Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-01-31
3U 5. Carriers
And Mighty Mo
Blast Wonsan
Port Already Victim
Of Longest Siege
In American History
BY the Associated Press

SEOUL, Jan. 31.-Planes from
three United States carriers and
the big guns of the battleship
Missouri today dumped destruc-
ton on the Northeast Korean
port of Wonsan, already battered
by the longest siege in Ameri-
can naval history.
The Navy said that Vice ADJ
miral James Clark, United States
7th Fleet commander, planned
and was watching the big attack
from the Missouri.
Two destroyers joined the mas
sive bombardment against the
once-great east coast metropolis.
swarms Of planes were roar
ing off the decks of the big
carriers Kearsarge, Oriskany and
Philippine Sea in what the Navy
termed vicious bombardment"
and IAN about aerial lombard
ment." BY late afternoon no
details had been released.
Thin Ice Coats Decks.
The weather was clear. But
a thin layer Of ice coated the
decks on the Mighty Mo.
Allied fighter-bombers ranging
across the frozen Korean battle
front caught a large group Of
North Korean troops in the open
today and reported killing so
of them.
On the ground, Eighth Army
headquarters reported only scat
tered patrol skirmishes as the
mercury dipped below zero for
the second day over the 155-
mile line. The western front was
the coldest-nine below zero.
The Air Force reported five
United Nations warplaneS, in
Guiding a B-29 Superfort bomb
err. were lost this week over North
Korea as against six MICS. A
Superfort normally carries q
crew of II men.
One F-86 Sabre jet was shot
down In a dogfight with Com
munist MICS, and enemy ground
FIRE knocked down an F-80
Shooting Star jet. A Sabre and
an Australian Meteor Jet were
lost to "other causes" probably
mechanical trouble.
No Fire Returned by Reds.
The Missouri opened the at
tack on Wonsan shortly after
sunrise. The warship's secondary
batteries laid down a protective
fire to discourage Communist
shore gunners in the harbor
area. The Navy said there was
no answering fire.
Carrier planes then streaked
over the port. The action is the
first for the Philippine Sea since
the carrier returned to Korean
waters for its third tour of duty.
Rear Admiral Robert Hickey
was aboard the Task Force II
flagship, the carrier Kearsarge.
The Navy said the city Of
Wonsan has been in a state Of
seige since February 16, 1851.
making this "by far the longest
effective siege in the United
States naval history" The siege
of VickSburg during the Civil
War stands next on the list, the
Navy said.
WonSan was described as a
blackened mass, marked only by
columns which formerly were the
smoke stacks of busy industrial
plants, the Navy said. The city,
which once boasted a population
of 100000. grew into industrial
Importance because its harbor
was ice-free throughout the year.
Despite the devastation, the
Navy said the Communists of
necessity have continued to use
the ruins as a distribution point
for supplies destined for their
front lines.
Fifth Air Force fighter bomb
ers roamed over North Korea to-
day and hit rail and road tar
gets. Air Force and Marine
pilots claimed II Red casualties
in addition to the so killed when
caught In the open on the
eastern sector. Pilots also re-
ported destruction or damage to
10 gun positions and Is troop
bunkerS.