Evening star., 1951-02-25
Korea
CONTINUED From First Page.)

(COntlnued from F1rSC Page.l
their offensive, slowed by an early
thaw and rain. was edging toward
the main Communist defense line.
The Reds defense-in-depth po-
sitions line the north bank of the
Han and its flooded rice paddles
from Seoul east to Yangpyong
thence over the mountains into
the interior of the peninsula.
Red units up to battalion size
were committed to action as the
Allies closed in on the main enemy
defcnses. Behind the lines air OBJ
servers reported:
Much enemy activity" about
Is miles east of Seoul north Of
the Han in triangle formed by
the Han and the tributary Pukhan.
Red movements were noted for
eight miles north of the confiu-
ence of the two fivers.
On the central front 10000 to
1000 Reds were spotted north
west of Hoengsong, dug in all
the way to the Hongchon River
10 miles to the north.
Strong Fight Expected.
Associated Press Correspondent
William j. Waugh at United
States 9th Army Headquarters re-
ported there were indications the
Reds would put up strong fight
for the road hub of Hongchon.
It is Is miles north of Hoengsong.
Hoengsong itself, 35 miles south
of the 33th Parallel. still was in
Red hands. Pangnim. 25 miles
east of Hoensong on lateral road
running to the east coast. was
captured by United States troops
yesterday.
One American unit wriggled out
of a Red trap in wind-sWept
Pyongchang pass in the Pang-
MIN area. At one time yesterday
North Koreans had the unit split
but the doughboys fixed bayonets
and routed the Reds.
I'VE are still counting the en-
emy dead" a regimental COM
mander said as the Americans
pushed two miles north of Pang-
MIN.
South Korean troops on the
right flank of the American di-
vision captured Chongson, 18 miles
due east Of Pyongchang, which is
5 miles south of Pangnim.
Tank Battle Fought.
American and Russian made
Red tanks fired at one another
across the Han on the western
front about seven miles northeast
of Kyongan. Two enemy tanks
were reported knocked out.
Fire gutted Hoengsong re-
NAMED no-man's land in a
valley. American troops were dug
in on hills commanding it from
the south while Chinese troops
were entrenched in hills to the
north.
American tanks yesterday
crashed through Hoengsong to
slug toe to toe with the enemy to
the north. The patrol pulled back
after a three-hour fight, but its
action was typical of the new 9Th
Army tactics.
Strike and kill" was the COM
mand. not advance.
(The 9th Army estimates that
120,171 Chinese and North
Korean Reds have ben killed.
captured or wounded in ground
action alone since it's offensive
got underway one month ago
today. The figure for Friday
was 1885.
The Americans rescued two
wounded Americans who had
been hiding in Hoengsong since
the Chinese Reds seized the town
February 13. Seven other Ameri-
cans were rescued in the vicinity.
Little activity was reported
from other sectors of the 60-mile
front on a day that marked the
end of eight months of fighting
in Korea.
Thaw, Rain Are Problems.
The first general thaw of the
year, coming on top of the worst
rain since the campaign began
eight months ago, was causing
the United Nations troops more
trouble than the fighting rear
guards of the retreating enemy.
Huge Clio Flving Boxcars of