Evening star., 1951-06-06
Allied Tanks
Batter Gates Of
Red Stronghold
Position Now Is Some
As 1t Was at Sturt
Of Spring Offensive
BY the Associated Press

TOKYO, June 6.-Allied tank
patrols today hammered at the
gates of Chorwon and Kumhwa,
southern anchors of the Commu-
mist Central Korean stronghold.
A tough and confident United
States Nations Army sis standing
at the front door now, hammering
at the lock-" AP Tokyo Bureau
Chief Robert Eunson reported
from 9th Army headquarters in
Korea.
Tight censorship blacked out
the exact distance Allied troops
were from the Reds strategic
Chorwon Kumhwa Pyonggang
bastion. The 9Th Army reported
gains of up to 2 miles, except on
the bitterly defended eastern
front.
Where They Were 6 Weeks Ago.
In the west, Mr.. Eunson re-
ported, Allies had "battled all the
way back to the gates of Shorwon
-. exactly where they were six
weeks ago when the Communists
first spring offensive was touched
off"
Then, the main line was four
miles from Chorwon. Armored
patrols stabbed two miles closer.
Wednesday night the 9th Army
announced U. N. forces rolled
one to two miles nearer Chorwon
from positions north of Yonchon.
And tank patrol rumbled 2h
miles ahead of the line, running
a gantlet of Red fire.
Dispatches from the central
front reported U. N. troops drove
nearly mile closer to Kumhwa,
eastern gateway to the Communist
supply and build-up zone. Allied
infantrymen slogged through
sporadic artillery and mortar fire,
routing out Chinese from log
topped fox holes.
Smaller Gains Made in East.
Smaller, more careful advances
were made to the east on the
Hwachon-Kumhwa road, although
Chinese there had pulled back
three miles to stouter defenses.
Bitterest fighting was farther
east. North Koreans fought a
fierce delaying action against q.
N. forces pushing out from Yang
gu and Inje while Communist
trucks carted off the remains Of
a Sizable ammunition dump.
Mr.. Eunson reported Official
estimates place 100000 Reds on
the battlefront. He said 10000
North Koreans hold the eastern
and western flanks, with 100000
Chinese in the center defending
their vital triangle.
The Chinese were massed in
depth along a 45-mile stretch of
the central and west-central fronts
between HWachon and Korangpo,
the AP correspondent said. The
North Korean Reds were divided
equally, with about 10000 east of
Hwachon in the Inje-Yanggu area
and on to the coast while 10000
more were on the extreme west
flank near Korangpo.
Another Offensive May Be Aim.
He indicated the 9th Army was
trying to provoke another Com
munist offensive; and if it doesn't
come the Allies may overrun the
ChorWon Kumhwa Pyongyang
area without a bitter fight.
1.-The 9Th Army sloggers are dig
ging in again." he reported, with
only tank-led raiding parties lash
ing out at the retreating Reds"
This recalled 1t. Gen. James A.
Van Fleets statement that his
ground forces might provoke an
other premature Red offensive,
such as they launched April %.
If the Reds don't come out
again. Mr.. Eunson reported, "the
U. N. soldier might walk right in"
and take over the strategic fiat
lands.
New Type of War HintS1.
Hints Of a possible new type of
warfare in Korea came in an un-
confirmed report from Taipeh. The
China Union Press said 10000
Soviet satellite troops have ar
rived in Red Korea.
The Chinese Nationalist agency
said 1 million conscripts are dig
ging deep tunnels, immune to air
and artillery attack, linking strong
(See KOREA, Page A-3.)