BATTLE OF KOREA: Behind the Smoke

Aggressive U.N. patrols and tank-infantry teams fought last week against what the communiques described as “scattered delaying groups” and “hostile screening forces.” North of Seoul, when the Communists retreated behind the Imjin, R.O.K. units gained several miles, and at week’s end stood on high ground overlooking the river. U.N. patrols entered Munsan, after routing some 6,000 Reds who had held up the advance for a week. Chunchon (given up by the enemy last fortnight) and Uijongbu remained in no man’s land, although dominated most of the time by allied reconnaissance forces.

As the week wore on, enemy resistance stiffened. Some Communist artillery was spotted 20 miles north of Seoul. Communist and allied guns dueled across the lower reaches of the Han. In Chunchon, a U.S. patrol was fired on, for the first time in six days. U.S. infantrymen ran up against stubborn Reds dug into hillside positions north of Chunchon, failed to blast them out in a bitter five-hour fight.

The Reds were building up strength massively in four main sectors—north and east of Uijongbu, and north and west of

Chunchon (see map). They tried to hide their movements under smoke screens created by smudge pots and burning brush. Allied planes dived through the smoke, raking troop concentrations, vehicle columns, pack trains, motorcycles and oxcarts. General Van Fleet and his army braced for the attack—with barbed wire, minefields and artillery massed “wheel to wheel.” Any night the Chinese might blow their bugles and whistles, set off their green flares, and attack.