Evening star., 1951-06-12
Chinese F|eeiinq
Allied Trap in
Iron Triangle
New Defense Lines
Protect Retreat
In East Korea
By the Assecio,ed Pres.


tanks rumbling through their
fallen "Iron Triangle"
Stout new defense lines pro-
tected the Reds retreat from the
east-central front.
United Nations troops mopped
up Reds in hills around captured
Chorwon and Kumhwa. The
towns formed the southern an
chors of the Pyonggang Valley
Iron Triangle" buildup area
Chinese headed for the hills on
each side of the valley.
American tanks striking ur
roads from the triangle to the
east coast would cut squarely
across the Red escape route from
the eastern front.
New Buildup Reported.
While Reds were pulling back
from the fighting fronts, unveri-
fed reports cropped up that they
were building up new forces only
80 miles northwest of Seoul. The
buildup was reported in the Kae-
song-Korangpo area.
This is near the foot Of the
Allied western flank. This flank
drags southwest of the main front
1t reaches from Chorwon to 9
point IS miles to the southwest
running roughly along the banks
of the Imjin River.
While the u. N. counterattacs
has pushed northward along a
narrowing front, patrols have
probed this long flank daily for
signs OF Red strength.
The jagged northern front has
been cut to about rs miles. AT
the height of the Communist
spring offensive it was 125 miles
long.
Precisely what is happening
on the front is hidden by tight
ening military censorship. Few
front line dispatches have been
permitted to come through in
recent days. Those few are heav-
lily censored.
(Most recent front line dis
patches have been "poolers."
These are dispatches shared by
the news agencies. Normal
practice is for each correspond
ent TO write his own story for
his own service.
c"Handouts" - Reports writ
ten by military press officers
have increased. Discussions of
front line action by briefing Of
ficers have become vague.)
Kums0ng Reported New Anchor.
United States 9Th Army head
quarters said only scattered groups
of Chinese soldiers offered delay
ing defense of the former Red
buildup area around Chorwon anc
Kumhwa.
Communists were reported an
choring their new defense line or
kumsong. The highway towr
guards the escape route for North
Koreans on the eastern front.
Reds have a 50-mile march over
mountain trails and roads from
the Inje-Yamggu area of the east.
ern front to a highway junction
above Kumsong. The highway
runs from Kumhwa, through
kumsong to the east coast high
way that lies under the guns o1
blockading U. N. warships.
When North Koreans cross thi.
route. they would still have tt
cross the Pyongyang Valley, run.
ming northward from the Iror
Triangle to Wonsan on the east
coast. Beyond lies the next ex.
pected main Red defense line
Wonsan to Pyongyang, Red cap
ital in Western Korea.
Associated Press Correspondent
George Macarthur reported the
Allies advanced warily through
the mountainous east. They
combed ridges which North Ko.
reans defended bitterly for days
and then abruptly abandoned.
New Defenses Hit Solidly.
Advancing U. N. forces expected
to bump at any time into new
defenses guarding the escape
route. In some places they hit
the new defenses solidly.
An 9th Army brieflng officer
said the eastern advance was
limited by adverse weather, diff
flcult terrain and determined
enemy resistance.
Showers and low-hanging clouds
failed to ground U. N. war planes.
They flew 750 sorties yesterday.
Three American planes were
shot down over Red territory-an
F-80 Shooting Star jet and two
F-51 Mustangs. One pilot was
rescued.
Fighter-bombers hit Communist
supply routes, air fields, storage
routes and buildings. Cargo planes
flew 1.100 tons of ammunition and
fuel to front line U. N. troops,
landing on muddy air fields only
Is miles behind the front.