Tunnel Tactics Repels Ten-million-strong Foe

In early 1952 the ruling circles of the US were continuing to feed troops into the Korean front while making its domestic economy more militarized and extensively increasing the war expenditure.

The US imperialists withdrew to Japan the First Cavalry Division and the 24^th Infantry Division of the US that had been beaten to a pulp in the Korean front, and instead hurled the 40^th and 45^th infantry divisions—that had been in training in Japan—from the end of 1951 to the beginning of 1952. They also brought lots of fighter bombers into south Korea from Japan.

Supreme Commander Kim Il Sung , as a positive measure to frustrate the enemy’s desperate schemes of aggression, put forward the policy of further strengthening defense positions with tunnels as the mainstay, scrupulously organizing defense battles, and further activating military actions in battles so as to constantly decrease and weaken the manpower and technical equipment of the enemy. Accordingly, units and combined units of the People’s Army in the front and the rear vigorously pushed ahead with excavation of tunnels. As a result there were established a firm positional defense system based on tunnels to suit the mountainous topography of Korea, and by relying on the tunnels the People’s Army soldiers could securely defend their positions, and successfully repulse the enemy’s attack in all defense areas.

None of the enemy’s war methods worked before the People’s Army’s defense positions reinforced with tunnels. In 1952 alone the US aggressors mobilized lots of planes and guns to shower over 4 000 bombs and over 500 000 shells on average per one kilometer in the area with Height 1 211 as its center and strafed the area one thousand and several hundred times. Nevertheless, the People’s Army dealt a staggering blow to the enemy by dint of positive defense battles based in tunnel positions while reliably protecting its manpower, weapons and combat equipment.