Forces Thought To Be Chinese Attack Near 38th. Parallel

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 December 1950, Page 5

Forces Thought To Be Chinese Attack Near 38th. Parallel

SEOUL, Dec 22 (Recd 12.5 am).— General MacArthur’s headquarters announced today that an enemy regiment, possibly Chinese, yesterday attacked north-east of Chungchon, near the 38th. parallel. The announcement did not say whether the action was above or below that’'artificial boundary. So far. no Chinese has been reported south of the parallel. All the recent attacks in the vicinity of Chungchon have been attributed to Koreans. Concerning yesterday’s attack, headquarters said: “The fact that horses and camels were reported to have! been seen in the immediate area sug-. gests that the attackers were Chinese Communists forces.” Reuter correspondent says that at ( Hungnam warships, warplanes and artillery today drew a curtain of death around the perimeter holding off 110,000 Communists. Deadly rocket-ships yesterday joined two cruisers and destroyers guarding the beachhead, pouring rapid fire into the Chinese and North Korean lines. A threathening build-up of enemy strength on the western Korean front

presages fresh assaults. The United States Bth. Army, reporting an ominous massing of enemy troops, said that large units have appeared In areas where previous action has been limited to sporadic patrol clashes. Fresh enemy battalions were deployed south of Kumwha, which is 20 miles north of the 38th. parallel. Further evidence of aggressive enemy probing was encountered south of Yonchon and eight or nine miles-north-east of Sinyu. Yonchun is six miles north of the parellel. Major-General Robert Soule, American 3rd Division commander, said in I Hungnam ... that 110,000 Communist [troops, mbstly Chinese, were closing in on Hungnam from three directions. !The perimeter defenders were smashing back at the Communist hordes, who were within striking distance. Major-General Soule, former military attache to China, said a captured Chinese officer told him that one regiment was reduced from 3000 to 800 by recent bombing, shelling, rocketing, strafing and burning. He added that most of the Chinese “seemed just as willing to go on fighting on our side.”