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The President 566, 3.4.02 juns smis, Washington, D.C. 19 January 1951 $109.30, Date NAMES, JOINT DAILY SITREP NO. 179 (maps attached) 1 DOD NLT. From 0700/18 (EST) to 0700/19 (EST) By, From 2100/18 (Korea) to 2100/19 (Korea) 1. Situation in Brief: Only minor engagements occurred in U.S. I and IX Corps sectors. In Kumnyangjang, an estimated 2 enemy companies engaged a 15th U. S. RCT patrol in a 2 hour fire fight late in the afternoon of 18 January. The friendly patrol withdrew after inflicting 25 casualties. United Nations units, patrolling vigorously to maintain contact with the enemy, reported 5 skirmishes along the front west of the Han River. In the U.S X Corps sectors, elements of the 9th U.S. RCT engaged an estimated 200 enemy, 12 miles north of Chechon, killing 19. A battalion of the 9th U.S RCT is enroute to Wonju which will be used as a base for patrol operations designed to maintain contact with hostile forces in that area. The main threat is still in X Corps rear areas where friendly units searched for and engaged hostile forces which continued their south- ward infiltration in strength. The 8th ROK Division reported 4 engage- ments with enemy groups up to 200 strength, approximately 10 miles north of Mungyong, while elements of the 7th U.S. Infantry Division en- gaged an enemy group of undetermined strength, 7 miles northeast of Tanyang. Two battalions of the 5th ROK Division, attacking to clear the area north and northeast of Punggi, drew heavy automatic weapons and small arms fire, but scored advances up to 1, 500 yards. In the ROK III Corps sector, elements of the 7th ROK Division were in contact with an enemy regiment in Yongwol, while other elements cleared a roadblock manned by an enemy battalion, 11 miles to the east. Task Force 77 air- craft flew 181 sorties and aircraft from the BATAAN flew 38 sorties. U.N. aircraft under FEAF control flew 694 sorties. (FECOM) )(SECRET) 2. Weather: There were broken to overcast low, middle, and high clouds which became scattered to occasional broken low, middle, and high clouds. Visibility was restricted by fog, haze, and rain to about 1 to 3 miles. Forecast: Scattered low, middle, and high cloud south of the 37th parallel, and scattered low clouds north of the 37th parallel. Visibility will be re- stricted in haze during the early morning to about 2 to 4 miles, otherwise it will be 7 miles plus. (FEAF) (SECRET) 3. Enemy Situation (See Map "C" The build-up of enemy forces along the immediate front, current