Evening star., 1951-03-17
100000 Chinese
Nassiing Below
38fh Parallel
Prepare to Defend
Their Last Base
In South Koreu
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
TOKYO, Mar. 17.-More thar
100000 Chinese Reds were massec
today in Central Korea south OF
Chunchon-the base they must
hold to stay below the 38th Paral-
lei.
An Allied intelligence officer in
Seoul said there were signs the
hard-pressed foe may have to pull
back soon all the way to that
artificial boundary of North and
South Korea.
Rushing in fresh troops, the
Reds lashed back with ground
arms and artillery from good ridge
defenSes below Chunchon, 8 miles
south of the 33th Parallel. Their
outpoStS drove off Allied patrols
probing the outer defenses.
May Withdraw Farther.
This was the first sign the Reds
had decided to end days of re-
treat and try to hold along a new
defense line.
However, there are indications
that the enemy feels he cannot
hold this line in view of our su-
periority of equipment, an Allied
officer said, "and he may with
draw to the 38th Parallel"
Allied warships, planes and
ground forces have combined to
infiict heavy losses on the foe.
In the air. an F-80 Shooting
Star jet and Russian-type MIG
jet collided today and plunged to
the ground.
Both pilots were presumed dead.
The collision came during a dog
fight between three Shooting Stars
and three MICS south of Namsi
in Northwest Korea.
Fifth Air Force planes flew 733
sortieS by dusk, shooting up Com
muniSt transports and troops.
More than 10000 Reds have
been killed or wounded in ground
action since the Allied offensive
began January 25. The 9th Army
claimed $50 for yesterday.
Barracks Bombarded.
A belated naval announcement
said 5000 Reds were killed or
wounded Thursday by warship
bombardment of barracks near
WonSan. on the northeast coast.
That biggest single days bag of
the war by the Navy smashed a
base which feeds troops down to
the central front.
Allied planes last night bombed
five trains trying to sneak down
to the front. One 35-car train
loaded with vehicles was de-
stroyed, pilots said. Six cars of
another 10-car train exploded.
The other three trains were
damaged and halted.
The attacking planes helped set
a new record yesterday of 1,123
sortieS by the Far East Air Forces.
One component, the United States
5th Air Force flew a record 829
sorties. Pilots claimed they killed
or wounded $50 Reds.
Patrols Reatpn Rack
Allied patrols were beaten back
while trying to move north today
from recaptured Hongchon in
Central Korea toward Chunchon,
a distance of Is miles.
Hongchon was pinched off and
occupied Thursday. The last
pocket of Chinese in the Hong
chon area was wiped out yester-
day.
The Reds fired their most in
tensive artillery barrage of the
Korean war in defense of Chung
chon. But Allied guns poured
back so shells for every one from
IIle fL6QS.
Associated Press War Core
spondent Left Erickson reported
from 9th Army headquarters that
four Chinese army corps were be-
lieved to be deployed southwest
and southeast of Chungchon.
Another four were believed to
be in reserve to the north.
United Nations troops advanced
elsewhere. But the 9Th Army
cloaked their positions in secrecy.
The Allies were believed to be
less than 20 miles from the 38th
Parallel at numerous points.
All was quiet in re-occupied
Seoul. South Koreans encoun-
tered a small force of North Ko-
reans north of the capital last
night but quickly dispersed it.