Offstage Noises

Along the front line, it was a week of patrol actions, probing attacks and heavy U.N. air strikes against the Reds' buildup areas and communications. In the wild mountains of Korea's east coast, 60 miles south of Wonsan, U.N. patrols moved in on Kosong (reportedly the eastern anchor of the U.N.'s proposed cease-fire buffer zone), while a destroyer-escort pounded the town from offshore. Further south and west, near Yanggu, U.N. infantrymen rested briefly after a savage, five-day fight for a 1.500-foot Red stronghold which Americans nicknamed "Fool Mountain."

Before daybreak one morning last week, U.N. troops began a "limited" attack northward toward the rail, road and supply center of Kumsong, 30 miles above the parallel. First the Reds fell back under U.N. napalm and artillery, then they turned, loosed a fierce artillery barrage, the heaviest since April. Some 500 shells dropped on U.N. positions at the rate of two a minute. But the U.N. troops held. Next night there was artillery again and 200 rounds of heavy mortar fire. Under cover of the artillery, the Reds sent small infantry forces forward. It looked as if the Reds were trying to soup up their act at the truce table with menacing offstage noises.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.