The Korean War, 70 Years Ago, The Evening Herald, Shenandoah (Pottsville) PA
Korean War Weekly Front Pages
8 July – 14 July 1951
The Evening Herald, Shenandoah (Pottsville) PA
Armistice talks hit a snag.
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UN and Communist troops fought bitterly throughout Monday on the east central front, seemingly oblivious to approaching cease-fire talks. The Reds, in a series of heavy counterattacks, drove the UN troops back from a mountain stronghold northeast of Yanggu. UN forces, under a thundering artillery barrage, moved northward Sunday in what was called a limited offensive. They drove more than half a mile into Communist lines and were near their objective when the enemy opened counterattacks. UN troops drove forward from two to 16 miles on the eastern and central fronts, but make no headway in the west against the steel defenses around the Red buildup area. Probing attacks on the west and west-central areas, where 400,000 Communist troops were massed, drew sharp enemy counterattacks. Neither side pressed a sustained offensive. The Reds appeared to be digging in around Kaesong, the site of the armistice negotiations. They were believed to be using the conference immunity to strengthen defenses around their only remaining holding in the South.
The air war raged for the third straight day as US planes downed a MIG-15 fighter Monday and Allied warplanes resumed their attacks on the Red supply route above “neutral” Kaesong. Later in the week American fighter planes shot down three MIG-15s over North Korea in the longest jet plane flight in history. CPT Milton Nelson, of Alabama, became the Korean theater’s top current MIG killer, having shot down four enemy planes.
Armistice talks were to open on Tuesday, 10 July, in the “Peace City” of Kaesong, although prior to the event General Ridgway, UN Supreme Commander, warned that a cease-fire was not expected to come out of the first meeting. Correspondents and military information officers were at odds whether the city was open or still in complete Communist control. Indications from the Army were that it was the latter. The Army Public Information Office had invited newsmen to submit sixteen names of correspondents and photographers who would be considered to cover the main negotiations.
On Tuesday, UN officers returned from a four-hour conference and indicated that progress had been made toward a cease-fire. After presenting their ideas for a program of negotiations at two meetings, morning and afternoon, the Allied and Red teams adjourned until the next morning, when business talks were to begin. The UN program was that the Allies wanted a purely military agreement for an armistice and would not discuss any other matters – military, political, or economic. Communist broadcasts indicated that the Reds would try to broaden the program and may demand the evacuation of Korea by the UN armies. On the second day of talks, a member of the United Nations negotiating team said that an armistice in the Korean War seemed “much nearer.” But he added that the program for the negotiations was under discussion and indicated no actual agreement on the cease-fire was yet in prospect. The UN negotiators talked with the Reds for nearly five hours and adjourned until 1000 Thursday Korean time.
On Thursday negotiations were interrupted when the Communists refused to allow the Allied free press to enter Kaesong. The chief UN negotiator delivered an ultimatum to the North Koreans: “There will be no further negotiations until and unless the Communists cease all interference with the UN authorized personnel or convoys.” On Friday the Reds rejected the ultimatum, stating that there must be a special agreement on newsmen. In turn, General Ridgway made a new and stiff demand that Kaesong be declared a neutral zone, free of armed troops and Red obstruction, or alternatively that the conference be switched to some other place. Ridgway directed his demand to Kim Il Sung, North Korean premier. On Saturday the Communists agreed to Ridgway’s demand.
(Photo courtesy newspapers.com, Shenandoah/Pottsville Evening Herald)