The Key West citizen., 1952-10-13
Chinese Reds Regain Three
Small Nobs On White Horse
Mountain In Korean Action
By cEoRcE a. MACARTHUR

on the north slope of bloody White
Horse Mountain today but failed
to bulge determined South Korean
soldiers from the commanding
crest.
The "stay! fight" troops of the
Republic of Korea 9th Division
prepared bunkers and threw UP
entertainments in confident antici-
patton of renewed Chinese as
sauIts. A front-line officer said
ROK positions were in better
shape than they had been since
the big battle started almost a
week ago.
Gen. James A. Van Fleet, COM
mander of the U. S. Eighth Army,
predicted the savage fighting for
the vital high ground command.
ing the sprawling Chorwon Valley
may taper off.
Van Fleet told AP correspondent
Milo Farneti the Chorwon area
has been sensitive part of the
front "but l cont think it will be
any longer"
South Koreans estimate the Reds
have lost more than 10000 killed
or wounded. Elements of three
Chinese divisions have been used
In the bitter struggle.
Van Fleet praised the South
Korean troops and said they had
done "a beautiful job" against
"about the best" Chinese army on
the front.
And he lauded Maj. Gen. Kim
Chong Cho for 'as fine job as
any divisional commander have
ever SEEN" Van Fleet made his
comments at a divisional CON-
mand outpost while touring the
Western Front.
The fighting on and around
White Horse was still the main
action along the 155-mile battle
front.
To the east, smaller but still
bitter fight ragged over possession
| Of an outpost position. Chinese took
| the position in savage hand-to-hand
battle last night. U.N. troops
stormed back this morning.
! Details were sketchy and con-
Iflicting but indicated the fighting
was still going on at midday.
| Only patrol clashes were report
ed elsewhere.
| The Chinese on White Horse
braved the withering fire of an
Allied artillery barrage in regain
ing part of the ground they lost
earlier to the bayonets and hand
grenades of the South Koreans.
They launched three company
sized attacks about 3 pm. and
won the thre knobs in 80 minutes
of fighting. The South Koreans
Withdrew and set up a defense
line about 800 yards down the
north slope from the crest. Fight
ing broke off about pm.
Earlier in the day the South
Koreans held grimly to the crest
despite seven savage attacks by
| the frantic Chinese. Then they
barred their bayonets and drove
the Reds back to one last finger
hold on the shell-scarred northern
slope. N&s
Allied warplanes, tanks and ar
tillery poured a shattering rain
| Of high explosives On Chinese po-
sitions around White Horse.
| Chinese bodies, covered with
| frost, Uttered the slopes this morn
ing. The Koreans counted $40 dead.
| Despite Van Fleets optimistic
words, soldiers at the front did
not feel the struggle for White
Horse Is over.
"Well probably be able TO tell
in the next "a hours" one officer
said.
The air war kept pace with
ground fighting. The Far East Air
Forces said U.N. warplanes flew
ALP sorties in virtual round.the.
clock operations Sunday. This Is
the second highest 24-hour total
Of the Korean ar.
/ Twenty-six B29 Superforts from
Japan and 0kinawa last night
pounded q concentration Of more
than 5000 Red soldiers poised
for possible front-line duty. The
troops were massed on the Haeju
Peninsula on Korea's West Coast.
h Swift FS6 Sabre jets tangled with
Communist MiG1Ss near the Yalu
River Sunday. The Air Force re-
ported four Red warpianes de.
stroyed and two damaged. That
brought the two-day toll to 10 de-