The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-03-30
By ROBERT 8. TUcKMAN

BY ROBERT B. 1UCkMAN
SEOUL R-South Korean troops
threw back Chinese Red drive on
Christmas Hill on the Eastern
Front in a driving snowfall today
as U. S. Marines dug in firmly on
bloody Outpost Vegas in the West.
Some 800 Reds iabbed so yards
beyond Allied advance defense
lines on a $50 yard front west of
Christmas Hill, which is west of
the Mundung Valley. South Ko-
reans drove them back, killing or
wounding 100 Chinese.
Entrenched Marines on shoulder
ing Vegas had won back the out.
post at dawn Sunday after being
knocked off three times in the
Reds bloody spring feeler drive on
the Western Front last week.
Grimy and weary. the Leather
necks smashed three.pronged
Red drive on Vegas late yesterday
and broke UP a Red force naassipg
for another attack last night with
a laundering curtain of artillery
fire.
In the air, u. S. Sabre Jet pilots
reported probable destruction OF
one Communist MIG jet and an
other damaged.
In big day Sunday, Sabre pilots
reported shooting down four MICS
and damaging a fifth. 1t. Col.
George L. Jones of Vero Beach,
Fla, got one of the MICS, his
fifth, making him the SOth u. S.
jet ace of the war.
The early spring snowfall dspos-
tied up to five inches on the East
ern Front and up to one inch in
the western and central sectors.
The foul weather sharply cur
tailed Allied fighter.bomber strikes
but pilots reported IL Red supply
trucks d destroyed in frontline
sweeps.
The Reds backed their drive in
the Christmas Hill area with 1900
rounds Of artillery and mortar fire.
The Chinese dented the advance
line after an hour Of bloody, close.
quarter b battle with the South
Koreans.
However, the South Koreans
called up reinforcements at / am.
and again IS minutes later. Within
10 minutes after they arrived, the
Reds withdrew and the gap was
closed.
A U. S. Eighth Army spokesman
said Is dead Reds were counted, 81
estimated killed end Il estimated
wounded. ~
In fighting at Outpost Vegas Sun
day night. the Reds advanced in
three columns of about 100 men
each under cover Of q lS.minute
artillery harrage.
But the watchful Marines atop
the height fired Illuminating flares.
snapped on Searchlighls, and called
for supporting artillery. The pound
ind forced the Reds to fan back
less than two hours after they
jumped of.
Marine artillerymen employed
what they call me box technique
to smash the Chinese efforts to
mount q second attack. Ii involves
dropping shells both in front Of and
behind the Reds.
The ChiEese employed the arsii.
lery box technique themselves Al
nearby Reno outpost, which they
captured Thursday in 4 bloody
drive against 10 Western Front
Marine outpoSss. TIE reason for
the Red harrage wasn't clear be-
cause the Marines have made 10
effort 20 retakc Rene
ss Nsr'ce Division headcuar-
ters released these figures giving
- ~.-.--s OF the intensity oE the
Vegas fighting,
In The "a hours heglnnlag 1t !
pm. Saturday, $50 Marine 4mma.
niti0n depot personHel handed 2,Eal
tons al ammunition.
L. Donald z. Spangler Ct Pop
lar Bluff. No. In charge al the
depot, declared. Every one oE nv
kids deserves a letter Of sommen.
dasion fer tie way tkey've been
working. They more ihan doubled
the toanage TIE Arnzy says . MAJ
car handle in q hours =