Massive Assault

U.N. troops and officers in the line thought that the Communists might launch the big push on Christmas Day. The attack did not materialize but the U.N. forces did not stand and wait for it: they patrolled vigorously to keep track of enemy movements and positions, and they improved their own positions with minefields, barbed wire, better combat groupings. Allied aircraft, including B-29s, were out in force, chopping at the enemy and his supply lines from the parallel to the Yalu.

General MacArthur counted about 200,000 Chinese and North Koreans facing his line on the Seoul front, 250,000 elsewhere in Korea, 900,000 more Chinese in reserve behind the Manchurian border.

At 7 p.m. on New Year's Eve bugles blared from the Red lines and a massive assault, preceded by an artillery barrage, began. Chinese and Korean Communists, leaving thousands of dead behind them, made two deep thrusts into the U.S. lines, one north of Seoul and one northeast. The Red bid for South Korea had begun.

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