The Nome Nugget

ALLIES WITHDRAW UNDER IMPACT RED SPRING OFFENSIVE
UNDATED. (AP) United Nations troops pulled back as much as 12 miles under the impact of a major Red offensive which raged along 100 miles of the Korean front today. In other sectors the Allies stopped the Reds cold. Where the Allies withdrew it was in orderly fashion.

The Communists, with nearly 700,000 men facing the front, launched their attack at 7:30 Sunday night behind their heaviest artillery barrage of the war. Their assault eased in daylight Monday, but was renewed with fresh vigor Monday night.

The Reds forced a crossing of the Imjin River along a 15-mile front in the west. They were checked by concentrated U.N. air and artillery fire. This crossing is 25 miles northwest to 30 miles north of Seoul, shell-shattered South Korean capital.

The western front was strewn with bodies of thousands of Chinese, cut down by artillery and air bombardment.

All along the central front Allied troops "rolled with the punch." They fought from new positions Monday night over a battlefield garishly lighted by giant search lights, flood lights and flares dropped from planes.

In far northwest Korea 12 U. S. Sabre jets shot down four Russian made MIG jets and damaged another four. It was the largest air battle in ten days. and it raised to 159 the number of MIG jets knocked out since early November.

Lt. Gen. James A. Van Fleet, commander of the U. S. 8th Army, had expressed confidence before the Red assault that his men could stop any Red counterblow. He added: "If the enemy knew what I know, he would go back to China right now."