Evening star., 1951-06-01
Chinese Bolster
Defense Around
'Massing Area
Reds Streaming Into
Ridge Positions to
Guard Concentration.
BY the Assoeiated Press

TOKYO, June Chinese Com
|munists bolstered defenses today
in ridge lines guarding their vital
|massing area in Red Korea.
An Allied tank patrol rumbled
back into Yanggu at the eastern
end of Hwachon Reservoir on the
eastern front this noon for the
second straight day. 1t had fought
tits way iii yesterday. Today it
met no opposition.
Communist troops bitterly OPP
posed Allied patrols along the 1875.
mile Korean front except at the
lends Of Hwachon Reservoir. Gains
lup to 2 miles were reported near
lHwachon.
Chinese Digging In.
On the Western front, an Amer
lean staff officer said Chinese ap-
Ipeared to be digging in to resist
any further Allied advance to-
ward the Chorwon Kumhwa-
lPyongyang supply triangle"
Reds streamed into new posi-
tions north of the 38th Parallel
to defend the concentration area.
starting point of their Inflated
spring offenSives. They filtered
into new positions by groups of
SO to 500. Some dragged new
artillery pieces through the mud
and set them up facing U. N. posi-
tionS.
An American officer said the
artillery movement may indicate
the Reds plan new attacks in an
effort to break up the U. N. coun-
ter-offensive. One purpose of the
big Allied drive was to try to
touch of a Red infantry attack
prematurely.
Traps, Artillery Halt Armor.
A United Nations tank patrol
fought its way north of Yonchon
on the road to Chorwon, Commu-
mist bastion in the west. Tank
traps and artillery halted other
larmored units. And hornets
nest of Chinese resistance in the
hills tied up American infantry In
dozens of small but intense day.
long fights.
Across the broad central ap-
proaches to Kumhwa, U. N. forces
held their ground against Red at
tacks. pulled back slightly or
slogged a short distance forward.
Allied units generally were held
close to the 38th Parallel.
South of 38 Korean Reds drove
South Koreans nearly mile at
one spot on the Hyon- -Inje road.
Three Red Jets Downed.
In the air three more Russian
type jets were shot down. This
brought to six the number re-
ported destroyed in "a hours by
swift American F-86 Sabre jets
land a B-29 Super Fort. One air
fight flared near Pyongyang,
North Korean capital and far
south of the traditional jet battle
scenes.
Two American planes-an F-80
jet and an F-51 Mustang
crashed and burned this after
noon behind Red lines. The 5th
Air Force said the pilots could not
have survived. It did not say
whether they were downed by air
or ground fire.
The Pyongyang radio said four
Allied Grumman fighters were
shot down over Hamhung on the
east coast. There was no such re-
port from U. N. sources.
American seaborne air bases
were augmented by the arrival of
the big United States carrier Bon
Homme Richard. She sent her
fighters over Korea Yesterday for
the first time. Pilots reported ex-
lcellent results in hitting Red-held
ridges near Hwachon.
Rains Help Reds.
Red troops were helped bg
spring rains. Korea's poor roads
were difficult for U. N. armored
and motorized forces to navigate
Streams were swollen. Bridges
were washed out. Troops were
soaked. Supplying them was a
major problem for both sides. An
air drop had to be made to Ameri-I
can troops pounding at Yanggu
through mud. sometimes knee
deep.
Associated Press Correspondent
Jim Becker, travelling with dough-
boys making this slow advance,
reported transforms turned the
whole front into soggy, sloppy
(Cna HODEA Do0a AoN