Evening star., 1950-11-24
A "s THE EVENING STAR, Washington D. G..
1850 -
Allies Gain 3 Miles,
Hope 10 End Korea
War by Christmas
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Continued From First Page)
Christmas even if they started
now)
Gen. Macarthur said the big
push began with the morale of
troops high-bolstered by "the
justice of our cause and promise
OF early completion of our mis-
sion"
3 Corps Jump OFF.
The major attack was along
the northwestern front. Troops
Of three U. N. corps jumped off at
8 am. (6 pm. EST. Thursday.
Advancing troops found 80
wounded American prisoners,
newly released by Chinese Reds.
All but three were litter cases.
They were members of the United
States 9th Cavalry Regiment, am
bushed by the Chinese early in
November. These were in addi-
: tion to q released by the Chinese
Wednesday.
Field dispatches reported this
progress of the offensive by night
fall-from West to East:
A tank-led oath Division COL
umn rumbled unopposed 8 miles
westward in the days greatest
advance. The column was reported
less than 2 miles from Chongju,
vital highway hub.
That put it only So air miles
from flaming Sinuiju, entryway
for Chinese Communist armies in
the extreme Northwest. It was a
familiar road. Four weeks ago the
$24th Division was only IA miles
from the Manchurian border when
Chinese attacks forced them to
withdraw.
ROK Troops Closing Ring.
The Republic of Korea 1st Di-
vision began closing a ring around
esTaechon, center of road network
LESS than so miles from the great
Suiho hydroelectric plant on the
Yalu River. One ROK element
was 3 miles southwest of Taechon
at Singsang. Another element was
6 miles southeast of Taechon.
Two tank-led 25th Division COL
umns rolled 7 miles northward.
One column clanked through
Ipsok within S air miles of Unsan,
a road junction: the other to Cung
Mountain. 900-foot-high hill
2 miles southeast of Ipsok.
The United States I'd Division
took of behind dawn-to-dusk
artillery barrage. It advanced
more than 7 miles in two columns
despite fight put up by two hill
entrenched Communist platoons.
Fighter plane rockets and B-29s
also cleared the way.
The B-29s heavily bombed
Huichon, major Red supply and
communications base and goal of
the I'd Division. The B-29s
bombed so close to the road the
troops had to pull up short south
of Woncharn. 18 miles southwest
of Huichon. Division elements
generally moved about s miles
north of the rail center of Ku-
jang.
Divisions Gain S Miles.
On the 9th Army's right flank,
the ROK 7th and 9th Divisions
advanced nearly miles. Elements
of the 7th Division were reported
10 miles north of Tokchon. Other
South Koreans were almost 5 miles
east of Tokchon.
These combat spearheads COM
prised less than half of the United
States 9th Army's force. The rest
of the 100000 men on the front
were in reserve or ready to ex-
plot breakthroughs.
United States Marines in North
Central Korea ran into the days
heaviest opposition. Wading
through deep snowdrifts along the
west side of the Changiin Reser-
voir, the 7th Marine Regiment had
to fight its way through five road
blocks defended by an estimated
1000 troops. The Reds were from
o new Chinese division-the 89th.
Marines on the east side of the
reservoir had no opposition. They
advanced 2 to 3 miles.
The only U. N forces along the
Yalu River clamped down on
SamSu. expecting to find it alive
with Reds. The United States 7th
Divisions 32d Regiment moved up
and took the town without firing
q shot.
Mortars Silenced.
A 18th Regiment patrol, moving
out of Hyesanjin on the Yalu,
had to blast its way through a
mortar barrage. Their 80 nm.
tanks opened up, set off a big ex-
plosion and the mortars were
silent.
On the east coast North Korean
Reds put up a weakening defense
against South Korean troops. The
ROK Capital Division, moving
with naval support, was less than
z miles from Chongjin on its way
to the Soviet Siberian border.
Gen. Macarthur called the
northeastern gains "a brilliant
tactical movement" that cut Red
forces in two. That, coupled with
the Western drive, he said, should
for all practical purposes end the
war"
The augmented 9th Army force
lined up for this drive included
Turkish and British common
wealth troops. Neither were men