Allies Win Ground, Air Fights; Rumble Through Kumsong
Reds Recapture Critical Point At Heartbreak
The Florence Morning News, Florence, S.C., Tuesday October 23, 1951.
U. S. EIGHTH ARMY HEADQUARTERS, KOREA, Tuesday Oct. 23, 1951. – (AP) – More than 100 American and Communist jet fighters to-day clashed over MIG Alley in Northwest Korea.
The Fifth Air Force, in a sketchy first report, said two MIG15 jets were shot down and several were damaged. It gave no report on American casual-ties, if any.
On the ground, twenty-six U. S. Patton tanks rumbled through the smoking ruins of the big central Korean city of Kumsong for four hours Monday. Infantrymen moved to within 600 yards of the former Red base without drawing Communist forces into action.
AP Correspondent Sam Summerlin reported the city’s thatched huts and other buildings were burning fiercely as the tankers pounded them with fire. Kumsong appeared to be deserted.
A second task force clanked west-ward past Kumsong and open fire
on Chinese dug into the wooded hills.
“That’s a good sight for these eyes,” said one GI watching the
tankers blast Kumsong. “Maybe this push will make the Communists
more anxious for peace,” another remarked.
Chinese resistance melted on the foggy mountain ridges southeast of Kumsong during the day.
The U. S. Eighth Army communiqué Monday night reported United Nations units were “advancing toward their objectives against very little op-position.”
It said a patrol was less than one-third of a mile from the now neutralized Red road and rail junction, 30 miles north of Parallel 38.
There was no significant fighting along the eastern or western fronts, and fighting was light along the central front, the communiqué said.
The war, which has blazed with savage intensity on all three fronts the last few weeks, seemed destined to simmer down to a low boil once the cease-fire negotiations begin again. Conditions appeared to be all set for a resumption of the talks at Panmunjom today or tomorrow.
Some observers felt that the 500,000 Chinese and North Korean troops would stay in their foxholes with one ear cocked for word from Panmunjom. They felt that Allied military might – about even in manpower – won’t be much more active as long as the talks progress.
In the Air War Monday, six separate jet engagements blazed across Northwest Korea. American jet jockeys claimed two Russian MIG fighters probably shot down and one damaged. Some 180 Red fighters were sighed during the day.
In Washington the Air Force estimated the Communists have well over 1,200 planes in Manchuria, half of them jets.
The Fifth Air Force reported all Allied jets returned undamaged from the air battles. In other actions, however, one Shooting Star jet and a Mustang fighter were shot down by ground fire, headquarters announced.
Nine Okinawa-based B-29‘s succeeded in hitting for the first time top-priority Communist air fields at Taechon(?), 60 miles north of Pyongyang. More than 96 tons of bombs were dropped on the newly completed concrete runway and revetments. Pilots claimed it was knocked out.
The Taechon air strip was made the “very special” target from which nine other Supreforts turned back Sunday when fighter cover did not arrive.
Sunday’s precaution appeared well justified.
In Monday’s raid the Superforts were jumped by Red MIGs and made
their bombing run through moderate to intense anti-aircraft fire,
even though they had jet fighter cover.
The Far East Air Force made no mention of damage to any of the planes involved in the Taechon raid, either Allied or Red.
The new Communist airfield had been watched closely until it was ready for use.