Evening star., 1950-07-20

East Command in October, 194s,
and has since served as chief Of
the Ryukyus military government
section, GHQ.
Commissioned in 1917.
/ He is a native of Pennsylvania
and received his appointment as
second lieutenant, infantry, in
June, 1917. He served with the
24the Infantry in France during
World War I and with the 45th
and 84th Divisions during World
War II, participating in the Sici-
liam, Salerno, Anzio and Southern
France landings.
/ In addition to other decorations,
Gen. Church is the recipient of
the Distinguished Service Cross,
Legion of Merit, Purple Heart
(two clusters). the Silver Star, and
Bronze Star medals.
Gen. Back has been on duty
with the Far East Command as
signal officer, CHG chief. civil
i. communications section, soap
since March, l947.
/ Native of Iowa.
He is native of Iowa and was
i commissioned as second lieuten-
Eant, Signal Corps, in November,
/ 1917, rising to the rank of tempo
rary 'brigadier general in June.
1945.
Gen. Back served in the Med
iterranean theater of operations
during World War II, and as
deputy chief signal officer, Allied
Force Headquarters, and later as
chief signal officer of the theater.
He holds the Distinguished Serv-
i ice medal for his services in that
theater, and in addition holds the
Legion of Merit; commander, Or
der of the British Empire; Grande
Officiale Order of the Crown of
Italy and the Brazilian war medal.
TOKYO, July 20 P.-The
teTt of a comnluniQue, No. 104,
! issued by Gen. MacArthur's
Headquarters at 2::55 pm. (12:25
am, EDIT, today:
United States Air Force F-80
jet fighters hit hard at North
Korea's elusive air strength on
July 10, destroying a total of l8
aircraft and damaging seven.
North Korean air units, which
have been in virtual hiding since
the first phase of hostilities. took
some of the heaviest blows of the
war in Air Force attacks on both
airborne and grounded aircraft.
A majority of Air Force claims
were scored in strikes at North
Korean airfield near Pyongyang
where F-8o rocket and machine
gun fire wiped out IA fighters and
one -engined bomber.
The attack was made under
good weather conditions and the
F-80s were able to rake the field
at zero attitudes. Many amr1uni-
ton loaded North Korean aircraft
exploded and burned on the
ground. Seven other airplanes
were strafed and damaged but
were not claimed as destroyed.
Three Yak Fighters Downed.
Three Yak-9 fighters were shot
down in the air north of Taejon
i'm an aerial battle with nSth Air.
4 Force F-80s. Our jets also claimed
one other Yak probable. Excel
LENT coordination by air-ground
lcontrol radio was largely respon-
sible for the interception. One
9F-80 was damaged and forced to
make an emergency laridipgT ID
the Taejon area. SS@ J
Yesterdays losses bring. the total
flor North Korean aircraft de-
Istroyed to 78 airplanes of all types.
as compared with our losses of 81,
a large number of which have
been the result Of operational ac-
cidents as opposed to combat
losses.
Other F-S0 jets of the 5th Air
Force continued an active cam
Ipaign to interdict the North
Korean ground forces on the bat
tie front, cutting the invaders off
from their supply sources by sys-
Dramatically destroying bridges, rail
facilities. roads, vehicles and other
means of communications.
j Targets Diminishing.
The heavy toll taken by fighter
and light bomber strikes in the
last three weeks was shown in a
diminished number of suitable
targets for ground attack. Ground
and air observers again called at
Itention to growing North Korean
policy of keeping under cover dur
ing daylight hours in the hope of
escaping air attacks.
Because of the scarcity Of
ground targets behind the North
Korean lines. damage and destruc-
ton for the day was low.
Only three tanks were damaged
by American fighters, and the
totals for other types of vehicles
and ground installations were also
well below previous figures,
Damage to 10 trucks, two locomo-
tives, eight railroad cars and nine
miscellaneous vehicles were re-
ported by pilots.
A bridge was damaged by F-80s
east of Kongju and a marshalling
yard in the Chongju area was
worked over with rockets. Houses
and buildings were destroyed in
J Kongju, Chochiwon and Ansong
all in the western sector.
i Bridges and Highways Hit.
i B-26s of the 5th Air Force hit
bridges and highway targets on
the west coast near Taechon in
an attack at the westernmost
railroad and highway communica-
tions channel to North Korean
lines in the Kunsan area.
Far East Air Forces bomber
1 i