Evening star., 1950-07-17
Koreu
Continued From First Page.)

er declared, the oath held them up
48 hours, giving southern elements
Dean was commanding the oath
Division. This was the first an
nouncement that Gen. Dean had
resumed command of the division.
He briefly was commander in Ko-
rea until 1t. Gen. Walton H.
Walker took over last week.
American and Australian fight
ars and American light bombers
ranged along the flaming front or
just behind it in more than 200
combat sorties in close support of
American and South Korean
ground forces yesterday. They
were credited with destroying OF
damaging % Red tanks, 80 trucks
and IA railway box cars.
Bombers Strike Deep.
B-29 Super Fortress bombers
struck deep into North Korean
territory. Fifty of them dumped
400 tons on the railroad yards at
Seoul, 90 miles above the front.
Other B-29s plastered the Chung
ju area closer to the front.
The North Korean ground
forces ran into shattering Ameri-
can-furnished surprises in two
actions on the Eastern front. Gen.
Macarthur said they were "two
of the most conclusive setbacks''
of the Korean war.
North of Yongdok, on the east
coast, United States 5th Air Force
planes tore the Reds apart. In
the critical sector around Che
chon, it was American artillery
that mauled them.
Yongdok is IS miles above the
port of Pusan, which is the Amer
ican supply depot on the penin-
Sula.
Big Surprise for Reds.
Gen. Macarthur said the Reds
had been heartened by limited
success there in a combined sea
and land operation against the
South Koreans Sunday. The
North Korean force attacked yes
terday morning and-as Gen
Mac Arthur put it-"received its
biggest surprise of the war"
Fifth Air Force fighters roarec
in to SUPPORT the South Korean
23d Regiment. The result was q
catastrophe" for the Reds, Gen
MacArthur's communique said. II
added:
"In the battle area and for four
kilometers (two and one-half
niles north, the supporting
fighters bombed and strafed,
throwing the enemy into complete
confusion. The communicating
South Korean regiment capital
lied and pushed forward so ag-
gressively that the Communist
force fed in disorganized retreat
and broke contact with the South
Korean regiment"
Second Setback for Reds.
The other North Korean set
back around Yechor. SIS miles
northeast of Taejon, came Sunday
night. The South Korean 21St
Regiment came up with unit of
United States artillery--not pre-
viously reported in that sector
In the words of the communique
'Methodical United States ar
tillery bombardment of the Reds
column supplied the South Ko-
rean regiment with the supporting
fire it needed to halt the Red
force dead in its tracks. BY dark
the enemy had completely aban-
doned any idea of continuing its
advance and was observed con-
structing defensive positions.
The Kun River fighting pittec
Vic O0VAAQAAAbC1CO f1Ik1CI lC1l1S
against massed waves of Savagely
attacking North Koreans.
The 10Th Regiment first met the
assault, then Withdrew in orderly
manner" Gen. Macarthur said.
River Was Temporary Line.
Gen. Macarthur said the extent
Of the American withdrawal was
not in itself excessive for this
type of action" The overall ad-
vance of the Communists from
the 38th Parallel on June Is has
averaged six miles a day.
The Kun River line had not
been expected to last long. The
river is easily fordable and its
use was only a temporary ex.
pedient in the American delayine
campaign.
At least three and perhaps foul
Red divisions were hitting the
American Oath Division. They in.
clude the 1st, Sd, 4th and pos.