TRAGIC MISTAKE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27503, 25 September 1950, Page 5

TRAGIC MISTAKE

American Aircraft Bomb British Troops

HEAVY CASUALTY ' LIST

New Zealand Press Association—Copyright Rec. 9.20 p.m. TOKIO, Sept. 23. American planes inadvertently strafed and fire-bombed British troops on a . hill five miles west of the Naktong River. Communist forces attacked the British immediately afterwards. The British are believed to have suffered 150 killed and wounded in the mistake bombing and the Communist attack.

American planes had been called to support the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders who asked for an air strike on a hill about two miles southeast of Songju. The American planes came in with their machine guns blazing and released rockets and firebombs made of napalm (jellied petrol). The Americans attacked the British positions in spite of the huge recognition panels laid out by the Scots. Soon after the tragic error the Communists attacked. Stretcher-bearers evacuating men wounded in the raid were themselves hit by Communist artillery fire. An American press photographer who saw the air attack said the troops were angry and bitter. They cursed him because he was an American. The photographer said he counted 40 casualties from the air attack. The United States Minister in London, Mr Julius Holmes, today sent the Prime Minister, Mr Attlee, the following message: “ I have been informed of reports that casualties have been suffered by the British forces in Korea as a result of a tragic mistake in identity by their United States air support. Although we know such cruel .accidents are not always avoidable in the heat of battle, I want to express to you and the British people the deep sense of sorrow of the United States Government and people over this tragedy. All America joins with me in expressing deepest sympathy for the bereaved families of your gallant soldiers.”

At a school house turned into a hospital, American doctors ' worked feverishly on the wounded. The more seriously wounded had already evacuated to a base hospital by helicopter and ambulance. Private William Watt, of Scotland, described how the British troops were accidently bombed: “We started at dawn and got'up the hill. At the top we were shelled for a couple of hours and_ then the Communists started coming back. But we held them, and they started to go back. They then fired red and yellow flares. A few minutes later three American fighterbombers started flying around. They strafed us on the crest of the hill. Some of our men waved at the planes, and then as we went down the hill they dropped firebombs. It was pretty grim, this stuff, like jellied fire, started burning everything.” Other troops said that in the confusion that followed, the Communists took the opportunity to launch a counter-attack. The wounded helped each other down the hill, stopping to fire as they stumbled on. In spite of everything it was an orderly withdrawal. The stream of wounded started across the river, which had been under continuous shell lire for days. British ambulances raced across a 200-yard stretch of open sand on the river-bed to collect the wounded. Whenever an ambulance approached the shelling became more intense. The shells landed thick and fast, but the stretcher bearers did not waver. A British doctor said '.20 per cent, of the wounded were in a serious condition.