The Korean War, 70 Years Ago, The Gazette and Daily, York, PA
Korean War Weekly Front Pages
18 February – 24 February 1951
The Gazette and Daily, York, PA
“Operation Killer” commences.
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Chinese troops fell back in the 70-mile area between Korea’s west coast and Wonju in the mountainous middle of the peninsula. They appeared to have given up virtually all territory south of the Han river, which skirts the edge of Seoul, held by the Chinese. The only enemy effort at a fight was made by North Koreans around Chechon, 20 miles southeast of Wonju. In the west, Turkish troops swept the entire peninsula northwest of Seoul without finding any Chinese. East of Seoul, the US Ninth Corps advanced six miles across ridges in a 20-mile sector, finding only dead Chinese and abandoned weapons.
On Tuesday, General Douglas MacArthur visited the Korean front and ordered the “resumption of the initiative” by his troops. He also said, “I shall not arbitrarily execute” authority to cross the 38th Parallel. Tank-led formations of UN forces rolled forward seven miles in central Korea’s mountains and held the gain by beating off weak Communist counterattacks. The Allied advance was in the face of enemy buildups on the central front. But in west-central Korea mauled Chinese troops continued their retreat northward.
A day-long bombardment by the battleship Missouri 170 miles north of the 38th Parallel was carried out against bridges and other targets at Tanchon on the northeast coast. To the south, other warships shelled the big port of Wonsan for the seventh straight day. Allied warplanes flew 875 sorties on Tuesday and spotted more enemy tanks than they had seen since mid-December. They knocked out six and damaged three.
On Thursday, Allied troops advanced in a new offensive along a front of more than 50 miles in muddy central Korea and met almost no opposition. General MacArthur said his troops had already gained up to six miles in the new drive, and South Koreans west of Hoengsong had gained eight. Americans, British, Australian, New Zealanders and South Koreans leaped from trenches and began the push against withdrawing Reds in this “vital phase of the Korean campaign.” By Friday the 100,000-man offensive had hit the main Chinese defense line and fierce fighting had broken out. Earlier the six-nation Allied force had rolled ahead up to 12 miles at some points against little resistance. The enemy’s main defenses were around the road hub of Hoengsong, a key objective of “Operation Killer,” because an estimated 15,000 Chinese were committed there under orders to hold or die.
Sergeant Floyd Markle, of Hanover, was killed and two other countians wounded, bringing the county’s casualties to 42 since the war started in June. Sgt. Markle’s parents were notified Tuesday afternoon in a telegram from the adjutant general. He enlisted in December 1948 and was attached to the Third Infantry Division.
(Photo courtesy newspapers.com, York Gazette and Daily)