CASUALTIES IN KOREA

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26196, 21 August 1950, Page 7

CASUALTIES IN KOREA

North Losses Put At 50,000 LACK OF TRAINED MEN EVIDENT

(Rec. 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Aug. 19. The United States Army estimated to-day that the North Koreans had lost 50,000 men so far in their invasion of South Korea. An Army > spokesman said that the South Korean losses eup to three weeks ago were about 37,000.

He said there would be no more round-ups of American casualties until they ceased to have value to the enemy. The last round-up of American casualties, issued about two weeks ago, gave a total of 2616.

Estimates of losses by the North and South Korean forces took in killed, wounded, and missing. The Army spokesman said that the North Koreans had been conscripting on a wholesale scale recently, calling up all men and women between the ages of 18 and 40. “It is evident that they are managing to keep a good-sized nucleus of well-trained men at the front, but all the indications are that the bulk of the Communist foot soldiers now are not well trained.” the spokesman said.

“One of the indications came in the recent Communist attack towards the imoortant communications centre of Taegu. The Armv had excellent information that 30.000 men were involved in the push towards but it apoarently fizzled 'put. The story would have been much different a month previously. **l don’t mean to be over-optimis-tic. but it is perfectly obvious that their infantry is not performing as well as formerly, and that ours is performing better, as it becomes accustomed to the type of fighting. The balance that started heavily in favour of the Communists is now shifting somewhat.”

A briefing officer said that air attacks on Communists’ communications a’so wer* taking toll of sunplies. He would not attemnt to estimate the number of men remaining in the Communist Army, but he said that 12 North Korean divisions had been identified in the battle area. The Army did not know what strength the Communists had in reserve.