Evening star., 1953-06-13
Attacking Reds
Hit Allies on
5O-MiIeFront
Artillery Borroge
Believed Record
Intensity for War
BY the Associated Press

OEOO1, June 1S.-MOre IMAM
5000 Chinese Reds slammed into
Allied lines along a 50-mile front
in central Korea today in the
wake of a thunderous artillery
and mortar barrage which may
have set a new Korean war rec
ord
An American officer on bat
tered Outpost Harry estimated
the Chinese have lost 3,4OO men
killed and wounded in three saw
age night assaults on the height
Hundreds more Chinese have
fallen in raging battles to the
east where today the Reds
showed Allied troops from main
line positions in one sector.
Associated Press Correspon-
dent Milo Farneti said Allied
tanks, flame throwers and guns
cut down hundreds of charging
Reds today, but the attack car
ried some Communist troops into
Allied trenches. United States
and South Korean infantrymen
met them with knives and bay
onetS.
118,OOO Shells Fired
An 9th Army officer said a
semi-oficial count indicated 49,
600 Red artillery and mortar
shells fell on allied positions dur
ing the IL hours ending at am.
today.
He said the total may be
scaled down. but it probably will
top the previous 24-hour record
of 107,650 rounds fired in the
vicious western front fighting
last month.
Col. Russell (Red) Akers,
Washington, D. c., commander
of the Sd Divisions 18th Regi-
ment, said his troops have wiped
out more than a Chinese regi-
ment in three nights of fight
ing.
Col. Akers explained that cap
ture of outpost Harry would let
the Reds overlook the Sd Divi-
sion main line"
Fighting Hand to- Hand.
"We have fought them much
of the time hand-to-hand -
waves Of Chinese have been
killed by our boys with bayonets,
grenades and carbines at close
range" Col. AkerS said.
(Col. Akers, a native of
Nelson County, Va, and a
West Point graduate. went to
his present Korea command
in August last year. During
World War II he was CO of
the 1st Army in France and
was awarded the Legion of
Merit for his work in helping
plan the invasion. Mrs. AkerS
lives at $500 Quebec street
NV. She was a British war
correspondent, Iris Carpenter,
and met her husband in Eu-
rope.)
The 9Th Army officer said
$4,000 rounds of artillery and
mortar fire fell on South Ko-
reans defending Capitol Hill,
eight miles southeast of Kum-
song. He said tbs strategic
height probably is in Red hands.
The Reds penetrated the main
allied line at four points in the
Capitol Hill sector several days
ago.
Third Day Of Attacks.
This was the third straight
day of heavy pre-armistice at
tacks by the Reds. The latest
assaults centered on U. N. lines
running through the former Red
stronghold called the Iron tri-
angle"
Bitter lighting was reported
from White Horse Mountain
above Chorwon east to the Puk-
han River.
B-26 light bombers roared to
the aid of South Korean soldiers
battling the Reds on the east
central sector. The bombers
used radar to unload high ex-
plosives on the Communists.
Northwest of Kumhwa, about
1000 Chinese hit Notifications of
the 9th Republic of Korea Divi-
sion about midnight.
The South Koreans mounted
a counterattack behind tanks
about three hours later. The
vicious fighting was continuing
when the last report was received
before S am.
Propeller driven Marine planes
destroyed 10 buildings in a troop
billeting area in Northwestern
Korea.
F-86 Sabre jet fighter r-bombers
Joined the B-26s in close air sup
port along the east and central
fronts.
M1G-hunting Sabre jets pa
trolled the skies deep in North
Korea. but reported no engage
ments by noon with the Com
muniSt fighters.
Rnnf OF Tho III