Report, Joint Daily Situation Report Number 161

The President SEC. 3407 June Life. 18, sinisi Washington, D.C. 22 December 1950 JOINT DAILY SITREP NO. 161 1 E.O. (maps attached) Bell From 0700/21 (EST) to 0700/22 (EST) From 2100/21 (Korea) to 2100/22 (Korea) By 1. Situation in Brief: Increasing enemy movement and supply activity along the U.S. Eighth Army front from Korangpo to northeast of Chunchon indicate continu- ing preparations for an early offensive. Light patrol contact was maintained except in the 8th ROK Division sector where a North Korean regiment launched a strong attack against elements of the 16th ROK Regiment approx- imately 12 miles northeast of Chunchon. Friendly positions were penetra- ted to a depth of about 3,000 yards before the attack was contained. Enemy troops were wearing U.S. Army overcoats and were armed with U.S. M-1 rifles. As of 0700/22 (KT), hostile contact was broken, but friendly positions had not been restored. Patrols from the 1st ROK Division reported two light encounters with small enemy units believed to be CCF. The U.S. Eighth Army main CP closed Seoul and opened in Taegu 1400/22 (KT); the advance CP remains in Seoul. The enemy resumed probing attacks against the north and east sectors of the Hungnam perimeter during the night of 21-22 Dec- ember. Elements of the 65th U.S. Infantry RCT withdrew 1,000 yards on the north flank under strong enemy attack between midnight and dawn. Elements of the 15th U.S. Infantry RCT were subjected to continuous small arms har- assing fire during the night, and friendly artillery silenced hostile weapons harassing 7th U.S. Infantry RCT elements on the northwest edge of the peri- meter. The 3d U.S. Infantry Division began embarking after the 96th U.S. FA Battalion and the 15th AAA AW Battalion (-) completed outloading. The last increments of the 7th U.S. Infantry Division and U.S. X Corps artillery are enroute to Pusan to join the main body of the division at Yongchon. Carrier aircraft continued to furnish close air support for the troops in the Hungnam area inflicting heavy casualties. Fire support ships in the Hungnam area furnished interdiction and illumination missions, THESEUS aircraft attacked communication targets south of Pyongyang. Naval air flew a. total of 248 sorties with the large carrier sorties only partially reported and the number of THESEUS sorties not reported. On 21 December, U.N. aircraft under FEAF control flew 516 sorties, including 305 combat. (FECOM) (SECRET) 2. Weather: Scattered clouds to clear north of the 40th parallel and south of the 36th parallel; the area between had broken clouds to overcast with lower