50,000 Communists Launch Biggest Attack So Far In Korea; Americans Holding

Wanganui Chronicle, 2 September 1950, Page 5

50,000 Communists Launch Biggest Attack So Far In Korea; Americans Holding

TOKIO, Sept. 1 (Reed. 10.30 p.m.)—Fifty thousand North Koreans, led by tanks, today launched the biggest offensive ot* the Korean war. with a furious onslaught on a 25-mile front against the west wall of the United Nations “defence box.”

Communists slashed into American river lines at a dozen places.

The Communists’ most powerful push was in the “Naktong bulge.’’ where they gained up to live miles in a fierce rush aimed at the centre of the Taegu-Pusan road. An American spokesman said many American units were ‘‘overrun, cut off or surrounded.” The second main assault was on the south coast across Nam River towards Masan, where two American units were surrounded, but their headquarters claimed ‘‘the situation was well in hand.” North Koreans were reported to have made crossings of the Naktong. They threw a pincers around Haman. 36 tniles west of Pusan. Americans fought with rifles, grenades, knives and even lists, on the Masan front, where North Koreans pushed a mile and a-quarter into the 25th. division’s defences.

Front-line reports early this afternoon said that the burning town of Haman, 10 miles from Masan, has become a gutted no man’s land after street fighting all morning. Neither side occupied the town. To reach the American lines in the south, North Koreans had to cross a no man s land heavily sown with mines. Waves of infantry raced through the minefields in banzai suicide charges. Scores were blown to pieces, but they cleared the way for the rifllemen who followed. The Americans kocked out 10 tanks. A South Korean army spokesman said today that Republican forces had recaptured Kigye, on the northern front. He said the North Koreans are now fighting north of Kigye, which he described as securely in South Korean hands. Earlier, an Associated Press correspondent reported that South Korean forces had retaken ail or more of the

ground lost north of Pohang. After nearly 12 hours of the bitterest fighting to hold off twin Communist stabs at Pusan and the Taegu Road, Americans, outnumbered at least two to one. were still holding a coherent line. By noon, a furious Communist onslaught had driven live miles through the front where the newly committed 2nd. and 25th. United States divisions’ sectors meet. At least one full regiment of the American 25th. division was reported cut off. and beating off attacks from all sides.