Evening star., 1951-06-09
Reds Giving Up
Iron Triangle
In Allied Drive
Chinese Falling Back
To Town II Miles
From Northern Tip
BY the Associated Press

TOKYO, June 9-Battered Chi
nese Reds today began retreating
from their main Korean strong
hold - the Chorwon-Kumhwa-
Pyonggang Iron Triangle" field
reports said.
A pooled dispatch from the
Western front said the Reds were
falling back toward Kumsong, II
miles due east of Pyonggang and
about % miles north of the 38th
Parallel.
Censorship obscured exact Al
lied positions. But the report said
United States 9th Army forces
captured two ridges against de-
creasing Red opposition. One AL
lied gain of more than a mile was
reported.
Pyonggang is the northern tip
of the triangle, the buildup area
where the Reds grouped forces
for abortive offenses against the
United Nations.
Chorwon and Kumhwa are the
triangle's southern anchors. Both
were directly threatened by the
Allies.
Control Of Valley Threatened.
The front line report quoted AL
lied officers as saying the Reds
probably were abandoning Chor-
won to the Allies poised in the
hills just south of the town.
II Chorwon falls, the Com
munists would lose vital east
west road and control of the long
Pyongyang Valley. Allied artil-
lery and tanks could make the
valley untenable for the Reds
and drive them as far back as
Wonsan, about IS air miles north
Fof 38.
The advancing Allies found one
pile OF 278 dead Chinese soldiers.
Some OF them were wearing pieces
OF American uniforms and equip.
ment.
The pooled dispatch said the
Reds were defending the triangle
with delaying forces and road
craters used as tank traps.
One U. N. patrol, out in front
LOT the 9th Army line, knocked out
a group Of snipers while bull
ldoZers filled in the craters.
The 5th Air Force was called
in late in the day and blasted a
group of 200 withdrawing Reds
on the Sanyang- g-Kumsong road,
east of Kumhwa. Allied planes
also attacked other groups of re-.
treating Reds bound northward.
Advances Made Near Reservoir.
The drive against Kumhwa was
made by troops northeast of
Chipo. Light Communist resist
ance was reported by 9Th Army
headquarters.
Farther east, some advances
were made around the eastern
tip OF the Hwachon Reservoir and
north Of Inje. Communist artil-
lery and mortar fire burst spo-
radically behind several sectors of
the line during the day.
North Koreans there again re.
buffed Allied soldiers who tried
for the sixth straight day to cap
ture a series of ridges. Red losses
mounted. but they refused to
bulge.
| In the Yonchon area on the
Western front, the Reds fought
back stubbornly against probing
Allied forces. In the Yongpyong
sector. the Allies registered gains
up to 1000 yards against light to
moderate resistance.
In delayed dispatch from the
Western front, Associated Press
Correspondent Stan Carter said
advancing Doughboys had to dig
the Reds out of bunkers built of
five to seven layers of logs and
piled high with sandbags.
Red Defenses Scorched.
Allied aircraft dropped flaming
napalm on Red defenses near
Chorwon, but bad flying weather
cloaked Red movements inside the
town itself.
The 5th Air Force flew through
clouds and rain to complete $50
missions by pm. today.
Fighter-bombers hit rail yards
at Sariwon, the Red supply centers
at Pyonggang and Namchonjon,
"a large supply dump near Kumhwa
and two highway bridges.
| Pilot claims included 180 build
ings, II vehicles, SIS rail cars and
one gun emplacement destroyed
or damaged.
The Air Force also claimed SIS
troop casualties inflicted.