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Love SEC, 3.407 June Date, 18, and SECRET T Washington, D.C. 21 December 1950 JOINT DAILY SITREP NO. 160 (maps attached) 1 BOD From 0700/20 (EST) to 0700/21 (EST) By From 2100/20 (Korea) to 2100/21 (Korea) 1. Situation in Brief: Activity along the U.S. Eighth Army front was limited to scattered patrol encounters. The heaviest encounter was made by a company strength patrol of the 21st U.S. Infantry RCT with an estimated enemy battalion en- trenched on a hill approximately 10 miles southeast of Yonchon. The patrol assaulted the enemy position killing 30 enemy troops, then withdrew under artillery cover. Air and ground reports indicate a continued enemy build-up southeast of Yonchon, north of the Imjin River, and also southwest of Yon- chon in the 6th ROK Division sector. This build-up is along the main cor- ridor from Chorwon to Seoul, just north of the 38th parallel. No enemy ground contact occurred on the U.S. X Corps perimeter in the Hungnam area. Air reported fewer enemy troop sightings than usual, and reported that the enemy was attempting to take cover and camouflage his positions more carefully, possibly due to the terrific air, artillery, and naval pound- ing recently received. The CG, 3d U.S. Infantry Division, assumed opera- tional control of U.S. X Corps units ashore in the Hungnam area. The 17th U.S. Infantry RCT completed outloading, and the 96th U.S. FA Battalion commenced embarkation. In southwest Korea, elements of the 11th ROK Division engaged 1,560 enemy troops on 17 and 18 December in 13 different encounters, killing 261 and capturing 29. Carrier planes hit targets in the Hungnam area, while cruisers and destroyers provided harassing, inter- diction, and illumination fire around Hungnam. Planes from the carrier THESEUS hit targets on the west coast, and U.N. aircraft under FEAF con- trol flew 429 sorties, of which 202 were combat. (FECOM) (SECRET) 2. Weather: Overcast with low clouds improving to scattered clouds with good visibility. Forecast: Clear with scattered clouds. Increasing cloudiness in the northwest late in period. (FEAF) (SECRET) 3. United Nations Situation: GROUND a. U.S. Eighth Army: U.S. I Corps: 25th U.S. Infantry Division: No change in unit locations. Fifteen hundred refugees were screened on 20 SECRET