The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-07-17
South Korean Infantry Rolls
Back Chinese Red Advances
ROKs Bring Gains
BY 17.OOO-Man
Force To Standstill
By JOHN RANDOLPH

~ JOHN RANDOLPH
SEOUL B-Fiercely counter
attacking South Korean infantry.
men rolled back Chinese Red gains
on both sides Of the flaming Cen
trial Front today.
Dispatches cleared by heavy mil.
litary censorship said the RoKs
smashed to a. bloody standstill
d II, OO0-man Chinese attack aimed
ct the vital center Of Kumhwa,
western anchor Of the Central
Front. Then they launched 4 dar-
ling eounterattack which recap
ltured two OUTPOST hills.
Backed BY q swarm Of American
and Allied waFplanes, tanks and
artillery, the South Koreans scored
even larger gains more than q
mlle-On the Kumsong River front
TO the east, where they had yielded
an officially disclosed four miles
this week to the mightiest Red
push since 1851. Associated Press
Correspondent Forrest Edwards
called 4 the biggest Allied advance
aince late autumn. 1851.
Other fighting ragged far to the
east, as the Communists made light
assaults around Luke the Cooks
Castle and Anchor Hin,
I'VE stopped them cold last night
they didn't move an inch after
midnight, " said he senior adviser
% Tie eraek R0K division guard.
ing On approach to Kumhwa. He,
= Col liam apleeE Cortland,
n. Y.
aThey ran into ! bunch x wfldI
hOrsea b this division
I'VE went hack up the hin this
morning and took two ouspOstsI
back that We had 70 give up last
might, /" he added. I'VE wanted
them"
Edwards new over the eastern
hall Of the battlefield, Just west Of
The Pukhan River, and reported q
steady movement north toward the
Kumsong River.
Edwards said II was more a
reoccupation Of lightly held terri
tory than q genuine riproaring
offensive such as the Chinese
launched Monday night.
In some places Chinese resisted
only with small arms and machine
gun fire and lacked artillery.
Edwards said . few Red tanks
were spotted below the Kumsong
River but had disappeared either
north Of the river or into conceal
ins underhrush.
Mai. Gen. Samuel Williams, 2Sth
Division commander serving as
special adviser to q ROK Army
corps, told Edwards that the east
half Of the Kumsong line Is now
Every favorable"
"The retrograde BACKWARD
movement Of July Il has now been
reversed In all ROK divisions In
this sector" williams said. ''WeI
are now pushing back north. "
Advancing ROKs ran into their
first heavy fighting roughly so''sh
|of KumsOng itself where two Chi
|neSe companies were defending
hills with mortar and artiIledy sup
port. The ROKs were maneuver-
|ing with tanks and infantry.
There were gains up to one mile
across . broad stretch Of the
three division offensive. Details
would have 70 wAik until more time
Inns passed.
ROK soldiers and generals were
jubilant at the quick advance but
some American advisers with them
suggested that the easy reoccuDa.
ton cf lost territory indicated the
ROKs had pdIled back too fast in
The first place.
II became more and more appar-
ent that the Reds had not dared 70
gamble on any serious advance
south Of the Kumsong even though
the retreating ROKs failed 10 blow
several bridges in the withdrawal.
The Communists may have
feared 1 quick Allied counterhlow
that would pin them against .
flooded river. Navy and Air Force
planes blew up the bridges Thurs
day.
ROK L. Gen. Chung 4 Koon
announced the capture Of one Of the
well-defended hills Friday AFTER
Continued On Page Fivel