Evening star., 1951-05-30
Stiff Resistance
And Rains Slow
Advance
U. N. Troops Seize
Strategic Junction
6 Miles From Inje
BY the Associo.ed Press

TOKYO, May 30.-Heavy rains
and determined Reds fighting
from water-filled dugouts today
slowed Allied spearheads in Com
munist Korea.
Nevertheless, field dispatches
reported United Nations troops
had fought to within IL miles Of
Kumhwa, Communist base in
Central Korea. and seized another
crossroads above Inje on the
east-central front.
Heavy rains swept most of the
battlefront this Memorial Day,
ushering in Korea's traditional
raining season. Zero visibility cut
Allied air attacks to 1875 sorties.
Red troops, seizing The weather
advantage. lashed back at U. N.
supply lines on the East-Central
front. A Communist attack cut
South Korean defenses on the
Inje-Hyon road. Reds set up road
blocks both sides Of Inje, covering
mined roads with bazooka and
machinegun fire.
Fight Through Heavy Fire.
An American armored force
fought through heavy fire and
thick mud before seizing a stra-
tegic road junction 6 miles north
east of Inje. The seizure repre-
sented lE2-mile gain for the day.
On the Central front. Canad-
ian bait lion captured a hill from
a Red ba ttalion last night only to
lose it to Red counter-attack at
dawn. The battle was still under
way Wednesday night.
Canadian troops reported they
fought under the heaviest Chinese
artillery barrage since the Allied
counteroffensive opened.
Also on the central front, Chi
nese hammered unsuccessfully at
the United States 7th Division
and ambushed a reconnaissance
patrol. But others surrendered to
an American column Slogging
three-quarters of a mile through
knee deep mud.
In some sectors Allies were re-
ported stalled by mud and Reds.
Red Resistance Rises.
Red resistance mounted steadily.
The Communists apparently were
determined to make United Ma
tions forces pay heavily for any
further advance into North Korea,
Associated Press Correspondent
Stan Carter reported from 9Th
Army headquarters.
U. N. troops had lunged 26 miles
north of the 38th Parallel border.
cutting all motor escape routes
from South Korea But field dis
patches said apparently most
Reds already had escaped-or died
trying to get out.
Despite the stiffening fight
north of Parallel 38, there was
growing evidence of widespread
discomfort in Communist ranks.
Reds Driven Back.
Rain -drenched U. N. troops had
driven the Reds back to the start
ing point Of their first spring Of
fensive.
Field dispatches reported Com
munist forces apparently reached
Ia holding stage as Allies threat
ened their staging bases in the
Chorwon-Kumhwa- -Hwachon tri-
angle.
Across the front on Memorist
Day. morning field dispatches and
communicates gave this picture
from west to east:
West - South Korean troops
across the Imjin River north Of
Seoul fought Red battalion.
Reds camouf1aged on high ground
blocked Americans trying to fight
their way into Yonchon, six miles
north of the Parallel.
West Central-American troops
advanced to the Hantan River
north of Yongpyong. This put
them about miles north of 38.
U. N. troops, headed toward
Kumhwa on nearby road, drove
to "a point high above the par
allel." Mr.. Carter reported.
Reds Resist Stubbornly,
Central-Large groups of Reds
spotted west of Hwachon appeared
to be delaying troops rather than
retreating Communists, an 9Th
Army spokesman said. South Ko-
reans battled toward them. Reds
stubbornly resisted U. N. forces
fighting north and east from re-
captured Hwachon.
East = Central South Koreans
pushed eastward along the south
banks of the Hwachon reservoir
seeking to join Americans oper-
ating in the Inje area.
Big Allied guns dominated the
Reservoir. They denied it's use to
North Koreans fighting fierceiy
against American armor. The
Reds appeared to be fresh and
possibly dug in at their original
line to stop the big Allied ad-
vance.
Allied units fought see-saw bat
ties with these Red Koreans az