northern
army buildings at Chongju, on
the central Red offensive corridor,
and are playing "a key part in
successful Korean operations, the
communique said.
B-26 light bombers and fighter
planes took off at regular inter-
walls all during the night from Il
base in oSuthern Japan. They
kept up the same hail of bombs.
rockets and strafing fire on the
North Koreans in the frontal area
that they had been giving them
during daylight hours.
The purpose is to hinder con-
centration and keep the Reds
under aerial threat without letup.
Saturday American and Aus
tralian planes few 176 sorties, an
earlier communique said. They
reported four tanks, 80 trucks, 1O
miscellaneous vehicles, 4 artillery
pieces, l locomotive, IL boxcars
and 4 oil storage tanks DESTROYED
They reported % trucks, 26 box
cars, 2 locomotives and 26 barges
damaged.
They knocked out bridge near
.Samchok on the east coast, where
yesterday more Napalm bombs
were dropped.
From American advanced head
quarters in Korea, Associated
Press Correspondent O.. H. P.
King reported last night that the
attacks were still going on.
II think it would be safe in
saying major portions of the
tanks and infantry were wiped
out" an official spokesman told
him.
Denies Jets Are Too Fast.
In his interview, Gen. Strate-
meyer said Allied aircraft had in
f1icted unknown but considerable
losses on North Korean ground
troops. He strongly denied reports
that jet planes were too speedy for
such action.
The jet," he said, "has per-
formed nagnif1cently. We have
been able to perform all missions
with the jets that we have been
called upon to do. including close
support of ground forces"
His recapitulation of losse.
showed 10 F-80 Shooting Star jets
8 B-26 light bombers and 2 F-8:
twin Mustangs lost. No B-29s o.
F-51 single Mustangs had beer
lost up to II am. today g pm.
EDIT, Sunday, he said.
His men had not found many
North Korean planes on the air.
fields and he did not know where
they had gone. He credited hi.
flyers with shooting down II o1
them in combat.
The air general said there was
no consideration of using giant
B-36 bombers in the Far East.
Korean AirfieIds Built.
American forces. Gen. Strate-
meyer said, have started airfelds
in South Korea to reduce the dis
tance required for combat mis-
Sions.
Speaking once of reinforce
ments, he said he was quoting