At Least Two Divisions Of Chinese In Korea

Wanganui Chronicle, 6 November 1950, Page 5

At Least Two Divisions Of Chinese In Korea

TOKIO, Nov. 5 (Recd. 7 p.m.).— American Eighth Army headquarters last night officially confirmed for the first time that Chinese Communist troops are fighting In Korea. The official statement said: “The Eighth Army confirms that Chinese Communist units In contact are in sufficient numerical strength to be equivalent of at least two divisions." An American spokesman said later, however, that at least 75,000 Chinese soldiers were believed committed to the Korean war. The South Korean army estimates that the usual strength of a Chinese division, according to the information here, is 10,000 men. The Chinese army is known to be well-equipped with Japanese weapons, and great quantities of United States equipment captured from the Chinese Nationalists. It is believed here that the Chinese have some 50 divisions in Man-

churia— all well-trained troops used to the type of cold, mountain terrain found in North Korea. Chinese Communist divisions have entered Korea to oppose the Allies. Eighth army sources said the Chinese troops are aggressive, and well-trained. Eighth Army intelligence officers have identified units of a battalion size, but have not yet established proof to show the units of divisional or corps size are engaged. A spokesman for the United States Marines in Northeast Korea said yesterday, however, that at least one full Chinese division had been identified in action around the Changjin reservoir. He said the division was composed of Chinese Communist 370th, 371st and 372nd Regiments. He said Manchurian veterans of the 371st. were battling against the marines in their advance towards the dam.