Evening star., 1953-04-01
WctOry-Bou Push
Halted by RidgwaY,
Van Fleet Testifies
By John A. Giles

Senators today Gen. Matthew B.
Ridgway ordered him to halt
plans for an amphibious landing
in North. Korea which he and
his commanders felt would have
resulted in a decisive victory. I"
The four-Star former COM
mander of the 9th Army in
Korea gave no reason for the
order, which came from the Far
East Headquarters in Tokyo then
commanded by Gen. Ridgway,
now Supreme Commander in
Europe.
Gen. Van Fleets testimony
was given to a Senate Armed
Services subcommittee as it
opened a televised inquiry into
ammunition shortages in Korea.
At the start, the chairman,
Senator Margaret Chase Smith,
Republican, of Maine declared
there is no doubt that there
were shortages" despite the
Pentagon'S denial that there
were any Of consequence.
She said the inquiry would at
tempt to pinpoint responsibility.
Attack Described.
Gen. Van Fleet described in
detail how the Chinese Com
munists and North Koreans had
attacked May 26, 1851, on the
east central front and had been
stopped in their tracks.
I'VE then counterattacked and
1t was quite a surprise to the
enemy" he continued.
I'm early June, recommended
to Gen. Ridgway that we follow
this up with an amphibious
landing on the east coast. Plans
for the operation were we'll pre-
pared.
However, we were ordered to
stop those plans"
Senator Byrd, Democrat, Of
Virginia wanted to know where
those orders came from.
"As far as I know they came
from Gen. Ridgway," Gen. Van
Fleet replied.
"You believe it would have re-
suited in a decisive victory at
that time?" Senator Byrd asked.
Eyes, sir" replied the general.
Three Big Factors.
Gen. Van Fleet said the u. N.
forces had been able to stop
the Communist attacks because
OF Cd the quality of the troops
CD their fire power which al
ways has been superior" 90 the
mobility of the reserve forces
including artillery.
He said that when he first
took over command of the 9th
Army, which he held for %
months, he was not "apprehen-
sive" over ammunition stocks.
However, when the Commu-
nists first launched an attack
against Seoul on April %, 1851,
the ammunition levels went down
and he made continuous reports
to Tokyo on the situation"
At one point, he said, addi-
tional quantities of ammunition
were going direct to the front
since stock levels were so low
there, adding that it was not
sufficient to sustain a continued
major offensive.
Grenade Shortage Charged.
Gen. Van Fleet told the hear
ing:
1. There was a critical short
age Of hand grenades up until
1852. Hand grenades were al
ways a critical item of supply"
He listed the other principal
critical categories as so and 81
millimeter howitzerS and 105-
millimeter and 155-millimeter
artillery shells.
2. Ammunition was rationed
in Korea because sufficient guam
titles were not being produced
and sent to the Far East.
8. The British fire more am
munition per division than the
United States forces do. He said
it was a historic British theory
to do more firing.
4. He said he could not Gin
terpert what they meant by ade-
quate" when Senator Cooper,
Republican, of Kentucky, re-
called that top Pentagon officials
had told the Senators supplies
were adequate.
5. He said the 9th Army could
defend itself against an all-out
Red offensive, "as long as it
lasts only a short time" He ad-
ded it was his opinion the Reds
could not sustain an offensive
Of more than few weeks.