Evening star., 1951-01-04

Korea
Continued From First Page.)
doned after its installations went
up in an awesome tower of smoke
and flame.
Fleet Stands BY.
A United Nations fleet stood off
the west coast ready to evacuate
U. N. forces south and west of
Seoul.
| Only a frightened fragment of
Scouts normal is million popu-
lation remained in the ruined city.
Among the bewildered civilians
unable or unwilling to leave were
; lost children, wandering aimlessly.
Dusty roads to the south were
choked with military traffic and
a pitiful mass of humanity.
Il Associated Press Correspondent
Stan Swinton reported the order
to abandon Seoul and It's defenses
to the north came as a complete
surprise to Allied front-line units.
They had just been told to hold
at any cost.
Carrier planes joined 5th Air
Force bombers and fighters in
laying an explosive curtain to
shield the Withdrawals.
At 4:50 pm. today (2::50 am,
EST, the United States 9th Army
announced Seoul had been sue
cessfully emptied of all U. N.
troops.
10000 Drive on Wonju.
Gen. MacArthur'S war summary
called attention to the wide
hanking movement in the middle
of the peninsula. He reported an
estimated 10000 Chinese and
Korean Reds were driving toward
Wonju, SIS miles southeast of
Seoul.
Wonju's capture, he added,
would place the Reds in a posi-
ton to trap allied forces to the
west and north. It also would
menace the main route to Pusan,
old beachhead supply port in
southeast Korea. That's the route
down which most of Scouts popu-
lation has fled.
# the road Is cut, Allied forces
west OF Seoul could be forced out
Of Korea at Inchon. A feet under
Rear Admiral L. A. Thackrey,
senior officer Of u. N. naval forces
on the West Coast, was ready for
such an emergency. ...
II would be difficult operation.
There is a 28-foot normal tide in
Iuchon's harbor. And 1t would be
the second evacuation for U. N.
forces within 80 days. Removal
of more than 100000 troops and
civilians from the east coast at
Hungnam was completed on
Christmas eve. They were taken
to Pusan.
| wal 1tCuSs
Admiral Thackrey's feet war
ships pounded Reds rushing down
the west coast toward Inchon.
Associated Press Correspondent
Tom Stone, aboard the cruiser
Rochester, said the bombardment
began last night.
United States Marine and naval
planes roared off carriers to
strike at the Reds around the
clock. Far East Air Force planes
kept up a drumming 72-hour at
tack that headquarters estimated
cost the Communists more than
$500 troops and 1000 buildings
housing men and material.
I Aground, it was dark day for
United Nations arms.
Gen. Macarthur reported q
raging battle in Central Korea,
southwest of Kapyong. Kapyong
is the apex of a triangle formed
by Seoul, 35 miles to the south
. west, and Wonju, 40 miles to the
southeast.
i How that battle was going was
vague. But the United States
9Th Army reported yesterday a
general withdrawal was being
made all along the 150-mile
battlefront across Kores's waist.
The Red attack burst through
Allied lines yesterday morning. It
gained momentum faster than the
sharp New Years eve attack.
There was no stopping the as
sault, alough it was checked
briefly north of Seoul by the
American rearguard action.
Fierce Battle Reported.
Each hour it became more ap-
parent that the Red offensive was
far bigger than it seemed at first.
The Korean Red radio at Pyong-
yang said the Communists were
. engaged in fierce battle to wipe
out "the enemy along the entire
length Of the 38th Parallel"
But the Reds were moving con-
siderably south of the Parallel,
! former boundary which separated
Russian and United States oc-
cupation zones in North and South
Korea. It was across Parallel SO
that the Russian-made tanks of
! the North Korean Reds plunged
!. June Is to invade the u. NJ
: sponsored Korean Republic.
Seoul fell two days later. Thus,
today'S entry by the Chinese