Enemy Probing For Soft Spots In Allied Defences

Wanganui Chronicle, 11 September 1950, Page 5

Enemy Probing For Soft Spots In Allied Defences

TOKIO, Sept 10 (Heed 10 pm).— North Korean troops struck a series of blows all along the western and northern fronts today, while massing men, guns and tanks on the eastern front for a possible attempted breaktrough towards Pusan. The enemy's attacks did not assume the proportions of a general offensive at any point. They were, rather, probing assaults ranging in strength from 200 to 1000 men, apparently seeking weak spots in the Allied lines. Official reports said the Allied front was holding all along the line. American and South Korean troops, in sealing off the North Korean breakthrough on the north-eastern front, trapped an undetermined number of enemy forces. Communists behind the front still control five miles of the stretch of the Yongchon—Kyongju highway. Two main highways run 47 miles south from Kyongju to Pusan.

Heavy rain clouds, which concealed the North Koreans from the air for two days, broke this morning. American planes again joined battle, concentrating their fire-power on the heavy massing of men, tanks and guns in the area some five to seven miles north of Kyongju. Air Force spotilrs

said they found the heaviest concentration of guns in the area north of Kyongju that they had seen anywhere on the Korean front. South Korean American-Negro troops, holding the Pohang airstrip six miles south of Pohang, were under attack this morning. Warships off-shore bombarded the enemy. A later message stated that South Korean Navy ships last Friday sank eight North Koean vessels, Vice-Ad-miral C. T. Joy, commander of the United Nations Naval Forces, announced today. Marine aircraft yesterday bombed, strafed and rocketed rail-lines, installations and rolling-siock. At Sariwon, planes bombed and damaged a large repair building depot, nine buildings in the railway-yards and a chetnical factory. Marine Corsairh strafed trains from Pyongyang to Suwon. U.S. Navy ships, supporting the United Nations ground forces, bombarded 16 troop concentrations, mortar positions and a command post in the Pohang area and six troop concentrations and four road junctions at Paedunni on the south coast.