BATTLE FOR SEOUL

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26409, 1 May 1951, Page 7

BATTLE FOR SEOUL

Allied Defence Positions fNJS. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. Midnight) TOKYO, April 30. United Nations troops in Korea are awaiting in new defence positions a projected attack by the Chinese Communists on Seoul, the South Korean capital. The city, which has changed hands several times, is now almost empty of civilians, and thousands of refugees have once again made their way south.

VV ith a strong advantage in numbers, the Chinese are now thought ready to begin their attack.

Earlier messages said that the outnumbered Allied troops after falling back deliberately for seven days to avoid encirclement have been ordered to make a stand before Seoul.

Yesterday they waited in new defence positions north of the Han river du «?g a brief lull in the fighting. The Communists, who so far have committed about half of the 600,000 troops they are estimated to have immediately available in the battle zone, rushed up reserves for their drive south.

Lieutenant-General James van Fleet, the Bth Army commander, told correspondents that Seoul would be defend* ed, not because of any military value, but because of its prestige as a historic capital. However, there was no pledge to make a street-by-street stand. The Allies are strongly arrayed in a 30-mile-long defence arc. They hold ridges, foxholes, and barbed wire barricades at points about four miles above Seoul. The defence of Seoul began with a tremendous artillery barrage as ground troops moved into hne in depth. Naval guns from ships in the Yellow Sea added their heavy fire-power.

.Th* planned withdrawal of the Allies all along the 100-mile battlefront apparently has reached an end. The new defences range from 25 miles south of the 38th parallel in the west to about eight miles north of the boundary on the extreme east coast. The United Nations lines one week ago were seven to 12 miles north of the parallel in the west and 26 miles above in the east.

Lienutenant-General Van Fleet said yesterday that the Chinese were probably seeking to capture Seoul and reach the Han and Fukhan rivers by May I—the Communist May Day holiday- At least 70.000 Communists had been killed or wounded since the offenbegan, out of approximately 300,000 troops committed to the first Phase of the drive, said the General. The Communist fighting troops outnumbered the United Nations forces u£ 0I ?l *0 1° I® 1° one - The enemy used half of the troops immediately available to him from five different Chinese Communist Army groups and the Ist, 2nd, and sth North Korean Corps.”